Tips on Cat Urine Smell in The House

Cat urine is an unpleasant odor that can encourage other pets to relieve themselves indoors. The first step in eliminating the smell is to thoroughly clean the area and then take measures to remove the smell. But if you̵7;ve overlooked the fresh urine, the urine may have evaporated or soaked into the material, yet the pungent odor remains.

  1. Cleaning Carpet

    • If the fresh urine is on carpet, soak up as much of the urine as possible with paper towels and then drench the area with club soda. After about ten minutes, blot up the club soda. The next day spray the carpet with an enzymatic cleaner. An enzyme-based product will break down the urine rather than masking the smell.

    Cleaning Hard Floors

    • If the urine is on linoleum, wash the area with white vinegar after removing the urine. For hardwood floors or cement, apply an enzymatic cleaner instead of vinegar. If the urine has soaked into the hardwood floor or concrete, it may be necessary to sand down or bleach the concrete, and refinish the hardwood floor.

    Dried Urine

    • If you discover a cat urine smell long after the urine has dried, apply an enzyme-based cleaner to break up the urine, rather than mask the smell. Many of the spray-on laundry products designed to remove stains are enzyme-based. Before applying, make sure the spray won̵7;t damage the surface. Veterinarians also sell enzyme products designed to remove the smell of cat urine. Often the treatment will need to be applied several times before the smell is gone.

    Damaged Materials

    • In some instances you may need to discard the item with the urine smell. For example, if the cat relieved himself on the couch, you may be able to save the cushion covers, but the cushion padding or filling may need to be replaced after the covers are cleaned. When washing fabrics that have urine smell, add white vinegar to the washing machine. While cleaning the urine and dealing with the odor, remove the pets from the area so they don̵7;t contribute to the problem.