How to Remove Cat Urine Odors from Fabric and Carpet

A majority of Americans consider their pets beloved members of the family—and just like family, cats and dogs can drive you crazy and frustrate you. The problem is that you can’t voice your irritation with pets like you can with your human family members. You love your cat, but you don’t love the smells he sometimes leaves behind. For instance, that urine odor wafting throughout your house is unpleasant and no way to greet guests when they enter the front door.

Luckily, the awful scent your dear old kitty has left behind does not have to be a permanent feature of your home. Below are some tips to help any pet parent remove cat urine from fabrics and carpet flooring in South Amboy, NJ.

Clean up what you can

The first thing to do is remove as much of the cat urine as possible, because less urine means less of a need for deep cleaning. It’s for this reason that you should clean up as much of the mess as you can as soon as you notice your cat has peed anywhere other than in his litter box. According to the Humane Society of the United States, urine spots on fabric furniture or carpet should be blotted away with an absorbent paper towel. While it won’t pull out all of the urine, there will be less remaining to treat later.

Your cat may have urinated on other fabrics, like drapes, clothing or linens. In cases like these, wash or dry clean the items as soon as possible. Urine odor becomes more stubborn the longer it stays on fabric, so don’t wait to clean it out using baking soda or enzymatic additives.

Use an extracting wet vac

It’s important to note that while you can use an extracting wet vac to remove cat urine, you should always avoid steam cleaners. A wet vac cleaner expels clean water onto the carpet or furniture fabric, then sucks the dirty water back up into the tank. This step rinses the area rather well for carpet flooring. Unless you want to enhance the urine smell, avoid using a steam cleaner. The heat from this device can cause odors to set into the fibers of the carpet, making the odor removal job more difficult.

Sprinkle baking soda afterward

Baking soda is sodium bicarbonate, which does a fantastic job of absorbing odors from carpet. To use baking soda as an air freshener, sprinkle it on carpets or upholstery after you have cleaned off the urine and the area has had time to dry. Sprinkle and let it set for at least one hour, then vacuum it up.

Prevent accidents

The more your cat pees outside of his litter box and on your indoor surfaces, the harder it’ll be to keep the odor under control. Try some methods like litter box retraining, laying down absorbent pee pads, getting your cat spayed or neutered and adding more litter boxes. You should also consult your veterinarian, as inappropriate urination may be a sign of underlying medical issues.

If you need your carpet flooring in South Amboy, NJ professionally cleaned, contact Lov ‘N Kare Carpet Center. Reach out today to schedule an appointment!