Comments on: How to Remove Cat Urine From Hardwood Floors

on 12/12/2005 First, I cleaned the area with some Dawn liquid soap and warm water. It took several cleanings before the yellow stains stopped appearing on the towel I was using. Second, I poured hydrogen peroxide on the stain. I let it sit until it dried. I repeated this process several times until the wood wasn't black anymore. Third, I rubbed the area with white vinegar to relieve the smell. Fourth, I re-stained the wood and polyurethanes the area. My floors look great now, and they don't smell. I put my rug back on top of the spot after cleaning it, and sprayed the rug with citrus Febreeze. Apparently cats don't like citrus smell. So far, so good. We'll see if they go back to the affected area. The total cost of this method was about $6 and it out performed the store bought cleaners I've used in the past.

on 6/11/2007 My friend just bought a house and after she pulled up the carpet, every room with hardwood floors had huge black stains everywhere. We did not know if it was dog or cat urine, but the smell would knock you over. The stains could not be sanded away with a professional sander or any other remedy we tried. We know the stains were there at least 4 years because the house was empty that long. As a last ditch effort we tried the remedies we read here.
We poured regular bleach on one spot and hydrogen peroxide on another. We let it sit overnight and the 59 cent bottle of hydrogen peroxide completely evaporated the black stain and the wood left beneath was nearly white! When we went into the basement later, we found that the black stain had overnight sunk all the way through the hardwood floor and leaked onto the basement floor in a black puddle. The bleach also removed the stain, but the blackness did not disappear completely, it moved to the outer edges of the spot to be wiped up. The wood beneath was grey not white. We are now dumping many bottles of hydrogen peroxide on the floor overnight and fully believe that come morning, the whole floor will just be white raw wood.

on 11/22/2005 After much research, and many different remedies, I found the only thing that worked was straight hydrogen peroxide! I simply poured it straight from the bottle and allowed it to dry completely. I did this multiple times until the black stain disappeared. Of course I am now working on restoring the stained spot to match the rest of the floor, but overall I am very pleased with the outcome for a 49 cent cost!

on 11/22/2005 If the wood has been stained; sand the floor and use a wood bleach. Follow the directions carefully. When dry, coat the floor with a polyurethane covering. That will seal in the smell, any remaining odor will be one only cats can smell.

on 11/22/2005 Measure 1 part water and 1 part baking soda (half/half) put the mix in a spray bottle or use a cloth and wipe up the urine. The baking soda eliminates odors.

on 11/22/2005 As an earlier person said, Odo-Ban does work very well to remove cat urine odor from carpets, upholstery and even hardwood flooring. I have rental properties and had tried many other products but found that the odors kept returning, especially when humidity was high. But, treating with Odo-Ban full strength, letting it sit for a couple of hours and blotting up the excess definitely cured the problem.

on 11/22/2005 I use a special shampoo for floors and furniture that was designed to remove the smell of skunks (I guess you get thatin your house when your dog has been attacked by the thing!). It works very well for cat urine!

on 11/22/2005 When the problem is severe and the smell can't be removed, seal it in with several coats of polyurethane sealer.

on 11/22/2005 If the area is stained, soak a towel with hydrogen peroxide and
place on the affected area. Let it dry. The peroxide dyes, or bleaches, the wood. You may need to restain the wood back to its original color, but often it works great the first time.

on 12/27/2007 I used a multipurpose cleaner on my hardwood floors in my living room. It is called Pet Stop (epetstop.com) and it did not damage my floors. It smelled and looked much better.