How to get rid of the smell of cat urine on the carpet: 20 best home remedies

Anyone who has kept cats knows that getting rid of the smell of their urine is very difficult, almost impossible. But only almost. There are still chances.

You can use both traditional methods and household chemicals. And the best thing is to organize their combination with each other.

How to remove the smell of cat urine from carpet at home? Let's look at what the problem is when removing the smell of cat urine, what needs to be done and in what order to return the house to its usual cleanliness, and where to go if all else fails.

Why is it so difficult to remove an unpleasant odor?

Cat urine consists of three main components: urea, urochrome and uric acid, which gives a persistent, powerful, unpleasant ammonia odor.

The first two components are usually quite easily removed even with plain water, not to mention all kinds of cleaning agents, but the last component is the most difficult to remove.

After all, even when the carpet looks clean outwardly, the acid crystals still remain on it, creating an unpleasant odor , and if water also gets on them, the smell becomes simply unbearable.

So, since the main fight is waged against ammonia acid, under no circumstances should you use products containing it! Otherwise, the smell will only intensify and not go away.

If you plan to clean the carpet with chemical cleaning agents, then you must read their composition and exclude those that contain ammonia.

Causes of strong odor

It is rare to find homes without cats. They are loved by many for their affectionate nature. Specially beautiful animals are bred and become decorations for the home. But pets also cause a lot of trouble. There are problems with the toilet of animals. If you don’t get used to it in time, the apartment will have a persistent smell of cat urine.

It intensifies when:

low consumption of clean water by the cat;
puberty due to impurities in the urine of glandular secretions;
poor nutrition;
diseases of the genitourinary system;
stress, anxiety.

A healthy cat's urine will also smell, but not as strongly. If the smell changes, you should immediately contact a veterinarian.

How can you clean a rug if your cat has peed?

To effectively remove the smell of cat urine from a carpet, you need to choose the right products for this and use them in a certain sequence .

All means for removing the smell of cat urine from the carpet are divided into folk and chemical.

Folk remedies

Household odor removal products include:

Alcohol is the easiest way to deal with a stain left by a careless pet.
But you can only use it if the volume of urine is small (for example, it was left by a small kitten). The puddle on the carpet is wiped dry, then filled with alcohol and left until completely dry (preferably with a window open for ventilation).
As the alcohol evaporates, it takes away particles of odor with it, which means that once drying is complete, everything should be fine with the carpet.
Soda - used to pour the stain into a dry area and then remove it from the carpet with a vacuum cleaner or any other method.
Citric acid - dissolves in liquid and is used to wash contaminated surfaces.
Vinegar is most often used in combination with other products.
Hydrogen peroxide - helps remove residual odors, is used before working with more powerful products and when further planning the use of household chemicals.
Bleach is used as a disinfectant, but its main disadvantage is that it is not safe for owners and their pets. And sometimes it even attracts cats with its smell.
Iodine, potassium permanganate, tea leaves are difficult to use because they leave behind colored spots. Therefore, they are only suitable for cleaning carpets of a certain color.

Chemical

Chemical products for removing the smell of cat urine can be divided into ordinary products sold in the household chemicals section of hardware stores and specialized products offered in pet stores.

The former are used not so much to remove odor as to wash out particles of cat urine that give off this odor. The latter are used to suppress odor.

Common household chemicals that help remove odors include:

dishwashing detergents - any;
means for cleaning fleecy surfaces - any;
carpet cleaning products - any.

Be sure to read the ingredients and make sure there is no ammonia!!!

Some of the products offered by pet stores to suppress animal odors include:

Nature's Miracle - is a universal odor suppressant, also breaks down uric acid, suppresses pheromones;
BIOFORCE is a universal odor eliminator;
“True Friend” – spray to eliminate animal odors;
Odorgone (Odorgon) - to suppress any unpleasant odors.

Most zoo sprays and liquids are not aimed at removing urine odors specifically, but are designed to suppress animal odors in general.

Why does a domestic cat ruin the carpet?

In the vast majority of cases, cats will not simply wet the carpet. This usually happens with an animal that has recently come into the house, with a small kitten, or with a sick old animal. Sometimes the animal simply follows the smell, because the product is dirty, there may be traces of wet cat paws on it, especially if the tray is located next to it.

To avoid having to clean caustic and odorous cat urine from an expensive and beautiful carpet, you first need to make sure that your pet has the opportunity to visit a clean and dry litter box.

Many years of practice have shown that in most cases only disgust and the predominance of natural instincts can force a well-mannered pet to make a puddle on the carpet or in another inappropriate place.

Another important reason for “cat surprises” is revenge. Cats have a good memory and are able to highly appreciate both love and bad treatment. In retaliation, an offended cat may shit in a shoe and create a puddle on the carpet. So, in an incident with an innocent piece of furniture, the owners of the mustachioed striped animals themselves are often to blame.

There is a very simple and accessible method to keep your carpet intact. Cats do not tolerate strong odors. If you clean the product more often with special products for carpets that have a strong smell, then you can “kill two birds with one stone” - have a perfectly clean carpet and keep the cat away from it. Another good way is to add fragrances to the water when using a vacuum cleaner on the carpet.

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How to clean a surface: action technology

As mentioned above, the best effect in removing the smell of urine from a carpet comes from the consistent use of folk remedies and household chemicals. The following stages can be distinguished:

How to remove liquid?

The main task of this stage is to try to remove as much liquid as possible from the carpet without expanding the stain left by the animal.

If the puddle was left quite recently, then first you need to blot it with dry wipes or rags. If the puddle was left by the cat a long time ago, then we skip this stage - all the liquid has already evaporated, only urine crystals remain on the carpet.

We remove the maximum amount of urine with dry rags! If you immediately begin to wash the stain with water, the contaminated surface will expand due to the penetration of water mixed with urine into the carpet fabric and, accordingly, the smell will become stronger!

By water

Ideally, it is possible to transfer the carpet to the bathtub and turn on running water over the stain. If this is not possible, then you should place a basin under the carpet and wash the stain with a sponge or rag (a sponge is better, but after finishing the work you will most likely have to throw it away).

If this is not possible, then the stain is washed directly on the carpet lying on the floor. In this case, you should change the water in the basin in which the rag or sponge is rinsed as often as possible.

Vinegar solution

A solution of vinegar (6-9%) is diluted with water in a ratio of 1/3 and the resulting mixture is applied to the stain . It is advisable to do this from a spray bottle so that the impregnation occurs evenly.

Then the stain is left to dry for 5-8 hours. It is advisable that the room be ventilated.

Soda

Apply soda to the dried stain remaining after treating with vinegar and spread it in an even layer.

Hydrogen peroxide and dishwashing gel

Hydrogen peroxide (3%) is diluted with water in a ratio of 1/1 and sprayed directly onto the layer of soda . It is advisable to do this with a spray bottle for uniform application. Then the carpet is cleaned using a brush with stiff bristles.

It is necessary to clean with force, pressing the brush as much as possible. It is advisable to achieve foam formation and deep penetration of the solution into the carpet!

At the end of cleaning, you need to leave the stain to dry, and after it dries, remove the remaining soda with a vacuum cleaner . Together with the soda, urine crystals containing odor will be removed.

Use of household chemicals

After working with home remedies, you need to clean the dried stain with any carpet cleaning product (without ammonia!), applying it to the contaminated area according to the instructions included with this product.

Most often, this is adding the product to water, whipping it into foam, applying foam to the stain and removing it using a regular, or better yet, vacuum cleaner.

Professional products

In pet stores, the range of products for cleaning cat litter and getting rid of pet marks on various surfaces varies in level of protection and pricing policy. Below are the top popular products that have been tested over time and have earned many positive reviews from consumers.

OdorGone

It is a widely used neutralizer - it will remove odors from carpets and upholstered furniture. This product is also intended for washing cat litter, for cleaning a pet’s bedding and for washing things that smell of the “aroma” of a pet.

OdorGone does not mask odors, but acts through local destruction of bacteria. The neutralizer is non-toxic and is used in homes with children and allergy sufferers. The product contains a complex of natural essential oils.

Zoosan

This drug affects not only odors, but also stains, including old ones. Area of application: houses with several (from three or more) animals, livestock farms, dog and cat kennels (clubs, veterinary clinics). Zoosan does not contain chlorine and phosphates, which is important if the product is planned to be used in the presence of children and asthma patients.

Dezosan

Treating carpet surfaces with Dezosan is made easier by the ability to pour the liquid solution into the container of a washing vacuum cleaner. Contact cleaning for small areas of carpet is also possible.

The composition of dezosan is non-toxic; working with the product is allowed in small rooms with poor ventilation.

Manufacturers guarantee the destruction of odors of any strength by decomposing uric acid at the molecular level.

Urine-off Cat & Kitten

The product differs from a line of similar products in that it works at the level of pheromone suppression - that is, it discourages pets from marking treated surfaces. As a preventive measure or to eliminate traces of urine, it is enough to treat the carpet once with Urine-off Cat & Kitten, and the problem will be forgotten. From time to time it is recommended to carry out cleaning with this drug to remove associated odors that are always present in a house where there are animals.

The product contains no phosphates or chlorine.

Odor kill

A remedy for English lovers of cats and cleanliness, it fights all negative odors in general. At the same time, it leaves behind a delicious vanilla aroma. Odor kill is a concentrate that requires dilution with water. It is better to apply it using a spray bottle, spreading it over any surface with a soft sponge.

The product does not need to be washed off, it is harmless and does not contain allergens.

What to do if nothing helps?

If all of the above steps do not help remove the smell of cat urine, then your last chance is to go to the dry cleaner.

Tips for choosing and working with it are below:

Dry cleaners currently offer two cleaning options - dry and wet cleaning. The first one does not remove odors, so if the carpet allows it, it is better to choose aqua-cleaning.
The leading brands in the field of modern cleaning are Italian and German companies. Therefore, it is worth clarifying what equipment and what chemistry the selected service uses.
If the carpet is very large and difficult to transport, you can invite dry cleaning representatives to your home, having previously specified what exactly you need to clean and that the main element of the fight should be the smell.
In this case, you should remember that after cleaning at home, the item remains wet for another 2-4 hours, so it will be difficult to use the carpet - you will need to give it time to dry.
If a dry cleaner asks you to sign a document that contains a waiver of claims, then you should think about choosing a service company for a friend.

How to get rid of the stench

Now let's talk about how to remove the unpleasant smell from the carpet yourself. You should know that before choosing one or another method of eliminating the existing problem, you need to test the rug in an inconspicuous place so as not to completely ruin everything.

Important! Fresh stains on the rug are always removed better. For some, it is enough to brush with plain water and then dry with a hair dryer (this is within the apartment). If you wash the runner outside, make sure that it does not remain wet before bringing it indoors.

Sometimes people prefer to use a broom or brush to clean carpets; this is justified in a situation with natural carpets. If we regularly and thoroughly vacuum woolen coverings, and also with a washing vacuum cleaner, they will very quickly lose their aesthetics.

Elimination and removal of the smell of old urine

If your dog has peed on the carpet for a long time, and you don’t know how to remove the smell, it is better to carry out high-quality cleaning at a dry cleaner. You can call a team of professionals to your home or take the product to the laundry. Another way to get rid of the smell of old dog urine that has soaked into the carpet at home is to purchase special liquid mixtures and powders at a hardware store or pet supply store.

All purchased special products are used exclusively according to the instructions: to achieve a good cleaning effect and protect textiles from damage. Please note that some types of carpets cannot be cleaned at home. As a rule, these are handmade carpets made from delicate natural materials.

After removing the pungent smell of dog urine from the affected carpet, take care of raising your home and pet and regularly walking it outside.

This is the only way to avoid additional household chores and wasting time searching for suitable cleaning products.

Prevention measures

To avoid trouble next time, you need to find out the reason for this cat’s behavior.

Perhaps the cat's litter box was not clean enough. These graceful animals love cleanliness and have an excellent sense of smell, so they may not like a dirty tray.
It is important to leave the cat litter box in a place hidden from prying eyes, because even animals will not be happy if someone is watching them at such a moment.
You can purchase a special cat repellent and spray it on potential areas that the animal might mark.
Folk remedies that furry pets really don’t like and that scare them away are also suitable: the smell of citrus fruits, rosemary and rosemary oil, crushed garlic, onion, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, vinegar or lavender.
Sometimes a cat may get into the habit of marking indoor plants. To prevent trouble from happening, you can put orange peel or pine cones in a flower pot.
If your cat regularly marks his territory, he should be checked by a veterinarian to rule out diseases. Your pet may have a weak bladder or a kidney infection.
If your pet suddenly presents a surprise in the form of a mark, this may be a reaction to stress. The animal painfully endures the absence of the owner or may thus express resentment and fear of punishment.
A good way to wean your pet from marking its territory is through walks. Walking in the fresh air will definitely benefit your pet, and he will find the best place for the cat's litter box.