Why Is Cat Urine Treated With Vinegar on Materials Like Carpet?

Cat urine can be a challenging opponent when it comes to getting rid of household odors. Using a combination of distilled white vinegar and baking soda is an effective and inexpensive way of cleaning up your cat's "accidents" and eliminating the smell.

  1. Metabolic Waste

    • There's nothing all that different about cat urine. Like other animal urine, cat's urine is a concentration of metabolic waste containing urea, creatine, uric acid, detoxified substances, sodium chloride and other electrolytes. What makes it unique is that it's hard to locate and clean up before it begins to smell.

    Lingering Odor

    • Hidden in a rug, bacteria begins to decompose the urea, creating a pungent ammonia smell. In its second stage of decomposition, the urine gives off mercaptans, sulfur-containing organic substances with a potent odor. It's mercaptans that give skunk spray its nasty smell.

    Antibacterial Properties

    • The acetic acid in distilled white vinegar inhibits the growth of bacteria in cat urine and acts as a deodorizer. Baking soda will absorb the urine odor when sprinkled on top of a spot cleaned with vinegar.

    Safe to Use

    • Vinegar is fermented fruit or another sugary material. Since distilled white vinegar is edible, it's safe to use around pets and on most household surfaces, including carpeting. The Vinegar Institute suggests testing the color fastness of the carpet in an invisible area before cleaning the entire rug.