Homemade Cat Urine Remover
Cats make wonderful pets. They are affectionate (at least sometimes), they don’t need to be walked outside when the weather is cold and rainy the way dogs do and they are pretty low maintenance as far as animals go.
If your cat stays home alone all day, she is probably more than content to have the house all to herself. Try that too often with a dog and you will come home to a complete mess!
The only downside to having a cat, or several cats, as pets is that sometimes your cat will “mark” its territory with urine, leaving a very pungent and unpleasant odor.
Removing cat urine and the odor that comes along with it can be a difficult task, but one that you must do right away and as completely as possible to ensure that the cat doesn’t make that spot her new litter box.
Homemade Urine and Odor Remover:
If you don't have a commercially available cleaners made specifically for cleaning cat urine. You can make a natural, homemade stain remover. Use this cleaning solution to remove the urine and odor completely.
Mix into a paste:
- 1/2 cup vinegar
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide
Removing Cat Urine on Fabric or Carpet:
If kitty’s target has been an upholstered chair or your carpet, you’ve got your work cut out for you. The sooner you get to the spot (and the smell) the better the chances are of eliminating it or at the very least, minimizing the smell.
Here are the cleaning steps to remove cat urine out of fabric or carpet:
- If you’ve gotten the spot while it’s still wet, blot the spot to absorb any urine still in the fabric or carpet. This may take several passes with a cloth or paper towel.
- If the urine has already dried onto the fibers, you can skip blotting and move onto cleaning the spot.
- Pour enough vinegar or water on the spot to dampen the area.
- Blot again to lift out as much of the vinegar and any urine that was remaining. Depending on the age and quantity of the cat urine that is staining the area, this step alone may take care or the stain completely.
- Apply the stain remover paste to the urine spot.
- Let the paste dry completely, approx 24 hours.
- Vacuum to remove the residue.
If you are concerned that your cat will return to the area, you can take the towels you used to blot up the initial urine spot (not the ones with vinegar) and put them near the litter box to help kitty find her way back to the right spot to urinate.
If you are concerned with colorfastness be sure you test it in an inconspicuous spot first. It's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to upholstery and carpets.
Removing Cat Urine From Hard Surface Floors and Walls:
You might think that the worst spot your cat uses as a litter box is the couch or carpet, but his spraying other surfaces can be just as bad. If your cat is spraying urine against a wall or on hardwood floors, clean the surfaces completely with a 75/25 spray of vinegar and water.
Vinegar and water will work well on all surface floors including ceramic, tile and linoleum. Don't use vinegar on marble or stone floors and it will etch the floor and ruin the finish.
How To Find Hidden Sources Of Urine Odor:
A regular black light used in the dark will cause biological material (such as urine) to fluoresce or glow. Use a blacklight to find any urine that is remaining on the carpet, floor or wall. You might even find a spot or two that you didn't see earlier.
The scent of the urine will cause a cat to come back to use the spot again and again. Cats have an extremely sensitive sense of smell and even if you can’t smell their urine, they might. After cleaning the spot, keep the cat out of the room or cover the area so that it won’t have access there again.
In some severe cases, or when people move into homes where cats were allowed to roam (and urinate) freely, the damage to hard surfaces is so bad that floorboards or walls must be replaced. If you have moved into a home and have recurring cat urine odor, you may want to inspect the subfloor or hardwood floors for damage.
Unless you are able to remove the source of the odor, you will be fighting a losing battle. Killz is a paint that will block stains and odors. If you have a serious problem and have to repaint or replace flooring, Killz paint will block the urine stain and odor completely, so you can start fresh.
Preventing Pet Accidents and Their Stains:
A house trained cat shouldn’t be urinating anywhere other than the litter box, and doing so could indicate a medical problem or be a sign of stress in your cat.
As long as the litter box is maintained properly a healthy cat will want to "do it's business" there. If you are having problems with urine in your home, be sure to consult your veterinarian to make sure that your cat doesn’t have medical issues.
