General Home Cleaning Tips · Hard Wood Floor Cleaning · The Gross Stuff ·Mar 31, 2023

How to Get Cat Urine Out of Wood Furniture

If you have a cat at home, you may have realized that they like to mark their territory. Literally. This is quite normal but, in some cases, can point to illness or distress.

Whatever the case, this habit may sometimes lead your cat to urinate on your wooden furniture. Sometimes more than once. And if it is a permeable wood surface, you’ve got your work cut out for you.

Unless you know how to get cat urine out of wood furniture - luckily, we are here to help. Our guide will tell you everything you need to know.

How to Get Cat Pee Out of Wood Furniture

Step 1: Soak Up & Blot

The first step to cleaning a urine stain is to soak up as much wet urine as possible.

This is important if you want to completely get the cat urine smell out of the wood and avoid it from penetrating deeper.

Your best bet is paper towels, but you may need an old towel or cloth for larger stains. Place the towels or cloth over the stain and let it absorb the urine.

how to remove cat urine from wood furniture

Gently blot the area until most residual liquid has disappeared. Removing the residual urine is also important when trying to get the smell of urine out of a wood floor and to avoid it from seeping in.

As you soak up the urine and blot, do not be abrasive or rub the area as it may allow the urine to penetrate deeper into the furniture.

If the urine seeps through a wooden floor, at least you can clean the pet urine out of the subfloor.

But for wooden furniture, it is slightly more complicated and may lead to you throwing furniture out, especially if your cat is a repeat offender.

So don’t skip over this critical step.

Step 2: Clean

Once you have prepped the spot by soaking up the urine, you are ready to start cleaning. The good news is that there is more than one way to remove the urine smell from your wood furniture.

Method 1: Professional Chemicals

When dealing with pet urine stains on furniture, your best bet is probably to invest in professional carpet and upholstery chemicals.

These products usually take the form of enzymatic cleaners and target the enzymes and bacteria that cat urine stains leave behind.

This is great if you are dealing with a tougher stain (such as getting mouse smell out of wood) or an older stain.

Also, if the wood is permeable and the urine has seeped through the top layer, you are also going to need a strong product.

This is why this method is highly recommended for completely removing pee odor from wooden floors and furniture.

If you are dealing with a relatively mild stain. You can opt for a home remedy.

Method 2: Dish Soap and Water

If you are dealing with finished wood, the urine has not penetrated too deep into the furniture. In this case, you can mix a teaspoon of dish soap with a bit of water and use a sponge to lather over the area.

This is an easy solution for mild stains.

Method 3: Baking Soda and Vinegar

For a more aggressive home approach, you can use baking soda and vinegar. Both these household items are effective in neutralizing the smells caused by stains, which is why they are often used to eliminate bad smells on wooden floors.

This also makes them handy for dealing with pet stains, such as getting the dog poop smell out of wood after a pet accident.

For this method, mix equal parts vinegar and baking soda into a paste. Then, gently rub it over the stained area to neutralize the smell. This is most effective for fresh stains.

For older stains, you may need to modify your approach by mixing a cup and a half of warm water with a half cup of vinegar. Soak the stain in this mixture for 5 minutes.

You can pour it over the stain if you are dealing with a flat surface or use a towel to soak it for curvier surfaces.

When the spot has dried, sprinkle the area with baking soda.

how to clean cat urine from wood furniture

Method 4: Hydrogen Peroxide

If the above home remedies don’t work, you may need to use Hydrogen Peroxide. But, this method may lead to wood discoloration.

Simply soak a cloth in Hydrogen Peroxide and leave it on the stain for a few hours or overnight. Check the stain periodically to see if it causes discoloration.

If you don’t mind finishing the wood again after discoloration occurs, this method can work wonders in getting rid of the urine smell.

Step 3: Finish Off

Whatever cleaning procedure you use, it is important to rinse the area with water after cleaning to remove any residual cleaning product that may still be there.

Use a cloth and gently rinse the affected area, taking care not to use too much water on the wood. Allow it to dry.

how to get cat pee out of wood furniture

If you used baking soda, you could use a hand vacuum to vacuum it up afterward.

After cleaning, always check to see if your kitty returns to the same spot. If they do, you may need another round of cleaning or a more intensive approach.

You also may want to take your kitty to the vet to ensure that the behavior is not due to a health issue.

Conclusion

So, getting cat urine out of wooden furniture isn’t that difficult. As long as you know what you are doing and adequately deal with the lingering smell.

The good news is you can probably deal with the stain with things you already have in the house, especially if it is a fresh stain on impermeable wood. If not, one of the more intensive approaches will sort you out quickly.

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