Arrrrrghhhh! Your mother-in-law is on the way over and Kitty just sprayed the dining-room carpet!! No time to rent a steam-cleaner, too late to rip out the rug! What to do? The prime directive for removing cat pee odor is to get to it fast! This particularly important with carpets - the longer the urine sits, the more it will saturate the padding under the carpet and the more difficult it will be to eradicate the smell.
And speaking of saturation, remember that in order to remove odor you'll need to clean an area larger than the visible stain.
In fact the area of the carpet padding that got soaked is probably about twice the size of the stain on the carpet.
Don't just douse the spot with the first household cleaner you can lay your hands on - never use ammonia or anything containing ammonia.
Not only will it fail to remove the odor, the ammonia scent could actually encourage the cat to continue urinating there! Here are twelve simple, cheap, and effective ways to remove cat urine odor using ordinary household items:
And speaking of saturation, remember that in order to remove odor you'll need to clean an area larger than the visible stain.
In fact the area of the carpet padding that got soaked is probably about twice the size of the stain on the carpet.
Don't just douse the spot with the first household cleaner you can lay your hands on - never use ammonia or anything containing ammonia.
Not only will it fail to remove the odor, the ammonia scent could actually encourage the cat to continue urinating there! Here are twelve simple, cheap, and effective ways to remove cat urine odor using ordinary household items:
- Scrub area with full strength white vinegar.
- Scrub area with shaving cream.
- Scrub area with borax.
- Douse area with hydrogen peroxide and work well into the fibers.
Not only will the peroxide break down urine residue and eliminate odors, it will also act as a fungicide and will keep the area from getting sour or moldy as it dries. - Soak area with sugarless seltzer water.
- Coat the area with a paste of baking soda, water, a dash of ordinary dish washing liquid, anda little hydrogen peroxide.
Work it into the fiber with a brush.
Allow to dry and vacuum. - Scrub area with a thick paste of dishwasher detergent and water.
Allow to dry and vacuum. - Scrub area with a thick paste of biological washing powder and water.
Allow to dry and vacuum. - If the problem area is not padded, fabric-covered, or delicate, first wash it down well and then spray it with a weak water-bleach solution (about 10 parts water to one part bleach).
Let it set briefly, then wipe down.
This works well on cement floors!You'll smell the bleach a bit, but it beats the alternative. - Scrub area with paste of baking soda and dish detergent.
- Absorb as much moisture as possible, scrub with your favorite mixture, and then sprinkle area liberally with lemon juice.
- Rub area with mothballs or citronella to discourage cats from returning to the area