Carpet Cleaning 101 · General Home Cleaning Tips · The Gross Stuff ·Sep 30, 2022

How to Get Cat Pee out of a Carpet

If you have a kitty at home who likes to urinate on a carpet, you need to know how to get cat pee out of a carpet the right way. Cat urine has an even more pungent smell than dog urine because it contains pheromones and hormones in addition to the normal compounds that make up urine.

Luckily it is easy to learn how to remove cat urine and feces from a carpet, without even breaking a sweat.

Our trusty guide will walk you through all the steps for cleaning old or new cat urine stains out of a carpet.

We will also look at what you will need and how to get rid of the smell to prevent future accidents.

What this article covers:

What Is the Best Thing to Remove Cat Urine from a Carpet?
Best Way to Remove Cat Urine from a Carpet
How to Get Old Cat Pee out of a Carpet
How to Get Cat Pee Stains out of a Carpet
How to Get Cat Pee Smell out of a Carpet
What Is a Natural Way to Get Rid of Cat Urine Odor in a Carpet?

What Is The Best Thing To Remove Cat Urine From A Carpet?

You don’t necessarily need expensive products to remove cat urine stains from a carpet.

To clean the stain, you will need some gloves and a white paper towel or clean white cloth.

To treat the affected area, you can use professional carpet cleaning chemicals. For cat urine, targeted enzymatic cleaners are your best best.

You can also opt for oxygenated cleaners or combination products that are aimed at cleaning and neutralizing pet odors and stains.

These products are designed to clean pet stains and deal with the associated odor, making them the superior option for dealing with cat urine stains.

But, if you don’t necessarily want to invest in professional carpet cleaning chemicals, you can treat the stain with vinegar, baking soda, or carbonated water.

You will also need a vacuum to finish off the cleaning process. The best type of vacuums to use are 360 carpet cleaners or orbital carpet cleaning machines.

Lastly, it is important to ensure that you are cleaning the right spot. Some urine stains are hard to spot with the naked eye, so you may need a UV light or flashlight to find the correct spot.

The above remedies and products will work just fine most of the time.

But if the stain is particularly old or stubborn to deal with, you may want to enlist the help of professionals who will use industrial carpet cleaning equipment to eliminate the stain and lingering odor.

This can be helpful for stains that have penetrated the underpad of the carpet and the floor beneath it, which may be harder to clean.

Best Way To Remove Cat Urine From A Carpet

Step 1: Find The Spot

Before cleaning the stain, it is important to find the right area to clean. Wet or fresh stains are easy to spot but other times, it can be harder to find the origin of the cat urine smell.

In these cases, you may want to draw the curtains and let some sunlight in to identify the stained area on your rug or carpet.

You can also darken the room and use a flashlight on the carpet to see where exactly the stain occurred.

Alternatively, you can use a UV light, such as the TMF UV Light, which will easily point out the stained area on the carpet.

Step 2: Absorb The Urine

The second step to dealing with a cat urine stain in the most efficient way is to blot the stain to absorb as much of the urine as possible.

To do this, use a clean white cloth or a paper towel and blot up as much of the urine as you can.

Step 3: Rinse

Next, you will want to use water and rinse the area. Use cold water and rinse the affected area, then vacuum the area. For this step, a water extraction vacuum in the cold setting will work best.

Avoid using steam cleaners, as the heat will make the stain set. Also, avoid using hot water to rinse the stain.

When rinsing the area, avoid scrubbing the stain too much as this will also cause it to penetrate the carpet even further.

Step 4: Apply Cleanser

Now that the urine has been removed from the carpet, you are ready to apply a targeted solution for dealing with the stain.

For this step, we highly recommend an oxygenated or enzymatic cleanser or a carpet spray that is designed for neutralizing pet odor.

We also always recommend that you apply the cleaner in a small inconspicuous spot to test it before using it to treat the stain.

This allows you to check whether the specific product is suitable for your carpet and whether it will stain, bleach, or damage the carpet when applied.

Usor Unchained with Ecocide carpet cleaner is great for dealing with cat urine, specifically. This product will not only treat the affected stain but also remove any lingering odor that remains.

Simply apply the product and allow it to penetrate the carpet. Then, use a wet cloth, and blot up the cleaner. You should see the stain starting to disappear.

Step 5: Apply Pre-Spray

After cleaning most of the stain, apply a carpet pre-spray of your choosing and let it sit for about 10 minutes.

This will remove any residual spotting and smells. This step is important because even if you can’t smell the stain anymore, that doesn’t mean your cat can’t.

If they still catch a whiff of the urine spot, they will be tempted to urinate in the same spot in the future. You can repeat steps 3 and 4 for more stubborn stains.

Step 5: Rinse

Rinse the stained area with cold water or a carpet rinse of your choosing. For this purpose, you will want to use a rinse that will get rid of any residual urine residue and smells.

Something like the Ultimate Fibre Rinse is perfect for this specific purpose.

Simply mix the solution according to the instructions on the bottle and rinse the affected area.

Step 6: Vacuum

Lastly, vacuum the area to complete the process.

For best results, use a rotating brush carpet cleaner to complete the cleaning process.

The right vacuum can make a huge difference and is also recommended as the best method for how to clean cat litter out of a carpet.

How To Get Old Cat Pee Out Of A Carpet

Step 1: Find The Stain

Older stains are much harder to spot than newer cat urine stains because they will have already dried-up.

As mentioned earlier, you can more easily find a stain if you darken the room and use a flashlight.

You can also opt for a UV light, which is particularly useful for spotting older stains, especially on lighter carpets.

Step 2: Apply Cleansing Solution

The most efficient way to treat a dried-up stain is to apply a targeted carpet cleaning solution. This is especially true for dried stains which are harder to remove than fresh stains.

But you may not have professional chemicals on hand in which case, you can opt for a home remedy. For dried stains, you will need a solution of equal parts vinegar and water.

Saturate the stain with it and leave it for 30 minutes. Then, blot up as much vinegar as you can using a paper towel or cloth.

Use white vinegar and be sure to test it on a small part of the carpet first before using this method as vinegar may damage carpets made from natural fibers.

Some people apply baking soda before applying the vinegar as this allows the solution to start bubbling up, increasing the chances that the urine is removed from the carpet fibers.

Step 3: Post-Cleaning Treatment

After cleaning the stain, you are ready to commence post-cleaning treatment.

For this part, a carpet pre-spray works very well and should be left on the stained area for ten minutes, or as described on the product’s label.

If you don’t have a carpet cleaning spray, you can sprinkle baking soda over the stain and leave it to work for about an hour.

You can also mix a quarter cup of Hydrogen Peroxide with a teaspoon of dish detergent and work this into the area sprinkled with baking soda using a toothbrush or cleaning brush.

The addition of Hydrogen Peroxide is recommended for older, more stubborn stains and can effectively remove cat puke from carpet, as well as feces-induced stains.

Step 4: Vacuum

After letting the stained area dry, you can vacuum the stained part of the carpet to complete the process.

If you used baking soda, you will want to ensure that all the baking soda is vacuumed up.

For best results, you need a specialized carpet vacuum but if you don’t have professional carpet tools, a general household wet and dry vacuum will work just fine.

How To Get Cat Pee Stains Out Of A Carpet

Step 1: Absorb The Stain

Fresher stains are easier to locate than dry stains and are also slightly easier to clean up. This is because the urine has had less time to penetrate the carpet.

So when dealing with a fresher stain, you will want to ensure that you absorb as much of the urine and moisture before starting to clean the area.

Use a wet paper towel or clean white cloth for this purpose. Avoid scrubbing the stain which will only make it worse.

Step 2: Apply Solution

Next, you will want to apply your cleaner or home solution to the affected area. For wet stains, you can use a carpet cleaner, the vinegar method, or even carbonated water.

If you are using carbonated water, simply pour it onto the stain. Start blotting the affected area with a clean cloth once the water stopped bubbling.

Repeat as many times as necessary. For the vinegar method, the process is more or less the same but you will use a solution of equal parts vinegar and water instead of carbonated water.

Step 3: Finish Up

After applying the cleaning solution of your choice, you want to leave the area to dry.

After this, you can finish up the process by applying a scented prespray or simply leave it to dry before vacuuming the area.

You can also use a carpet rinse to complete the process if you want your carpet to look and smell extra fresh after dealing with the stain.

How To Get Cat Pee Smell Out Of A Carpet

Step 1: Clean Urine Stain

The first step in getting rid of the pee smell that will penetrate your carpet after a cat has urinated there is to clean the stain.

Use a targeted pet odor product and clean the stain according to the instructions.

Usually, you will need to apply it to the stain and leave it for a few minutes (or longer) before rinsing the stain with cold water.

Ensure that you use cold water when neutralizing odors as warm water will make the odor worse and harder to eliminate.

Step 2: Neutralize Odor

After cleaning the stain, use a carpet spray to ensure that any lingering smells are thoroughly removed.

Spray it onto the stain, leave it for a few minutes and then rinse it out using cold water or a specialized carpet fiber rinse.

Step 3: Check Under Pad

Next, you will want to check whether the urine stain has penetrated the underpad of your carpet.

This might mean you will have to clean the underpad of your carpet using the same process as above.

Step 4: Clean Floor

You will also need to ensure that the floor beneath your carpet does not have any remnants of urine or odor.

Clean the floor as you would normally but avoid any ammonia-based cleaner as this may enhance the urine smell. Any oil-based or stain-blocking primer will suffice.

Step 5: Prevent Future Returns

If you have followed the steps above, chances are that the odor has been adequately neutralized, which will also prevent your kitty from returning to the same spot.

But, you should also clean their litter box and ensure that it is big enough to ensure they aren’t tempted to urinate outside the litter box again.

If your cat still chooses to urinate outside of the litter box, consider paying the vet a visit as some cats urinate outside of their litter boxes due to stress or other health problems.

What Is A Natural Way To Get Rid Of Cat Urine Odor In A Carpet?

Step 1: Sprinkle Baking Soda

If you don’t have professional chemicals to address the smell of cat urine, some home remedies will do the job.

To remove the urine smell naturally, start by sprinkling baking soda onto the stained area.

Step 2: Mix Hydrogen Peroxide or Vinegar Solution

Next, you will want to mix equal parts vinegar and water or a quarter cup of Hydrogen Peroxide with a teaspoon of dish detergent.

Gently pour your cleaning solution onto the baking soda and let it bubble up. Allow the stained area to dry out.

Step 3: Vacuum

Next, you will want to vacuum the baking soda. Repeat Steps 1 to 3 if the smell persists.

Step 4: Check Under Pad

If your carpet or living room still smells after conducting the steps above, you may want to check that the underpad and floor have been affected as well.

Clean the underpad of the carpet using the same process as above and clean the floor as you would normally.

If the smell persists, you may need to replace the underpad or enlist the help of professionals to ensure that the cat odor has been eliminated.

As a precautionary measure, you should also clean your kitty’s litter box to encourage them to use it. Some people also enlist the help of an air purifier to ensure the elimination of any lingering odors of pet urine.

clean cat pee from carpet

Conclusion

Even though cat urine is tougher to remove than most other pet urine smells, the process does not have to be time-consuming or expensive.

Whether you opt for professional chemicals or use a home remedy, you are sure to easily get rid of the stain and any remaining odors by following our helpful tips and tricks above.

As long as you test any cleaner on a small portion of the carpet first, you are sure to keep your carpet intact during the cleansing process.

Remember to also take the necessary precautions to ensure your kitty is not tempted to urinate in the same spot again.

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