How and with what to remove the persistent and difficult to remove smell of cat urine from the carpet?
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 odor 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.
Content
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, acid crystals still remain on it, creating an unpleasant aroma, 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.
How can you clean a rug if your cat has peed?
To effectively remove cat urine odor from carpet, it is necessary to choose the right means 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:
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Alcohol – this is the simplest option for dealing 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 dry the stain and then remove it from the carpet with a vacuum cleaner or any other method.
- Lemon acid – dissolves in liquid and is used to wash contaminated surfaces.
- Vinegar - Most often used in combination with other products.
- Hydrogen peroxide – helps remove residual odors, used before working with more powerful products and when planning to use household chemicals in the future.
- Bleaching – 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 – difficult to use because they leave behind colored stains. 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.
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 – universal means for eliminating odors;
- "True friend" – spray to eliminate animal odors;
- Odorgone – 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.
How to clean a surface: action technology
As mentioned above, the best effect is when removing urine odor from carpet gives 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.
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 vinegar solution (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.
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 cleaning product. carpet cleaning (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.
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.
Useful video
This video will tell you how to remove the smell of cat urine from a carpet:
Conclusion
So, the smell of cat urine can be very persistent and difficult to remove. You can fight it with both folk remedies and household chemicals. The best thing is when both methods are combined.
If all your efforts were in vain and the smell still remains, then your last chance is a good dry cleaner, the right choice of which will be the key to success.
