Hydrogen Peroxide Cat Urine Recipe

How to Remove Cat Urine Odors from Fabric

Cats make wonderful pets, and healthy ones typically use the bathroom in litter boxes. Unfortunately, however, your beloved feline may have an occasional accident on your clothing, bedding, towels or linens. Cat urine has a strong smell, but there are some things you can do to get rid of it.

Gather Your Materials

Start by gathering all the materials you need get rid of the cat urine smell, because you want to work quickly. The longer it sits, the harder it can be to remove. You need paper towels, white vinegar, a detergent with enzymes, baking soda, oxygen bleach, water and a sink, tub or other container you can fill with water for at least an hour. Make sure any products you use do not contain ammonia, as that may actually attract cats to continue urinating in the same spot, according to Animal Planet.

Blot and Pretreat the Fabric

First, if the urine is still fresh, blot at it with a paper towel to soak up as much of the excess as you can. Avoid rubbing or scrubbing, as this can just force the odor deeper into the fabric. After you've completed the initial blotting, rinse the item with cold water and blot it with a paper towel again. Next, fill your sink, tub or other some type of container with cold water and about a half cup of oxygen bleach (chlorine bleach will ruin your clothing and linens). Allow it to soak for at least an hour.

Start with a Homemade Vinegar Wash

You can use a homemade or commercial wash for your cat urine-stained fabrics, however, you may want to try both on especially on stubborn odors, according to The Spruce. Start with a homemade vinegar wash made from one cup of white vinegar and three cups of cold water. Pour the wash over the urine spot, and allow it to sit for about five minutes. Afterwards, place the fabric item in the washing machine, and run it through a cycle using cold water. Do not put any other items in with it, or it may cause them to smell like cat urine as well. Do no add detergent.

Follow Up with an Enzyme Product

Next, you need to run your fabric through the wash cycle in your washing machine again, but this time, you want to add detergent. This is where your detergent containing enzymes comes into play. Again, use cold water, and avoid adding other garments to the wash at the same time. Avoid placing the items in the dryer, as heat can make them smell even worse.

What to Do If You Still Smell the Odor

If those steps didn't take away the odor, try washing them again with the cold water and enzyme detergent. You may also want to try using baking soda. To do this, soak the fabric in the vinegar wash again, and after five minutes, sprinkle some baking soda on top of it. Allow it to sit for a few minutes before putting the item through the washing cycle with cold water and enzyme detergent one more time.