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How to
remove cat urine
The cat population in America
is more than 75 millions, and anyone who owns a cat knows that
stains and odors from cat urine can be a problem. Cat urine
that seeps through carpet, into padding and down to the floor
beneath can give your home an unpleasant aroma and bad look.
In almost all cases, cat urine is the worst perpetrator for
pet stains and pet odors.
When cats urinate as a means
of elimination, they normally do it on a horizontal or flat
surface like the ground or in a litterbox. When cats spray
in order to mark their territory, they turn their backsides
to the object, twitch their tails and spray urine on the vertical
surface. See “How to Avoid Cat Urine Spraying”.
But in both cases cat urine could come in contact with a carpet.
The cat’s urine is an amber-colored
liquid waste fluid excreted by the kidneys and is composed
of waste products of protein metabolism. The color of cat urine
and its staining potential will often depend on dietary habits,
age and sex of the cat, whether the cat is on medication, and
the health of the cat. It can saturate absorbent materials
such as padding, upholstery and mattresses.
The older cats have diminished
renal function, thus producing urine that contains more plasma
proteins. Because less uric acephalia is secreted in this urine,
it is less likely to stain a carpet, but it will produce an
even stronger odor.
Typically, because cat diets
are richer in protein than dog diets, their urine will produce
harsher odors and are more likely to cause stains.
Urine can saturate absorbent
materials such as carpet and padding, upholstery and mattresses
well beyond the surface area that can effectively be cleaned.
It is extremely difficult to remove all of the urine from inside
of these materials. Even after a thorough cleaning, stains
and odors often remain. So here are a few things you can do
to eliminate the odor.
How to clean cat urine
from the carpet
Removing cat urine from your
carpet can be one of the most difficult cleaning tasks, since
it produces an especially persistent, unpleasant odor and amber-colored
stains, so here are a few things you can do to eliminate them,
when the “accident” has happened.
First, blot up as much of the
urine as possible with a soft, clean white cloth or absorbent
paper towel. Press down firmly (do not rub) for 30 seconds.
The more fresh urine you can remove before it dries, the simpler
it will be to remove the odor. Remove the towel and repeat
the process until the area is fully dried. Rinse the "accident
zone" thoroughly with clean, cool water. After rinsing,
remove as much of the water as possible by blotting it up.
Next, you have some options:
1. Baking soda works well to
eliminate surface (but not deeply penetrated) odors. Dampen
the area with clean water and then sprinkle baking soda over
it. Rub the baking soda into the soiled area and let dry. Brush
or vacuum to remove the dry material.
2. Another option is the white
vinegar. Mix together 1 quart warm water and 1/2 cup white
vinegar, and dribble the mixture onto the stain. Place dry
towels over the stained area and put something heavy over the
towels
to increase the pressure. After some hours remove the towels
and raise the nap of the carpet with a soft-bristled hairbrush.
Note: Test the vinegar solution on a piece of fabric that is
hidden from view - under the cushion or on the backside of
the furniture.
3. To clean old or heavy stains
in carpets, consider renting an extractor or wet-vac from
a local hardware store. The extracting/wet-vac machines work
like a vacuum cleaner and do the best job of forcing clean
water through your carpet and then forcing the dirty water
back out again. When you use these machines, you should follow
the instructions carefully.
Note: Don’t use any chemicals with these machines – they work much
more effectively with plain water.
4.Another way for cleaning the
cat urine from carpets was submitted from one of our visitors
- Elaine Byrnes. She says that if you add a several drops of
Listerine mouthwash to the water/perioxide mixture it helps
a lot with the odor. In addition to a great cleaning solution,
this is a safe pest spray for plants that are in and around
children or pets.
5. One of the newest technologies
for cleaning cat urine is to penetrate the soiled area and
deactivate the odor with peroxide or detergents. Simply spray
a product
that consist a 3% hydrogen peroxide and wait about five minutes.
After that use a clean white absorbent cloth, blot the area,
pressing down firmly (do not rub) for 30 seconds. Repeat this
blotting process until the area is dry. If the stain or odor
persists, repeat the process.
Once the soiled area is really
clean, you should use a high-quality pet odor neutralizer available
at pet supply stores. Test the affected surface for staining
first, and read and follow the instructions.
If the area still looks stained
after it’s completely dry from extracting and neutralizing,
apply a specialized stain and odor removing bacteria/enzyme
cleaner, such as "Outright Pet Stain Eliminator," "Pet
'Oops' Remover," or "Stain Gobbler".
How to clean cat
urine from your upholstery
When it is not possible to remove
the cover of your couch or chair upholstery, observe the following
cleaning procedures to get the cat urine out:
Dab stubborn stains with a soft,
clean white cloth or absorbent paper towel. If solvents are
required, avoid applying them directly onto the stain, and
pour it onto a clean cloth. Clean the stain using a circular
motion working from the outside inwards. After removing the
stain, dry immediately with a hand held hairdryer using a cool
setting. Take care to direct the air stream first towards the
outside of the area working inwards. Always be careful to rub
any stains gently and to use a brush with soft bristles.
How to clean cat
urine from hardwood floors
Cat urine can harm your hardwood
floor and can cause rotting. However, you might not be ready
to replace your floor just yet, so here are a few things you
can do to eliminate the odor. If you can catch the problem
while it's still "fresh," you'll be better off.
Remove any excrement and blot
the entire wet area immediately and firmly with paper towels.
Wash affected area several times with white vinegar. Rinse
stain thoroughly with warm water. Blot dry with paper towels.
Apply a specialized stain and odor-removing bacteria or enzyme
cleaner.
Tip: Read the instructions carefully before using these products and test them
in an invisible area. If you can not remove some old stains, try sanding away
the stain and resealing the wood.
You must be extra vigilant about
cat odor and attack the problems as soon as it occurs. Also
you should remove all traces of the odor, because if the scent
remains, the cat will do it again in the same spot.
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