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.
Possible reasons for a cat’s “playfulness”
There is no point in washing the carpet and floor of urine if the cat wets it again. In parallel with cleaning the carpet, we solve the problem “why does the cat do this.” Possible reasons are:
- Urolithiasis or any other disease of the genitourinary system (urolithiasis, cystitis, etc.). In a sick animal, the pot causes a strong association that it hurts. The pet is trying to find a more comfortable place for its needs. An accompanying sign: the cat licks the lower abdomen and the place where it pees.
- The period of sexual hunting. Even castrati periodically “go crazy” and mark everything no worse than full-fledged ones. Our cat does this in solidarity with the “sick” non-sterile cat. Therefore, our immediate plans are to sterilize the cat.
- The cat does not like the pot (small in size, for example) or litter. The problem is solved by trial and error.
- The place where the toilet is located is not suitable for the animal - cats prefer to do intimate affairs quietly.
- If there are several cats. Perhaps your pet doesn't like living in a pride. Or he is desperately jealous, trying to attract the attention of his owners.
The video claims: any cat can be trained to use the toilet!
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.
What not to do
Basic rules of what not to do when cleaning carpets.
These marks have a persistent, pungent odor and spoil the appearance of floor coverings.
- Pour hot water. Heat treatment is not suitable for all carpets and can lead to deformation of the product.
- Rub the stain vigorously. Friction can ruin the texture of the material.
- Remove the stain using chemicals without first checking the reaction on a separate piece of carpet. May cause discoloration.
- Treat the stain with bleach or bleach.
- Dry with a hair dryer or iron.
- Use colored napkins or cloth to remove moisture.
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.
Features of eliminating urine odor from carpet depending on the “freshness” of the stains.
Dealing with urine on carpeting is not an easy task, but it is quite doable. The older the stain, the more effort it will take to completely get rid of the smell of urine on the carpet. Therefore, it is necessary to act immediately, without delaying “for later.”
Funny little animals bring a lot of joy to their owners, but there are also disappointments.
If the puddle is still fresh, then the initial task is to collect as much moisture as possible from the carpet. To do this, you need to cover the surface of the stain with paper napkins and, using palm pressure, absorb the urine into them. And thus change wet wipes for dry ones until they stop collecting moisture. Then you can start cleaning (methods are given below).
Even the most cultured animals can sometimes leave their mark or puddle on the carpet.
If the stain was noticed to be already dry, then the main goal is to remove urine from the carpet. To do this, you need to wet it again. You need to pour a glass of water onto the stain, wait for it to be absorbed, and follow the procedure described above to absorb the moisture with napkins. Repeat this at least 3 times (the more the better) depending on the size of the initial stain, and only after that start cleaning.
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.
To summarize
After cleaning the carpet by any means, the area that the cat carelessly marked may noticeably stand out as a cloudy stain. Therefore, it is necessary to immediately balance the color scheme of the coating by using carpet cleaning products.
Among carpet shampoos, Vanish has proven itself well. Its use does not require any skills - just dilute the concentrate in water, foam it and apply directly to the entire treated area with a brush or sponge. After waiting the required time, the powder remaining after applying the shampoo is removed with a vacuum cleaner.
Preventive measures
You can remove urine odor from carpets, floors, and other areas of the home, but it's best to avoid doing so. Therefore, it is necessary to adhere to certain rules:
- clean up cat puddles in a timely manner;
- prevent stressful situations from arising for her;
- A cat may mark because of revenge, so the reasons for this should be eliminated.
- Carpets and floors should be thoroughly cleaned using special products every month.
Thus, if your pet suddenly begins to mark its territory and a specific smell arises, you should not despair. The main thing is to remove tags from your pet in a timely manner and wipe problem areas with special means. In this case, the apartment will always smell only fresh.
What should you not do when removing odor?
- Use various products containing ammonia . In particular, glass cleaners or stove cleaning products. Why? Products containing ammonia will only provoke the pet into repeated “acts of revenge.” As long as the cat smells this scent, he will mark it again and again.
- Use perfumes and deodorants. They won't even mask the smell. On the contrary, mixed with a cat’s scent, the aroma of perfume will become simply unbearable.
How to get rid of the unpleasant smell of sweat in shoes?
For shoes:
It is extremely difficult to remove the smell from these products. While high-quality sneakers or fabric slippers can still be washed 2-3 times, it is almost impossible to treat leather shoes - upon contact with feet, they will still “bestow” the owner and others with cat odor.
Therefore there are not many options...
- Potassium permanganate. We thoroughly wash the shoes in cold water, then rinse them with a solution of potassium permanganate and wash them in a washing machine. We dry exclusively in the open air.
- Vinegar. We wash the shoes, wash the insoles separately, and then thoroughly rinse the inside with a vinegar solution. We air dry it again.
- Liquid glycerin. The product is suitable for shoes made of leatherette or smooth leather. We carefully treat it from the inside with glycerin and leave it in the room until the product is completely absorbed.
For carpet:
- Glycerol. This product is ideal for breaking up urinary stones. It can be used on carpets and other surfaces.
- Laundry soap (note: it also contains glycerin). Thoroughly soap the damaged area of the carpet with a sponge, wait until it dries and rinse the area well with clean water.
- Vinegar + soda. Having noticed a fresh puddle, quickly and dryly absorb it with napkins (or toilet paper), fill the stain with vinegar solution (1 to 3) and after drying, cover it with soda. The next day we simply clean it with a vacuum cleaner.
- Peroxide + soap. In a spray bottle, mix hydrogen peroxide (100 ml), 1 tsp of regular liquid soap and half a glass of water. We fill the “revenge” area with soda for a couple of hours, after which we spray the prepared product directly on top of the soda and rub it into the surface with a brush until foam appears. After complete drying, remove everything with a vacuum cleaner.
And now - some recommendations on the topic of prevention:
- Place the litter box where your pet will use it. Mustache-striped people do not like publicity - they prefer to do their dark deeds on the sly. Give your pet a secluded place for the toilet.
- Treat all areas of potential “acts of revenge” with special spray products.
- Place orange peels or pine cones in flower pots to discourage your pet from marking plants.
- Change the litter in the tray regularly. Cats are too clean to go twice or thrice into already used litter.
- Never punish your “kissuns”. Cats are touchy animals and will take revenge.
- Neutered cats (note - as well as sterilized cats) do not mark their territory. But the decision is yours to make.
- Have your pet checked by a veterinarian. You may have kidney problems or a urinary tract infection.
Be prepared for anything. But remember that we are responsible for those whom...
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How do you solve this delicate problem for your pets? Share your effective recipes in the comments below!
