Here Kitty Kitty, Come Back to the Litter Box! Removing the Urine Smell from Your Carpet and Rugs
Bringing a cat into your home is fun for your family, but training your new addition to use the litter box can be difficult. While many cats quickly learn that this box is a designated area for using the bathroom, your cat will most likely urinate on your floors at one point in time (or several). This can stem from a serious medical condition to behavioral issues. If your cat continues to forgo the use of its litter box, the urine in the carpet and rugs will linger over time, increasing your cat's desire to urinate in the same spots. Using these proucts, you can remove the urine from your carpet and rugs to freshen your home and encourage your cat to use the litter box.
Baking Soda and Hydrogen Peroxide
After your cat urinates on your carpet and floor, soak up the liquid with clean paper towels. Then, complete the following steps to remove the odor and prevent the urine from staining your carpet:
- Sprinkle a few tablespoons of baking soda over the affected area of your carpet or rug.
- Pour a tablespoon of hydrogen peroxide over the same area. Since the hydrogen peroxide has bleaching effects, only use this technique on light-colored carpets. It works best on white, cream, and beige carpet and rugs.
- Use a clean microfiber cloth to scrub the baking soda and hydrogen peroxide into the carpet fibers.
- Allow the mixture to sit and soak for a few minutes.
- Use your vacuum to suction up the leftover baking soda from the carpet.
Sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda, not only dissolves away stubborn debris, but its deodorizing properties also remove the foul smell left behind by your cat's urine. Plus, the hydrogen peroxide will effectively remove any yellow stains from your cat's urine.
Vinegar
The acidic properties in white vinegar are also effective for removing foul odors and harmful bacteria left behind in your carpet. To use, combine 2 cups of water with 2 cups of white vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray the vinegar solution directly onto your cat's pee, allowing it to soak the carpet or rug for a few minutes.
Use clean paper towels to blot up any remaining urine and the vinegar solution.
Although effective for cleaning and sanitizing purposes, the strong aroma of the white vinegar may not be appealing to use in your home. If you prefer a more appealing scent for cleaning, consider the baking soda and hydrogen peroxide solution above or the enzyme cleaner below.
Brown Sugar and Citrus
Removing the odor may require stronger agents that will break down the acids in your cat's urine. Fortunately, you can create an enzyme cleaner that will effectively do so.
This enzyme cleaner is most effective when it has been made a month in advance (obviously, it's best for long-term cat issues or before you bring your pet home). Add the following to a glass jar with a lid:
- 1 liter of water
- 7 tablespoons of brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups of fresh peels from an orange and lemon
Put the lid on the glass jar and shake to mix the ingredients. Allow the ingredients to remain in the lidded jar for a month. After the time, strain the mixture in a colander to remove large particles from the sugar and citrus peels. Then, pour into a spray bottle.
When it is time to use, soak up your cat's urine using a few paper towels before spraying a generous amount of the enzyme cleaner onto the affected area. Use a clean cloth to blot up the leftover enzyme cleaner and allow your carpet fibers to dry.
The enzyme cleaner's citrusy and sugary ingredients will quickly break down the uric acid, removing the urine's ammonia smell and preventing heavy stains on your carpet.
Your cat will most likely miss or completely forget about their litter box at times, but you and your carpet should not have to suffer. With these tips, you can remove the urine smell from your carpet to reduce your cat's desire to pee on your floors in the future. If you need even more help, contact professional carpet cleaners in your local area.