How To Get Cat Pee Smell Out Of Clothes? Easy Steps
On rare occasions, your cat might have an accident and pee on your clothes or bedding. The smell of their urine is frequently very difficult to get rid of, especially if it has dried and become embedded. Your cat will most likely return to the area to pee again if the smell lingers. In addition to uric acid, cat urine contains a variety of bacteria. Please read this article carefully if you want to know how to remove cat pee odor from clothing.
Steps For Removing Cat Urine Smell From Your Clothes
Here are some steps to follow for getting rid of the cat pee smell.
Don’t Mix Your Clothes
Throwing items that have cat pee on them into the washing machine with other clothes can cause your other clothes to smell, and cat pee odor lingers.
Regular Products Can Only Go So Far
The smell can be temporarily eliminated using regular laundry detergent and other common cleaning supplies like baking soda, vinegar, and hydrogen peroxide. Some people recommend adding baking soda or vinegar to the wash. The odor can, however, come back because these products don’t get rid of the uric acid.
Remove As Much Urine As Possible
Before applying anything to the clothes, make an effort to blot up all of the urine. Don’t scrub it; simply dab the area with a paper towel or an old cloth to absorb the urine until it is no longer wet. Due to the fact that urine glows in the dark, you can use ultraviolet light to help find any stains that you can’t see.
Pretreat With Enzyme Cleaners
Proteins called enzymes help to expedite chemical reactions. Enzyme cleaners break down uric acid in cat pee into carbon dioxide and ammonia, two gases that easily evaporate. For use on pet odors and urine, look for products designed specifically for this purpose.
Some of these can be applied to various materials, including fabrics, but you should always follow the instructions and test a small area first, especially when using them on more delicate materials.
Vinegar Wash
If you want to get rid of urine stains and odor, use a two-part cleaning procedure. A wash in vinegar is the first step in this procedure.
- White vinegar and water should be combined 1:1. Coat the urine-stained item with this solution and allow it to sit for a few minutes.
- Baking soda may be applied over the stained area if desired. In order to absorb and neutralize odor, vinegar and baking soda will work together.
- Use cold or lukewarm water in a washing machine to clean urine-stained items. When washing this load, omit the laundry detergent. Use only cool or cold water; hot or warm water can cause the stain and odor to set in.
- Dry the urine-stained items in the air. If you’re drying inside, it might take a full day. Do not use a clothes dryer, because any heat can serve to set in the odor permanently.
Laundering
You can now switch to conventional washing since most of the stains and smell has been eliminated.
- The urine-stained items should be washed in cool water with an enzyme-based detergent. Enzyme-based detergents are known to work on organic-based stains. The enzymes effectively “eat” an organic material, including cat urine. The majority of cold-water detergents are of this type, and detergent labels will state whether they contain enzymes or not.
- Re-air-dry the items. Check the items carefully for any odors that may still be present after they have completely dried. You might have to repeat the final laundering step if the urine was completely dried in.
Try Again
It may take several attempts to completely eliminate the smell of cat urine because it is so difficult to remove.
Reasons Your Cat Isn’t Using A Litter Box
It’s important to understand why your cat isn’t using a litter box. A urinary tract infection, for example, is one possible health problem. To rule out any medical issues that could be causing your cat to urinate anywhere, work with your veterinarian.
Health Problems
A cat peeing outside the litter box may indicate health problems or behavioral issues. It can hurt and cause your cat to urinate more when they have urinary tract issues, such as kidney stones or bladder inflammation.
Due to their increased urge to drink and urinate, cats may also develop liver and kidney diseases. Other possibilities include joint, nerve, or muscle issues in your cat, which may make it challenging for them to enter and exit the litter box. To weed out any potential health issues, consult your veterinarian.
Age Issues
Older cats, particularly those that are 10 years or older, may have cognitive decline or age-related cat dementia. One of the behavioral problems associated with cognitive dysfunction is peeing and pooping outside of the litter box. For the purpose of excluding any age-related issues, consult your veterinarian.
Check The Litter
Your cat might not like the litter in the litter box or the box itself might be filthy. Change the litter more often. You can experiment with various kinds of the litter as well. If you have multiple cats, the more dominant one may have designated it as their litter box, forcing the others to find another location to use as a bathroom.
Stress
Stress is another factor that might be to blame for litter box non-use. This could be due to recent household changes, such as a new pet or family member. Small changes, like moving the litter box, can make cats uncomfortable because they prefer routine.
When your cat is exposed to a stressful situation, try rewarding them with attention and treats to see if the change is permanent. In this manner, they can be taught to connect it with good feelings.
What To Do If You Can Still Smell Cat Urine?
If your laundry has come out smelling fresh, but you still detect the lingering odor of cat urine in your home, you’ll need to perform some detective work. There’s a chance that the pet left stains on your home’s flooring, furniture, or other items.
Prepare a blacklight for use. Most blacklights work better in complete darkness, so work cautiously. Examine all surfaces with the light, including furniture, baseboards, walls, and floors.
The best results will come from holding the light close to the surface; urine stains will glow fluorescent white. Mark the areas where the blacklight reveals stains in using chalk or sticky note paper.
Once you’ve identified the soiled areas, use an odor-removal product to clean the area. You can once more enjoy a home that smells brand-new after a thorough cleaning.
