How to get rid of the smell of cat urine

Take action immediately

If your pet has made a puddle outside the litter box, you need to start fixing the problem as soon as possible. The longer the cat's urine is left uncleaned, the harsher and more unpleasant the odor becomes. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the dried stain may not be visible, and it will smell unbearable. In addition, traces of an old puddle can provoke a cat to repeat the experiment.

To effectively fight odor, you need at least in the most general form to imagine the composition of cat urine. Its main ingredients are urea and urochrome, which are easily washed off with water, as well as colorless crystals of uric acid. It is the latter that pose a problem, since they are poorly soluble in water, but when the humidity level rises, they begin to exude a smell with renewed vigor.

Remove the puddle

Dry the puddle dry with paper towels or a rag. If rug or carpet is damaged, press a dry rag firmly against the stain several times. Do not rub or smear the urine. If the stain is already dry, sprinkle with water and blot. Your task is to remove as much of the cat urine as possible without increasing the area of the spot.

Apply enzyme cleaner to stain

You can use both special formulations sold in pet stores and general-purpose detergents. It is very important not to try to deal with the odor with other chemicals before you use the enzyme cleaner on the stain, as it may react with the remnants of the previous formulation and not work.

Apply according to package directions and leave to dry completely. Most likely, this measure will be enough to completely eliminate the smell.

Use vinegar, baking soda, and hydrogen peroxide

If it is not possible to quickly get a remedy with enzymes, you can do with improvised means. Start by mixing 1 ½ cup water with ½ cup table vinegar and pour the solution over the stain. After 3-5 minutes, blot the stain with paper towels and sprinkle generously with baking soda.

Then dilute 1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid with 100 ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide. Try rubbing the solution over an inconspicuous area of the floor or carpet to make sure the solution does not discolor the finish. If everything is in order, apply the mixture over the baking soda and rub thoroughly with a brush.

After that, all that remains is to wait a few hours until the mixture is dry and vacuum it. If the urine has managed to ingest, you may have to repeat the entire procedure again.

Or potassium permanganate

Another proven remedy in the fight against the smell of cat urine is a weak solution of potassium permanganate. However, this method can not only solve the problem, but also create a new one: stains from potassium permanganate may remain on fabric and carpet surfaces, especially if there are undissolved crystals in the solution.

Forget about chlorine and ammonia

In no case do not use products with ammonia: its smell will provoke the animal to repeat the feat in the same place. For the same reason, you should not grab onto chlorine products. In addition, they can damage the damaged coating.