Get Cat Urine Smell Out of Carpet Permanently

Finding a good cat urine odor remover can be a challenging task for most people. Many products on the market claim to be the best; however, the truth is many of these products simply do not work.

Also, many people give up on these products because they may not understand how to use them properly. Cat urine odor removal is something which can be accomplished by the homeowner if you understand the chemistry of urine and how to properly remove it.

Why Does Cat Urine Smell so Bad?

Anyone who has ever walked into a house in which the family cat has urinated on the carpet can immediately tell. Cat urine can be overpowering and an embarrassment for the homeowner.

When a cat urinates on the carpet it not only soaks the top fibers but will also penetrate the backing and the flooring. The urine can seep into wood flooring and even concrete.

When the cat urine dries it crystallizes making it very hard to remove.

These urine crystals provide a food source for bacteria. These bacteria will multiply, die, and create waste. This produces part of the odor you smell from the urine.

Also, the urine crystals themselves will often off-gas creating an ammonia type smell. These urine crystals will break down naturally over time; however, this may take years.

This is the reason it is wise to treat these urine spots with some type of product to speed up the breakdown process of the urine crystals. These crystals will draw moisture from the air which causes them to produce gas.

This is why the smell intensifies during hot humid days or when it rains.

Finding the Cat Urine Spots

Finding the urine spots in carpet may be easier than you think. Many types of carpet will allow you to visibly find the urine spots. They will appear as small discolored circles or larger areas depending on how much the cat has gone.

Many cats simply spray urine which creates small little spots along the carpet. However, some cats will continuously go in certain areas creating large concentrated areas of urine. If the color of your carpet hides the spot there is still an easy way to find the cat urine.

The use of a blacklight is one of the best ways to find the cat urine spots. There are many inexpensive black lights sold through a variety of venues which can do a decent job of finding urine spots.

The cheaper black lights will require total darkness for the best results. The best time to search for these urine spots is at night with all the lights turned out. What you find may be a little scary.

The blacklight will show many different spots in the carpet; however, the urine spots should illuminate a greenish yellow color. You can cut out small squares of paper or use anything handy to mark each spot you find for later treatment.

What Are the Best Products to Remove Cat Urine Oder?

You must be careful when purchasing any type of over-the-counter cat urine odor remover. Many of these products are cheap perfumes designed to mask the problem and not correct it. Most of the products which do a good job will contain some type of enzyme which will consume the urine crystals and totally eliminate the problem.

Some of the highest consumer rated products include Nature’s Miracle Odor Remover, Stink-Free Urine Odor Remover, and Simple Solution Cat Stain and Odor Removal.

Applying Cat Urine Odor Products

If the cat urine is still wet you will want to soak up as much as possible before treating with any products. Use paper towels or an old towel to place on top of the cat urine spot and step on it to soak up as much as possible. Repeat this two or three times until you are not getting much up.

Next, get some very hot water and pour it directly on top of the spot. Be careful not to use too much water or you will spread the urine out. Again, use more paper towels and step on the spot to you soak the hot water up. Rinse the spot again with hot water.

Now it is time to apply the cat urine removal product. It is important to remember that often times a urine spot may be twice as big as it appears on the surface. This is because the urine penetrates the backing to the floor and then spreads out.

For this reason, it is important to thoroughly soak the area with the urine product you are using. Again, you will want to step on the entire area to make sure the product comes in contact with all of the urine.

Always follow the directions on the back of the product; however, most of these products should stay wet for a few days for the enzymes to consume the urine. This can be accomplished by covering the spots with plastic bags.

Once the spots have dried you should be able to tell whether or not removing the cat urine odors has worked. If you still smell urine you may have to apply a second treatment.

For severe cases of cat urine you may need to call a professional carpet cleaner. Often, for extensive urine damage the carpet must be pulled up and the floor has to be sealed with a clear sealant to eliminate the smell.

This also allows the backing of the carpet to be directly treated with product along with top fibers. Having urine restoration done by a carpet cleaning company can often be quite expensive; however, it is often much less expensive than having to replace all the carpet in your home.

If you have had good or bad experiences with any cat urine odor product or you have any other tips on how to remove cat urine odor let us know in the comments below.