Key Takeaways: The most effective way to neutralize a cat urine smell is with an enzyme cleaner. Do not use a steam cleaner or anything with heat on a urine stain. Keep the litter box clean & avoid letting cat hair pile up to help mitigate additional foul smells.
Vinegar and dishwashing liquid
Given that it is acid-based, it can break down urine, making your couch look and smell much better. However, it is preferred to treat just the dry old stains, otherwise, the urine smell could intensify when a stain is fresh and make the cleaning process more difficult.
Clean the spot with a mixture of vinegar and water.
Soak the fabric with the solution to remove the stain and the smell. The vinegar and water solution neutralizes the ammonia in the urine, which in turn breaks up the smell. It also re-wets the stain to make sure it's being cleaned completely from your couch.
Use carpet stain remover if the area still looks stained after it's completely dry. Avoid using steam cleaners to clean urine odors from carpet or upholstery. The heat will permanently set the stain and the odor by bonding the protein into any man-made fibers.
Several products can help neutralize cat pee odor, including vinegar or baking soda and enzymatic cleaners.
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.
Baking Soda and White Vinegar
A solution of one part vinegar to one part water (1:1) is often recommended and should be blotted gently over the area. Though vinegar itself has a strong smell, this should disappear over a few days taking the stench of cat pee with it!
Cats pee on the couch for various reasons, including stress, anxiety, and medical problems. If your cat is urinating on the sofa, it's essential to consult a vet to rule out any potential health issues. Once you've ruled out any medical problems, you can try some tips above to stop your cat from urinating on the couch.
White vinegar is on our list of "stain busters," but other vinegars, such as red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar, have dyes, additives, and so on that can cause stains. Remember, however, that white vinegar is acidic. If you splash it on your clothing, carpet, or upholstery, don't leave it there undiluted.
Febreze Odor-Fighting Air Freshener
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Territorial “marking” may be considered part of normal behaviour and can be triggered by the presence or odour of another cat. However, some cats will also “mark” their environment in response to stress or anxiety. Cats may also change their urinating patterns if they have issues with their litter tray.
Overexposure to Ammonia
Cat pee is full of ammonia, a toxic gas that can cause headaches, trigger asthma attacks, and even result in serious respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia. Children, older adults, and people with weak immune systems are at particular risk of illness due to overexposure to ammonia.
Professional steam cleaning will reach deep into your couches and chair to remove remaining traces of urine stains and odor. Steam cleaning your couches (and area rugs and carpets!) is an important way to protect your furniture in the long term.
Before washing your urine-stained clothing item with a laundry detergent, you can try soaking it in a sink or tub with a mixture of baking soda and warm water—although, in most cases just washing it with a high-quality detergent like Tide will suffice.
Salt is another easy and effective method to get the fresh pee out of your favorite couch. Since this process does not require any water, thus it can be applied to clean off odor materials such as velvet or microfiber or suede couches.
Mix a one-to-one solution of white vinegar and water. Using a sponge, rub the solution onto the stain. Let it sit for 5-to-10 minutes, and then wipe it up with a clean, dry towel. Some experts advise using a more diluted formulation of 1/2-cup vinegar to one gallon of warm water.
Hospitals, nursing homes, health care clinics, and other facilities have relied on ZORBX® as the guaranteed odor remover for urine, bile, human waste and other body fluids.
Add about 25 drops of your favorite essential oil to 2 tablespoons of baking soda and stir to combine. Lemon and lavender are great choices, but eucalyptus is my favorite because of the refreshing scent. Pour the baking soda and essential oil mix into the water and stir. Then funnel the water into your spray bottle.
Sprinkle the entire couch with baking soda, and let it sit for at least 20 minutes. (You can leave it there for up to an hour.) Using a brush attachment, vacuum the couch to remove the baking soda.
How to Clean Fresh Urine from Upholstery and Carpets Economically. Two common household products can help neutralize urine odor if used quickly: baking soda and vinegar (white or apple cider). Both are safe for humans and pets, and generally safe for carpet and upholstery (you'll want to spot test both to be sure).
Activated Charcoal
While charcoal is a little trickier to work with than baking soda and white vinegar, it is also a highly effective odor-eliminator. The biggest thing to remember when using activated charcoal is to make sure it doesn't come into direct contact with your couch cushions or pillows.