Find out how to get cat urine stains and odors out of fabrics and upholstery

Despite having litter boxes for them, it can happen sometimes that house cats can decide to go pee-pee elsewhere. If this happens on sofas and armchairs, a very unpleasant smell of feline urine can pervade the home and there is a need to take urgent action.

So, what can be done about this? Let's check out some useful tips together:

Mistakes to avoid

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The mistake most often made, unknowingly, is to rely on water at high temperatures to clean up cat urine. It is normal to think that very hot water helps to eliminate germs and bacteria. But in the case of cat urine, high temperatures set the stain in the fabric.

For this reason, we also advise against using steam irons and similar, which would produce the same undesirable result.

Again, heat must also not be used during the drying phase: hang the washed fabrics up in the open air, and not in direct sunlight.

The best ways to clean cat urine stains

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The steps to follow to remove cat urine stains and odor are:

• Prepare a basin of cold water, a roll of absorbent paper towels and soft cloth.
• Dampen the paper towels or cloth in the cold water and dab on the urine stains to soak up as much as possible. At this stage, you can also use an upholstery cleaner, but making sure that it works at low temperatures. The right cleaner can extract dirt from the upholstery and also suck up liquids.
• When using the paper towels or cloths, do not rub. Dab or use gentle movements to absorb/extract the urine.
• Once the bulk of the urine has been removed, use an enzymatic detergent. These are the best for neutralizing unpleasant odors produced by pets. Use as per the manufacturer's instructions. Alternatively, you can use a DIY product made with white vinegar and diluted in equal parts with water. The acidity of the vinegar acts against the bacteria responsible for the odors. Make sure first, however, that the material on which you intend to use this remedy can be treated with vinegar. Allow the mixture act for a maximum of 5 minutes, and then dab dry.
• Change paper/cloths to repeat the cleaning operation, if necessary.

Other useful tips

Generally, the quicker you act, the easier it will be to effectively treat cat urine stains.

To help remove odors from a carpet or a mattress, you can also use baking soda: sprinkle over the surfaces and vacuum up after leaving to act for at least half an hour.

It takes a little patience to deal with these "mishaps", but you can succeed!