How Long Does Cat Urine Odor Last? (And How To Clean It!)

There are lots of benefits attached to owning and raising a cat. First, it can be very affectionate, providing you with unconditional love. Apart from that, they don’t require much space and may also help you control pests in your house. However, cats can also be very annoying to live with because of a couple of things, such as their behavior and bad urine odor.

Speaking of cat urine, it contains a high level of uric acid and urea, which is due to their high consumption of protein and drinking less water. Furthermore, cat urine is not really different from the urine of other animals. The only problem, however, is when cats pee outside their litter boxes, such as on your rugs, it can be pretty hard to remove the smell of the urine.

That said, here’s a burning question, how long does cat urine odor last?

It can take a long time, or even forever, to eliminate cat urine odor. No doubt, when you clean the affected surface, the odor disappears – it only does that temporarily. However, after a while (days/months), the odor resurfaces as a result of the component of the urine and the humidity around your home.

In case you don’t know, the cat urine is made up of three main components; the sticky liquid content, the stain-causing pigmentation, and the uric acid and urea content. Although it can be very easy to remove the first two components using the usual cleaning products out there, the third component, which causes the offensive odor, can be very difficult to clean. In the rest of this article, we’ll be further sharing with you everything you need to know about cat urine odor and effective ways of removing them.

Does Cat Pee Smell Ever Go Away?

Certainly, cats’ offensive urine smell can be eliminated from the affected surfaces. Of course, this requires that you act very fast, by spotting the affected area on time and applying a bacteria-based or enzyme-based cleaner. 

However, unless you’re there when the cat peed or noticed it when it was still wet, it’s worth knowing that it can be pretty hard to detect the affected spot. But you need not worry too much about that, as the tips below will help you identify where the smell is coming from.

To detect where the offensive cat smell is coming from, one of the effective approaches you can employ is to clean the litter box. However, if the smell persists after thoroughly cleaning the box, another approach is to sniff out the area where the offensive odor is coming from. Try checking out a couple of places, including the corners of your home, rug, sofa, and beds.

If after doing that, you still couldn’t get where the smell is coming from, then you need to check for stains on your carpet and furniture. Interestingly, you can also shop for the best cat urine detector, such as a special UV blacklight flashlight. They are very effective when it comes to spotting cat urine stains.

Bottom line, by quickly detecting the areas affected by the urine and applying any effect bacteria-based or enzyme-based cleaner, a mixture of vinegar & water, as well as other pro-bacteria products, you’ll be able to get rid of the pee smell.

How To Clean Cat Urine In Your Home?

Depending on the area affected by the cat’s urine, there are different methods you can employ to clean up the pee.

First method: cleaning your carpet

• To clean your carpet, the very first thing that you need to do is to blot the affected area using a dry towel. This will help to absorb most of the liquid urine content on the surface of the textile floor.
• After blotting, ensure you rinse the area with a soap solution.
• Next, make use of a carpet cleaner to suction the area, then re-blot it.
• Lastly, apply a bacteria- or enzyme-based cleaner to the area. However, ensure you make use of a cleaner specialized for carpets.

Second method: cleaning your wood floors

The method for cleaning wood floors is slightly different from that of textile floors. In this case, you need to:

• First, blot the liquid to avoid it damaging the wood floor.
• Next, apply an enzymatic cleaner to help saturate the floor. It’s worth noting that there are cleaners made specifically for wood floors – so ensure you go for them.
• After applying the substance, ensure you utilize a piece of absorbent material to absorb any excess cleaner on the floor.
• However, if the smell persists, try sprinkling baking soda on the affected area. The substance is effective to help neutralize and permanently eliminate the offensive odor.
• Furthermore, ensure you keep your cat away from where the baking soda is applied, as ingesting a large amount of the substance could harm it.

Third method: cleaning the cat pee on your couch

When it comes to getting rid of cat pee, the couch and the carpet share a similar method. That said, here’s how you can clean your couch below:

• Since it can be pretty hard to locate the pee on the couch, it’s advisable to either sniff out the smell or use a urine detector.
• After locating the affected area, apply an enzymatic cleaner to help saturate the couch. However, ensure you make use of the right cleaner – suitable for fabrics.
• Next, make use of a piece of absorbent material to absorb any excess cleaner on the surface of the couch.
• Lastly, ensure you repeat the aforementioned processes until the stain and the odor are permanently eliminated.

Fourth method: cleaning the cat pee out of your mattress

Apart from the floors and couch, another spot that cats often pee is the mattress. If that’s the case for you, here are a few simple and straightforward steps to clean the affected area.

• First, employ the service of a special UV blacklight flashlight to detect the exact spots in the mattress, affected by the pee.
• Next, get an enzymatic cleaner, specifically produced for fabrics, and apply it to the affected surfaces on the mattress. Leave it for above 15 minutes to allow the cleaner to break the protein present in the cat urine.
• Next, make use of a piece of absorbent material to absorb any excess cleaner on the surface of the mattress.
• Ensure you continue the process until the stains are no longer visible to the UV black light.
• To be on the safer end, you should flip the mattress and check for stains using the UV black light. If any stain is detected, ensure you repeat the aforementioned steps to eliminate it as quickly as possible.

Fifth method: cleaning the cat pee out of your clothes

If you find out that your cat peed on your clothes inside the laundry basket, there are two ways to prevent the offensive smell. The first method is to get rid of the clothes – this might not be a better solution though. If you can’t afford to get rid of the clothes, here are a few simple and strain steps to clean the pee on them.

• Get an enzymatic cleaner, specifically designed for fabric, and spray on the affected areas of the clothes.
• Leave it for above 15 minutes to allow the cleaner to break the protein present in the cat urine.
• Next, you need to take wash them as quickly as possible. However, to do that, you’ll need to utilize a mix of your home detergent and a cup of enzymatic cleaner.
• Continue the process until both the stains and the odor are completely gone.
• Next, spread the cloth so air can dry it – this is better than using a dryer.

It’s worth noting that all the aforementioned techniques were recommended by the experts at the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine (OSU).

Old Cat Urine Odor Removal Home Remedy

In case you were unable to detect the cat pee until the odor became very strong, there’s always a way around for you to eliminate the offensive odor. All you need is to spray the affected surfaces with the right content (check below), scrub, and thoroughly dab the area, and utilize a vacuum to finish the whole process. However, it’s worth noting that the steps below are specifically for fabric, woven carpets, textile floors, concrete floors, wood floors, and a few others.

Speaking of the right content, as used in the above context, it means making use of the right ingredients. These include a tablespoon of baking soda, a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid, and 473 ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide.

Furthermore, get a spray bottle and mix all the ingredients inside it. After that, apply the solution to the affected area and leave it for some time, to dry off completely. Surely, there’ll be residues of baking soda on the surface of the affected area after drying. Since that’s the case, make use of a vacuum to suck them completely.

How Effective Is Bleach At Cleaning Cat Urine?

Now, you already know that enzymatic cleaners and a couple of other mixed contents are effective for cleaning cat urine. But here’s a burning question, is bleach effective for the same purpose?

I hear a few people saying a mix of ammonia and bleach is effective to clean cat urine. Well, I’m sorry to break it to you that this is not effective for the intended purpose. Apart from that, it’s also not a safe thing to do. In case you don’t know, ammonia is a component of cat urine. Meaning that the addition of it to your bleach will increase the offensive odor.

Although bleach might be very effective to remove the stains on the surfaces of the affected area, there’s little or no assurance that the issue on the ground will be completely solved. Instead, mixing it with ammonia will only make matter worse, as it can make a person pass out. It’s even more dangerous if where you’re applying the mix is an enclosed area, where there’s little or no ventilation.

That said, the best way to get rid of the offensive cat urine odor is to make use of any of the aforementioned steps.

Best Products For Removing Cat Urine Odor

Are you tired of the offensive smell around your home as a result of your cat’s urine and interested in finally getting rid of them? Well, there are lots of products out there that you can utilize to clean the stains and remove the odor. However, only a few of them are very effective and offer the best results.

Well, you need not worry too much about getting the right product for that stubborn stain and odor. That’s because we’ve made a thorough research on Amazon for you. That said, let’s have a look, below, at the list of the top five best products for removing cat urine odor.

1- Black Diamond Stoneworks Ur-in Control urine odor eliminator

Occupying the first spot on this list is the Ur-in Control urine odor eliminator by Black Diamond Stoneworks. I’m recommending this product for you because it is made from non-toxic ingredients, including 100% Biodegradable enzyme-producing bacteria, fragrance, and water.

Features

• Ur-in Control doesn’t just mask the offensive cat urine odor Instead, it ensures that the smell is permanently eliminated.
• The product also helps to completely get rid of stains and old cat urine odors.
• Ur-in Control is non-toxic, making it risk-free and offers the best results.
• Safe for different surfaces affected by the urine, including carpet, upholstery, and mattresses.
• You can apply it to eliminate the human urine, as well as that of other pets, such as dogs.
• You can also utilize it for your cat’s litter box, pet bedding, travel crates, hamster cages, and many more.

For information regarding the price and how to order the cat urine odor eliminator, you can check here to read about it.

2- Thornell Cat Odor-Off

Another effective product on this list is Thornell Cat Odor-Off. Speaking of this product, it’s made from a host of non-toxic substances, which is why I’m recommending the product for you. Furthermore, Cat Odor-off is effective for various materials, including carpets, upholstery, and a few other porous surfaces.

Thornell cat odor-off product also packs a host of amazing features, which include:

• Thornell cat odor-off is great for litter boxes, carpets, and upholstery.
• It’s 100% safe, meaning that you can spray it on your pets.
• Safe for bedding, cages, and litters.
• It’s not an enzymatic cleaner and it doesn’t mask odors. Instead, it helps to permanently eliminate offensive cat urine smells that even enzymatic cleaners find pretty hard to remove.
• You can utilize it for old, long-standing cat odors.
• It’s cost-effective and offers quick results

For other information regarding the price and how to order the cat odor-off product, you can check here to read about them.

3- Resolve Urine Destroyer Spray stain & odor remover

Sitting on the third spot on this list is Resolve Urine Destroyer Spray stain and odor remover. The two-in-one active product is made from non-toxic substances, including 100% bio-based polymer, making it one of the best options for you.

Furthermore, unlike some products that only help to mask the urine smell, Resolve Urine Destroyer permanently eliminates the odor as well as the stains. It’s able to remove the odors, all thanks to the high efficacy, 100% bio-based polymer ingredient. That said, here are some of the amazing features packed by the product below:

• It’s effective and works on various surfaces, including carpets, rugs, upholstery, fabrics, car interiors, and wooden floors.
• Fast action – it helps to neutralize urine odors on contact.
• Very safe, even when used on pets.
• Permanently eliminates odors, and prevents remarking.

For other information regarding the price, quantity, and how to order Resolve Urine Destroyer Spray stain and odor remover, you can check here to read about them.

4- Enzyme-Powered Pet Odor and Stain Remover by Rocco & Roxie

Next on the list of best products for removing cat urine odors is Enzyme-Powered Pet Odor and Stain Remover. Apart from being effective to remove offensive cat urine odors, this product is also non-toxic – making it one of the best for you.

Here are some of the features of the amazing products:

• Can be utilized for various surfaces, including carpets, upholstery, concrete, tiles, hardwood floors, laminates, floors, furniture, and many more.
• It’s enzyme-activated and eliminates stains, odors, and residue very fast.
• It’s 100% safe to use around pets and children.

For more information regarding the price, quantity, and how to order stain and odor remover, you can check here to read about them.

5- Angry Orange Pet Odor Eliminator

Last on the list of best products for removing cat urine odors is Angry Orange Pet odor eliminator. Made from non-toxic substances, the product helps to get rid of the tough cat urine odors.

Some of its features include:

• Acts as both odor neutralizer and carpet cleaner, to remove cat urine and stains.
• Can be utilized to remove cat urine odors on various surfaces, including litter boxes, carpets, and a few other surfaces.

For more information regarding the price and how to order stain and odor eliminators, you can check here to read about them.

6 -The Carpet and furniture cleaner

A carpet cleaner is a perfect device to have in the house. That can whisk away dirt and debris in no time flat. That is why many customers are shopping around to find the perfect items on the market. The carpet cleaner can be used whenever it is needed the most. That is a handy tool and has proven worthwhile for a lot of houses so far. The people can back the top-rated brands and give them support as is needed too.

Hoover Upright Vacuum

Hoover Spotless

Pay The Price Tag

Each model vacuum cleaner has its own price to be paid. The price tag reflects the actual value of the cleaner for the user. The new buyer will want to shop around until they find the correct model. The Hoover brand can be bought online for a marginal shipping and handling fee.