Vinegar is a natural odor neutralizer, so it can be effective at removing cat smell from furniture and carpets. Simply mix equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle and mist the affected area. Let it air dry. Wash your cat's bedding regularly.
Multiple things can cause your house to smell like cat urine, even if you don't have a cat. Investigate if there is mold, leaking Freon, sewer gases, smelly plants, spoiled food, or even stains from previous pet owners.
Products to Clean Cat Urine Messes
Several products can help neutralize cat pee odor, including vinegar or baking soda and enzymatic cleaners.
Vinegar. Vinegar is also an amazing natural cleaning option for more serious pet odors. Try using vinegar (diluted with a bit of water) in a spray bottle and spray on carpets or floors. Or use in combination with baking soda on cushions or bedding for an extra powerful, odor-eliminating punch.
Baking soda is a natural odor-absorber. Sprinkle the powder over carpets, rugs and furniture, let it sit overnight and vacuum it up the next day. Likewise, apple cider vinegar can be used with laundry detergent in your washing machine to remove smells from blankets, cushion covers, curtains and other linens.
The smell can last 3-5 days. Cats can smell over a mile depending on wind conditions. Then make the scent strip and “Cat Chum” (Described below) trails back in the most direct and safe way to your house and/or traps.
Effectively, cat urine odour can last forever. It's one of the most persistent smells imaginable, with a way of hanging around no matter how much you try to scrub the stain or cover up the offending smell with air fresheners or pot-pourri.
Febreze Odor-Fighting Air Freshener
This GH Seal-star spray quickly tackles airborne cooking odors, smoke, must and more with its cyclodextrin technology that surrounds odor molecules and pulls them from the air. And all this performance comes at a great price, making it our Best Value pick.
The Power of HEPA Air Purifiers
HEPA, which stands for high efficiency particulate air, filters are highly efficient at filtering out cat odors as well as pet dander, which are small flakes of skin that cats and other pets are continuously giving off.
Covers or hoods trap odors. That's good for you, but less so for the cat who may not enjoy being trapped inside with the smell. Some litter-box hoods have a space to hold a charcoal filter, which may help keep odors down for both cat and human.
Cats have two anal glands, one on either side of the anus, that produce a musky or fishy smelling material. Under normal circumstances, pet parents are barely aware that these glands exist, but if your cat becomes scared or excited, he or she may release their contents.
As a general rule, cats are sensitive when it comes to smells, but there are a few scents they hate that might just surprise you. They can't stand citrus and as much as you might love the smell of fresh herbs, cats hate rosemary and thyme. Banana and mustard are a big no-no too, as well as lavender and eucalyptus.
Neutralize it!
Then you're going to want to douse the spot with an enzymatic cleaner or simply make your own cleaning solution by combining (white or apple cider) vinegar and water in a 1:1 ratio. Because the vinegar is acidic, it will neutralize the bacteria in the cat pee, offsetting its odor.
We recommend a mixture of 2 cups of white vinegar, 2 cups warm water, and four tablespoons of baking soda in a spray bottle. Another effective recipe is 1 litre 3% hydrogen peroxide, ¼ cup baking soda and 1 tsp dish soap. Spray the affected area, let it dry, and then clean with soap and water, and spray it again.
Soak the area with club soda for ten minutes. Blot up the club soda and place fresh paper towels or a fresh towel over the area. Weigh down the towels with something heavy, e.g., books, furniture, etc., and leave overnight. In the morning, spray the area with an enzymatic cleaner.
Does cat urine odour ever go away? If you've cleaned the area thoroughly using an enzymatic cleaner, you can successfully get rid of the smell of cat urine permanently. However, on a very hot day the smell may resurface.
Depending on the strength of the wind and the source of the smell, a cat can generally smell something up to 4 miles away. Cats have more olfactory receptors than some dogs (roughly 200 million) and they have three times the number of V1R receptors than dogs.
Rain does not make scent mysteriously disappear. Rain will not destroy scent, but a heavy downpour on pavement can disperse it, making it difficult to follow a trail. In those cases, the scent will cling in gutters and puddles instead of being dispersed along a consistent path like a sidewalk.
How long does dog pee smell last? Left untreated, urine takes up to five years to off-gas on it's own. The longer dog pee or cat urine sits in a carpet the worse the problem becomes.
Use of Vinegar and Baking Soda
The combination of vinegar and baking soda is a potent hair, stain, and odor remover. Vinegar bears the germ-killing ability while baking soda absorbs the odor and adds a sweet smell. They are both very effective when cleaning involves them as a complement to water and soap.
Expert cleaners can effectively address pet odours. They can remove pet stains as well as dirt, dust, dander and hairs left by your pet. Professionals use special products and cleaning methods to absorb the chemicals that cause that musty smell.