Neutralizing Cat Odors

The odor of cat urine is one of the strongest and most unpleasant smells ever. And it’s so difficult to get rid of: one pet mistake on a carpet or sofa can ruin it forever–unless you know the secret.

Find out how to get rid of that awful odor quickly, easily and naturally!

1. First, use water with soap or detergent to dilute and remove as much of the urine as possible. Rinse area well.

2. Next, apply straight white vinegar to the area (you may want to make sure this will not affect the color of your rug or furniture by doing a spot-test first.) Rub in well and allow to dry until area is just damp. Be sure to wait until the vinegar is nearly dry before applying the baking soda.

3. Apply baking soda liberally to the damp area and allow to dry completely. (If baking soda gets too wet, it will make a gloppy mess that is hard to vacuum. Once it then dries it can stick to the fabric of a carpet and be hard to fully rinse off, although it should eventually.)

4. When dry, vacuum thoroughly.

Read more: Pets, Everyday Pet Care

By the cat-loving staff at Care2.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Shirley S.

11:10PM PDT on May 25, 2013

T Y

May 25
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Marianne G.

10:52AM PST on Feb 18, 2013

Thanks for sharing.

February 18
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Peter L.

12:36PM PST on Dec 26, 2012

In the Netherlands there is a new product available, that simply by spraying in the air and onthe stinking surface, eliminates all cat urine odor. It's called ZHERO Air Cleaner, and we are very happy about it, because it is 100 % biological, and it has no odor of its own. It takes som 20 minutes before it works, at first you will notice a light vinegar smell. Sorry but the website is in dutch, but they have english text on the bottle. www.zhero.nl

December 26
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Elaine S.

3:42PM PST on Dec 25, 2012

Thank you! If any of my precious kitties has an accident, I will know what to do.

December 25
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Elaine A.

5:09PM PST on Dec 23, 2012

Thanks!

December 23
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Duane B.

11:39AM PST on Dec 23, 2012

Thank you for sharing.

Fred H.

4:39AM PST on Dec 23, 2012

Thank you Annie, for Sharing this!

Val M.

3:11AM PST on Dec 21, 2012

Thanks

December 21
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Pamela W.

2:37PM PST on Dec 2, 2012

Great tip as the vinegar smell will be neutralized by the baking soda enough for OUR noses not to be "offended", but insufficiently for the cats enhanced sense of smell.... they won't like it!!