Getting Rid Of The Cat Odor Without Getting Rid Of Your Cat

Home & Garden Blog

It can be a common occurrence in a cat owner's household that urine ends up on the floor. A male cat may feel the need to show their dominance. A cat with arthritis can't quite make it into the litter box in time. Or a cat with a bladder infection simple goes wherever they are when the urge to urinate strikes. It is possible that a commercial product is the only thing that will clean up the spot and work for the pet odor removal. But before taking that path, here are some home remedies that people have found to be successful for cleaning up after their feline companion.

Preparing the Spot

Getting the spot ready for cleaning is important whether you use one of these home remedies or a commercial product. Get as much of the urine off the floor as possible before doing anything else. If this is a wood or tile floor, wipe up the spot with a paper towel and make sure to pull the urine out of the grouted areas or spaces between the wood planks.

If this is carpet, use paper towels to soak up the urine. When the spot is nearly dry, place a stack of paper towels over the spot, put a book on top of the stack, and push down as hard as you can. Try standing on the book, if you can. The goal is to pull as much urine out of the carpet before it soaks into the pad. Continue this until the paper towels don't soak up anything more.

If this is an area rug that you can move, place a stack of paper towels under the rug where the spot is to help absorb the urine before it has a chance to seep into the floor.

You can use absorbent cloths instead of paper towels. Do not soak the area with water or other cleaning solutions before picking up as much urine as you can. You'll dilute the urine and force it down into the carpet, creating a tougher stain to clean up.

Now you're ready to try one of the following remedies.

Vinegar and Baking Soda

Mix equal amounts of warm water and vinegar. Sprinkle baking soda on the spot and work it into the area with your fingers. Pour the vinegar mixture on the spot which will cause the baking soda to foam. Let this sit for a few minutes then wipe up the spot with a clean cloth or paper towel.

Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda

Instead of vinegar, try hydrogen peroxide on a spot that has already dried following the directions above for vinegar and baking soda. The dried urine creates crystals which the hydrogen peroxide breaks apart making the spot easier to pick up.

Corn Starch

Sprinkle dry corn starch on a wet or dry spot and work it in with your fingers or a brush, if this is a carpet. Leave the corn starch in place overnight then vacuum it up. This will pick up remaining odors left by other cleaning attempts.

Lemon Juice

Mix lemon juice with an equal part of water and spray it on the spot. Scrub the area with a brush or cloth. Rinse with warm water. Pick up as much moisture as you can with a paper towel then allow it to air dry.

With all of these home remedies, it's wise to try the solutions on a hidden piece of the carpet. Some may cause colors to fade or bleed.

When Commercial Solutions Are the Right Solution

If your cat becomes fixated on urinating in one spot of the house, you'll need to use one of the enzyme-based commercial cat odor cleaners. Follow the directions precisely for the best results. If your cat can smell even the tiniest amount of urine on the spot, they'll think it's OK to continue using it. The enzymes in the commercial cleaners attack the odor causing substances in the spot to neutralize the smell.

But even a store-bought cleaner might not do the job if the odor and stain are especially prevalent. In that case, call a cleaning service like Chem Dry Springfield to get rid of the problem.

22 June 2015