The smell of kitty urine is due to mercaptans, sulfur compounds. These are released while the biological elements found in urine are decomposing. The odor will completely disappear only if properly neutralized.
I’ve owned cats for as long as I can remember and accidents have happened. I particularly had one cat that adored urinating on my couch. That was the time I bought an injection-extraction vacuum cleaner.
However, most commercial solutions don’t remove the urine stench from fabrics or surfaces. Below, there’s a list of substances I’ve found useful over time.
Chlorine For Surfaces
Chlorine itself is a gas that evaporates. Some don’t like the smell of it, but it’s one, if not the best substances I’ve used to remove cat urine smell from various surfaces.
Commercially, chlorine comes as sodium hypochlorite, the result of reacting chlorine with a sodium hydroxide solution. It’s more commonly known as bleach. It’s available at almost any supermarket, in the cleaning aisle.
Some surfaces are more sensitive to bleach, so it’s best to test it in a hidden spot. Always dilute bleach, about 1:4 with water.
It can be used for surfaces such as tiles, walls, wallpaper, untreated wood, counters, and certain furniture. Along with the injection-extraction vacuum cleaner, I’ve used it for my polyester couch.
Use bleach only in well-ventilated areas, as it is a respiratory irritant, and only use rubber or latex gloves, as it burns the skin.
After using bleach, rinse well using plenty of water, and don’t allow animals to reach the areas you’ve bleached.
Vinegar
Vinegar can be found in almost any pantry and is a helpful ingredient in the battle with urine smell. It is an acid that neutralizes the alkaline salts from cat urine and works great with dried cat pee stains.
It is pet-safe, cheap, and can be used on almost any surface. It’s very effective, but the inconvenience is that the smell of vinegar persists for days, especially in fabrics and carpets. Only some people like the smell of vinegar.
The proportion used for urine removal is about 50% vinegar and 50% water.
Some home-cleaner recipes recommend using sodium bicarbonate and vinegar. After I’ve tested it, I concluded it’s too hard to clean afterward.
However, it’s up to you to try it and see if it helps.
Enzymatic Solutions
Enzymatic solutions contain living microorganisms that secrete enzymes and are pet-safe. The smell of urine comes from volatile molecules resulting from protein degrading.
These enzymatic detergents break down the proteins from urine into smaller molecules, eliminating the odor.
Most enzymatic urine remover solutions are available as sprays for upholstery, carpets, and various surfaces.
However, you can also find powdered urine removers. These are mostly suitable for carpets, for fresh urine, and need time to act after being applied. They are poured onto the desired surface and can be removed using an ordinary vacuum cleaner.
You can make your own DIY enzymatic cleaner if you prefer environment-friendly cleaners.
How To Remove Cat Urine Efficiently
Step one is removing the urine. The sooner, the better.
Use paper or cotton towels to absorb the excess liquid, if it’s fresh urine. Press the towel onto the surface to absorb as much liquid as possible.
Step two is rinsing with plenty of water. If it’s a carpet or upholstery, rinse the surface with water, and then repeat step one to remove any excess liquid.
Step three is using a cleaner to remove volatile particles. No matter if you use bleach, vinegar, or enzymatic solutions, be sure to rinse properly at the end and repeat step one.
How To Prevent Your Cat From (Further) Urinating Around The House
Your cat’s nasty peeing behavior can be prevented up to a certain point. Some cats with medical conditions just can’t help it. But most of the cats can be trained using repellent solutions.
These solutions, commercial or homemade, are used to deter the cat from going and peeing into a certain spot.
Repellents use strong smells that cats hate, but they have to be reapplied after a certain time. You can use certain oils like tea tree, citronella, grapefruit, mint, or eucalyptus when making your DIY repellent.
From my personal experience, some cats aren’t bothered at all by these, so don’t get your hopes up. My peeing cat didn’t mind them at all, and boy, I’ve tried so many options.
Important note: You may try alternating between these cleaning supplies but never, under no circumstances, mix bleach and vinegar. This combination creates a harmful chlorine gas, that affects the respiratory system and is potentially lethal.
