How to Get Cat Urine Odors Out of Carpets
Before reaching for expensive cleaners and powerful pet odor neutralizers, turn to your kitchen for supplies to get cat urine out of carpeting. Remove the stain completely because your cat’s sensitive nose will find any trace of her previous visit and not even the most powerful deodorizer will disguise the lingering scent.
- Difficulty:
- Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Water
- Paper towels
- Newspapers
- Baking soda
- Cleaning rags
- White vinegar
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1
Clean the cat's litter pan. Cats soil carpets if they're not satisfied with the cleanliness or location of their litter pan or they don't like the scent of scented litter. Try an unscented litter if your cat continues to eliminate out of the box. Also, non-neutered males may spray their territory to warn off rival males.
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2
Clean as much of a fresh stain as you can with paper towels and water. Dampen an older stain with water to start the cleaning process. Cover the damp stain with a layer of paper towels. Press a layer of newspapers on top of the paper towels to sop up as much of the damp stain and water as possible in the paper towels.
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3
Sprinkle baking soda on the entire spot. Cover the entire stain and let it absorb the odor. Brush away.
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4
Blot vinegar on top, scrubbing it in with a soft cleaning rag. Flush the area thoroughly with water to remove the baking soda and vinegar scent.
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5
Air dry the stained area. If the vinegar scent remains, flush with water again. If the stain is not completely removed, vinegar will not hide the scent from a cat's sensitive nose and she may return and urinate again.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Rent an extractor or use a wet vac if the scent persists. Use without chemical cleaners. Avoid steam or heat treatments, which may intensify the odor. Once the stain is removed, try a pet odor neutralizer.
Avoid cleaning with strong smelling chemicals that will mask the odor to you, but not your cat.
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References
- Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images
Comments
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Mexindian
Jun 12, 2008
I will try this. Thanks. -
Bizzylizzy
Oct 23, 2007
Thanks so much! I have 2 cats in the house!!
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robertsloan2
Oct 09, 2007
That is so great! Thank you for letting me know how it worked for you. Good tip about the steam cleaning afterward, that's good for any kind of stain removal -- steam cleaning will get any last residue right out. I live with my daughter's family, and they just bought a steam cleaner. My son in law used it last night on the living room and the results are stunning. My grandkids have done far worse things to that poor carpet than my cat has, since he was neutered before I moved in and he's a good boy now. But it all came up great.
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stinkypets
Oct 07, 2007
Thanks so much robertsloan2 your information really helped. I did what you suggested yesterday, then I steam cleaned the carpet with "woolite oxy deep steam pet". So far there is no odor. The minute I did the baking soda step then the vinegar step, I couldn't smell anything. Then I used the steam cleaner and I couldn't smell any odor at all. Thanks again for all your help. stinkypets
