Cats are one of the most popular pets, and for a good reason: they are low-maintenance and provide companionship to many families. Unfortunately, pet stains and odor are some of the negatives of being a cat owner, and the cat pee smell is perhaps one of the most persistent unwanted stenches.
Many cat owners are curious about how to get rid of cat urine smell. Nobody likes a stinky home or smelly clothes. Litter box smell is bad enough, but figuring out how to get rid of cat urine odor in the air becomes critical when your cat has an accident outside the cat litter box and you can’t seem to eliminate cat urine smell from the room.
Whether you’re struggling with a cat pee odor or a pee stain, these simple methods help you understand how to get rid of cat urine smell. Removing a pee stain and cat urine odor is simple with products you already have at home.
- Brilliant Ideas to Eliminate Cat Urine Smell
- How to Get Rid of Cat Urine Smell Using Baking Soda
- Eliminate Cat Urine Smell with Enzymatic Cleaners
- Eliminate Cat Urine Odor Using White Vinegar
- Dish Soap and Vinegar Cleaner Removes Cat Urine
- Tea Bags are an Odor Remover
- A Dryer Sheet Eliminates Pet Odor
- Cat Litter for Accidents and Odors
- Laundry Detergent for Cat Owners
- Denture Tablets Remove Cat Urine Smell
- Get Rid of Cat Urine Odor in the Air with DIY Air Freshener
- Increase Litter Boxes for Less Cat Odor
- Neuter Male Cats to Prevent Accidents
- Beat Cat Pee Odor with Hydrogen Peroxide
- Borax is Tough on Pet Odor
- Try Rubbing Alcohol for Cat Urine
- Apple Cider Vinegar Destroys Pet Smell
- Cedarwood is a Natural Odor Remover
- Steam Clean for Pet Urine Smell
Brilliant Ideas to Eliminate Cat Urine Smell
If cat pee is ruining your home and you don’t want to scare cats away from your house, it’s time to find a solution. First, find out why your cat is using the potty outside the litter box and talk to your vet about a possible urinary tract infection. Discovering and eliminating the cause of the accidents reduces future stress.
Once a cat starts to have accidents, they often escalate quickly, resulting in a smelly room or whole house. Performing clean-up is vital to helping your cat start using their litter box correctly. The smell of cat pee is revolting, and it makes you and your home appear unclean and unprofessional.
If the unpleasant ammonia smell of pet urine is your least favorite aspect of owning a pet, try these tips to get the cat pee smell out of your clothes, bedding, and other fabric. Eliminate cat pee odor by hand or using your washing machine with supplies you already have available.
There’s no need to buy expensive products for this problem. There are a variety of highly successful home remedies to get rid of cat pee smell and get your house back to normal fast.
How to Get Rid of Cat Urine Smell Using Baking Soda
Sprinkle baking soda, known for its multipurpose cleaning properties, on shoes to remove the cat pee odor. Allow overnight for baking soda to soak into your pet urine-stained carpet, furniture, or clothes. Clean a couch that smells of pee or another unwanted odor by scattering baking soda across the surface.
Sift the powder into a plastic bag or onto a newspaper or vacuum it up in the morning. Baking soda easily absorbs strong urine odor. It’s even possible to manufacture your own odor balls with baking soda.
Cut the toes off old socks, stuff them with two teaspoons of baking soda, and glue them tight. To get cat pee smell out of a rug or the living room carpet, drop these baking soda odor eater balls onto a pet urine stain after cleaning, and leave them overnight instead of sprinkling baking soda and dealing with a potential mess.
Eliminate Cat Urine Smell with Enzymatic Cleaners
Sometimes you need more than regular soap and water to get rid of the odor of cat urine – eliminate cat urine odor with an enzymatic cleaner. These cleaners use enzymes to remove organic stains and leave a fresh odor behind.
Find an enzyme cleaner in most pet stores, especially in products designed to remove pet stains. Instead of harsh cleaning chemicals, enzyme cleaners are a non-toxic, pet-friendly alternative.
Enzyme cleaners formulated for pet urine target the uric acid molecules in the pet waste. By breaking down these molecules, enzymatic cleaners successfully eliminate the pet urine smell and leave your home smelling fresh and clean.
Note that you can also make an enzyme cleaner for cat pee. Many simple recipes exist but most take a couple of weeks to form an enzymatic reaction.
Eliminate Cat Urine Odor Using White Vinegar
Learn how to get rid of cat urine odor in the air or carpets using pantry goods to make this very effective mixture to erase pet urine smell. White vinegar is well known in the cleaning world for being a powerful and safe alternative to harsh chemical solutions.
This straightforward DIY recipe harnesses the power of white vinegar and pairs it with the antibacterial properties of tea tree oil for natural odor removal. It’s a cost-effective way to get rid of cat smell in an apartment, house, or any other area.
Combine the liquids in a sprayer and shake the spray container vigorously. To use this home remedy for cat pee odor, mist the solution anywhere pet odor is present. After completely covering the carpet’s surface, blankets or clothes, wipe with a towel and let them air dry for odor removal.
Dish Soap and Vinegar Cleaner Removes Cat Urine
Dish soap quickly removes stubborn cat urine smell and stains when paired with a powerful cleaner like white vinegar. As dish soap is designed to work on old food and grease on dirty plates and silverware, it works exceptionally well on other biological stains such as pet urine.
Like dish soap is tough on dried food, it’s tough on unwanted cat odor and breaks down uric acid and other stain and odor-causing molecules to safely remove them from your home.
Soak a clean towel or soft brush for a few minutes in the soapy vinegar solution. To get rid of cat spray smell, clean the pet accident with a damp cloth or a scrub brush, and remove any urine stains or odors with soapy water. Blot with a paper towel and lay garments flat to dry.
Tea Bags are an Odor Remover
When asking how to get rid of cat urine smell, go no further than your kitchen. A black tea bag helps get rid of odors and restore the cleanliness of soiled shoes. Each tea bag contains potent tannins to fight microorganisms and eliminate odors.
Add a teabag to boiling water and leave for 2-3 minutes. Set it aside to cool. Squeeze liquid out of the teabag and apply it to the pet stain for an hour to deodorize naturally. After removing the teabag, mop up any extra liquid with a paper towel or clean towel and allow to dry.
Try adding teabags inside your footwear to get cat pee smell out of leather shoes. It’s easy and often all you need to solve the problem.
A Dryer Sheet Eliminates Pet Odor
Dryer sheets quickly remove the unpleasant odor of cat urine smell. Learn how to eliminate cat urine smell by heading to the laundry machine. To take care of cat pee odor, put a dryer sheet on the urine after cleaning and leave it there overnight.
The dryer sheet serves as an odor remover, neutralizing the cat pee smell; remember to discard the dryer sheet in the trash for hygiene reasons. Use a dryer sheet in other places where odor accumulates, such as around the litter box or on carpet or blankets where cat smell is present.
Pet urine is one of the worst parts of being a cat owner, and thanks to its uric acid content, the scent is hard to remove. A dryer sheet is an excellent odor removal tool and leaves a fresh smell behind after cleaning.
Cat Litter for Accidents and Odors
You don’t want moisture or a strong odor on your carpet or sofa, so use cat litter to absorb both. Kitty litter absorbs any moisture left behind from pet accidents while acting as a deodorizer to eliminate cat urine smell.
Cat litter is a wonderful solution for removing cat urine odor from wool or other delicates because it doesn’t utilize harsh chemicals and doesn’t require additional spraying or wetting. Most cat litter contains an odor eliminator to combat urine smell, and the litter itself absorbs urine or other pet fluids.
Pour cat litter onto the problem section before carpet cleaning. Leave the cat litter to work overnight and enjoy a pleasant smell in the morning.
Laundry Detergent for Cat Owners
Another option exists if you’ve previously tried putting your clothes or blankets in the washing machine and the cat urine stain or smell hasn’t disappeared. With a concentrated liquid washing detergent, it’s simple to get rid of harsh scents like a cat odor or a cat food spill.
The most efficient detergents for removing cat urine odor are color-safe bleach detergents that won’t damage fabrics. While a regular wash cycle may not be adequate to remove the stench, a concentrated detergent accentuates the effect and ensures all the uric acid and cat pee smell is removed and washed away.
Apply a thick layer of laundry detergent to the pet urine area, scrub it with a soft brush or toothbrush, and set it aside for 15-20 minutes before washing regularly.
Denture Tablets Remove Cat Urine Smell
Looking for how to get rid of cat urine smell using supplies you already have? Denture tablets are swiftly gaining popularity as a versatile cleanser, and they’re incredibly effective at removing odors like pet urine.
Soak your stinky pillows, throws, or clothes overnight in a bucket or sink filled with warm water and a few tablets. To get rid of the pee scent, wash them in the washing machine once they’ve soaked.
Denture pills contain powerful antibacterial ingredients to eradicate pet odors, and the effervescent action penetrates deep into the fabric, killing any bacteria lurking below surface level.
Get Rid of Cat Urine Odor in the Air with DIY Air Freshener
This natural homemade air freshener spray can get rid of cat urine odor in the air. Essential oils have a strong aroma to mask an unpleasant odor like cat urine. Like tea tree oil, many essential oils have antibacterial properties to help odor reduction and masking.
Combine the essential oil and water in a spray bottle. Allow the solution to sit for a few minutes after spraying on affected areas. Spray frequently to keep cat urine smell at bay.
Increase Litter Boxes for Less Cat Odor
Cat behavior plays a role in pet accidents. Marking is an unwanted cat behavior where pets go to the bathroom outside the potty to mark their territory. Pottying outside the litterbox often indicates felines are undergoing stress and feel the need to compete for resources like cat food, affection, or litter box time.
Increasing the number of clean litter boxes in your home gives your cats more access and reduces tension, making them more likely to use the litter box rather than pee on carpet or clothes.
Neuter Male Cats to Prevent Accidents
Eliminate cat urine smell by neutering your male cat. Like marking due to stress, unneutered or unfixed male cats denote their territory by scent marking or spraying urine around the home. This cat behavior, though inconvenient, is natural for unaltered male cats, and almost all of them will engage in it as they reach maturity.
Thankfully, neutering often corrects this problem, in addition to helping prevent further cat overpopulation. Fixing your female cat may also help her use the litterbox more consistently by reducing the stress of hormonal cycles.
Beat Cat Pee Odor with Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is a superb cleaning solution due to its antibacterial qualities. Peroxide is affordable and readily available at most pharmacies and grocery stores. The main negative of hydrogen peroxide is that it may stain lighter-colored fabrics, so proceed with caution and do a test patch if you’re unsure.
Combine the ingredients in a jug or bucket. After pouring the liquid directly on the urine stain, scrub it with a brush or a washcloth. Allow the mixture to sit overnight before properly rinsing in the morning.
Borax is Tough on Pet Odor
Borax is a reliable antibacterial cleaner to eliminate pet odors effectively. Wash the stained item with your regular detergent in the machine or by hand, if delicate. Sprinkle a tablespoon of Borax onto the spot once it dries and let it stay overnight. Vacuum the powder in the morning and enjoy a fresh, clean scent.
Try Rubbing Alcohol for Cat Urine
Tough to clean garments like shoes are perfect targets for rubbing alcohol as deodorizers and disinfectants. Rubbing alcohol is available at most grocery stores or pharmacies and is cost-effective.
Use soap and warm water first to clean the soiled spots of heavy dirt. Spray the shoes with rubbing alcohol to kill the microorganisms in cat pee. To get rid of the stink, let the boots air dry.
To keep odors from returning, spritz your shoes periodically. Because rubbing alcohol may dry leather, treat leather shoes with conditioner after drying the moisture.
Apple Cider Vinegar Destroys Pet Smell
The naturally acidic characteristics of apple cider vinegar make it an excellent option for removing cat urine odor. The apple cider vinegar eats away the uric acid and germs, masking cat urine odor.
Apple cider vinegar is an excellent natural and cost-effective method for odor elimination after a pet accident. Combine apple cider and warm water to quickly make a natural cat urine cleanser.
Allow the cleaning solution to rest on the affected area for about five minutes before patting it with a clean paper towel to absorb any moisture and remove the stench. Add apple cider vinegar to your DIY carpet cleaner to eliminate cat pee odors and any other smells that linger.
Cedarwood is a Natural Odor Remover
Cedar essential oils have antibacterial properties, which aid in destroying odor-causing microbes in pet urine, making them an excellent deodorizer. Cedar essential oils are also antimicrobial, keeping your clothes, shoes, and linens odor-free even when you sweat.
Cedarwood is an excellent choice for a natural method of removing cat urine smell, as it works with powerful action without containing potentially hazardous chemicals.
After cleaning in the washing machine or by hand, add cedarwood chips to the pet stain, covering the entire perimeter where the accident occurred. The wood chips absorb any leftover moisture and kill the bacteria, leaving you with a fresh scent.
Steam Clean for Pet Urine Smell
Steam cleaning is frequently overlooked when removing pet urine stench from soiled surfaces. Steam cleaners are low-cost, excellent for eliminating odors, and gentle on most fabrics.
These portable machines employ heat to eliminate 99 percent of smell-causing bacteria and remove harmful substances and undesired microorganisms. This machine is safe for the environment and may be used to clean various surfaces around the house with a cat urine odor.
Cat urine or pee stink spoils your home, clothes, and mood. Once your cat has an accident outside the litter box, understanding how to get rid of the smell can be challenging. Pet urine odor clings to clothes, bedding, shoes, and other items and often lingers, even after multiple cycles in the washing machine.
Knowing that the ammonia smell is caused by uric acid, and odor-causing bacteria that flourish in wetness makes cleaning up cat pee simple. Choose a simple approach based on the items you have and the amount of time you want to spend to eliminate cat urine smell.
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