Removing cat urine odor from carpet?

[Baz]

In my 914 - cat got locked inside overnight and this morning so now I'm dealing with one of the nastiest odors I've ever smelt!

I took out the floor mats and threw away the padding underneath. Windows are rolled down.....hopefully airing things out a bit.

I rinsed down the floor mats , which for my car are just the 2 rectangular pieces of carpet that go over the padding - so I guess they're not really "mats" but my actual carpet.

Wonder if I should just throw them away? I guess that would be a last resort...

I think there's some urine on some of the other pieces inside the car so found this article with info on baking soda, vinegar, etc.

Wanted to see if anyone else dealt with the situation and what worked for you.

How about Fabreeze?

Here's the article:

CozyCatFurniture.com - How to remove cat urine, cat urine stains, clean cat urine

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".

Thanks for any ideas.....

[mystro]

I have found the hunters Odor eliminator sprays from Hunters Specialties works magic on tough smells. It will totally take the small of gas off of your hands and leave a fresh earth scent. It can come in scented and in scented. There is also a carpet shampoo from the pet stores that breaks down the urine odor molecules. It does work.

[cgarr]

What Odor?® From Billy Mays!

[Baz]

Originally Posted by mystro

I have found the hunters Odor eliminator sprays from Hunters Specialties works magic on tough smells. It will totally take the small of gas off of your hands and leave a fresh earth scent. It can come in scented and in scented. There is also a carpet shampoo from the pet stores that breaks down the urine odor molecules. It does work.

Thanks Mystro - I found it online here:
Hunter's Specialties Scent away 12 oz. odor eliminator spray

I will try the other methods tomorrow until the spray arrives....

No Z - not going to kill my cat for something stupid a human did....and it's finally nice outside here - leaving windows open nice! I should have been more observant but it was at night black interior and......what color are the cats?





Yup!

[mystro]

Walmart carries it too in the sporting goods.

[Steve@Rennsport]

Originally Posted by Baz

No Z - not going to kill my cat for something stupid a human did....and it's finally nice outside here - leaving windows open nice! I should have been more observant but it was at night black interior and......what color are the cats?

Good man, Bazza,.......nice to see someone accept responsibility without looking for a scapegoat (scapecat?) for one's oversight.

We had a few cats over the years and I've found a product called "Zero Odor" to be very effective in dealing with this issue.

[Plecostomus]

Make sure you put the cat's snout firmly in the pee stain and give him a good swat.

[Baz]

Thanks Steve - I think I will try the Hunter's product - especially if I can get it locally at Wally Mart (thanks Mystro!).

Good to hear from you again Steve...hope all is well!

[Bob Ashlock]

After blotting and rinsking, the best thing that worked for me was to empty 2 boxes of baking soda onto the area and leave it there for about a week. When I finally removed it, the area stayed fresh.

[Quickstep192]

Go to a janitorial supply and see if they have an enzymatic odor remover. I used it in a house a while back and I was amazed.

[kycarguy 935]

I think a peroxide mixture works the best. Just make sure to rinse right away with some warm water. I had a little old kitty that use to miss the box a bit and the peroxide worked perfect.

[zippy_gg]

Originally Posted by Plecostomus

Make sure you put the cat's snout firmly in the pee stain and give him a good swat.

Can't blame the cat for having to go; he was locked inside the car. Cats are usually very clean and only "go" outside the litter box when they really have to.

[RSBob]

Originally Posted by Plecostomus

Make sure you put the cat's snout firmly in the pee stain and give him a good swat.

Let me get this right, you would punish an animal with very limited cognitive ability who accidentally gets locked in a car overnight? I sure hope you never accidentally screw up and have punish yourself, because proportionally speaking, your self inflicted punshment will be horrendous.

Baz, there is a product sold at most pet stores called Natures Miracle. It is an enzyme based product which alters the chemistry of the urine to neutralize it. How ever, I would either throw the carpeting in the washing machine or thow it out and buy new. Cat urine is just abour the worst substance you can get in a vehicle, and turning on the heat will just bring back the smell unless you can really get rid of it.

Best of luck.

[Baz]

Thanks very very much again for all the suggestions guys...I wrote everything down and will let you know how it works out.

And Rick you are right - that odor is about the worst I have ever smelled!

All the best,
Baz

[Baz]

I know everyone has been holding the breath waiting for an update so here goes.....


I took Rick's advice and washed the carpet pieces first thing this morning with regular laundry detergent but my staff detected we still had odor issues....



So...picked up some supplies including the Hunter's Scent-away Mystro had recommended. They have a laundry detergent so I got that as well as the pump spray-on product.






So - I washed my carpets again using the Scent-away product and they came out with no more odor!

Then I sprayed down my car's interior with the pump spray Scent-Away and while it immediately removed any odors.....I want to check back after everything dries back out.

I also have some spray (see pic) that uses the enzyme action that you all mentioned if needed....I will keep you posted.

BTW - cats still milling around both 914 and SC on driveways and in my work truck when I got home....curiosity (almost) killed the cat so be careful - they are curious explorers!

[motorcop]

Have also had good luck with a product called "Natures Miracle". Available at most grocery and pet supply stores. Good luck.....don't kill the cat.

[CHICKS]

I would pull my seats and call a carpet cleaning company. I spilled something nasty in the rear hatch area of my Tahoe, and a carpet company cleaned it for like $50. A bowl of vinegar on the floor will also help with the smell, just let it sit in there for a few days.

[enzo1]

That's funny...

[Plecostomus]

Of course I was only joking, guys!

[Baz]

Originally Posted by Plecostomus

Of course I was only joking, guys!

I knew that but even so a good rule of thumb is to never joke about harming animals....for most of us they are as precious an entity as you could ever find in this world.

I know I am very sensitive about the subject and you found out many others are too.

Then toss in the stories you hear about (and witness first hand) about how humans do stuff to them that you just cannot believe - and either never face any consequences or are prosecuted but get off very lightly....

I don't know how anyone could ever hurt such blessed creatures....I really don't and will never know!