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How to remove cat pee off carpet – and prevent future accidents

Learn how to get rid of cat urine smells in carpet and prevent your cat peeing outside of the litter tray.

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Reading Time: 5 minutes

cat seating on a carpet

Key steps

If you want to know how to get rid of cat urine smells in carpet, just follow our key steps:

  1. Act quickly.

  2. Soak up as much of the stain as you can.

  3. Apply an enzymatic cleaner to break down the urine.

  4. Dry and vacuum.

  5. Try vinegar and baking soda for old stains.

  6. Practice prevention steps.

If your cat decides that your lounge floor is good for a quick wee you’ll need to know how to get rid of cat urine smells in carpet piles. Learning how to get urine out of carpet is one thing, but you’ll also want to learn how to prevent your furry friend from doing it again! Let us show you what to do. 

When you need to remove cat urine smells from carpet you can finish the job with a sprinkle of homemade carpet cleaner made from herbs. That’ll leave things smelling sweet.

How to get urine smells out of carpet when it’s still fresh

When you have to remove cat urine smells from carpet, the faster you act the better. The more cat pee you can get up quickly, the less deep cleaning you’ll need to do in the future. Here’s what to do:

  1. Blot the stain with paper towels to soak up as much as you can.

  2. Pour some cold water on the area and gently work in.

  3. Use an enzymatic cleaner to break down the urine – always follow instructions and test any new cleaner on a small area of carpet first to check for reactions. Unsure about using cleaning products in your carpet?

  4. Lay a towel down to absorb the cleaner – one that you’re prepared to throw away.

  5. Vacuum the carpet when completely dry.

That’s the fresh accidents dealt with – now onto how to clean dried cat urine from carpet. 

How to clean dried cat urine from carpet

Fresh urine is much easier to deal with than old urine, but there could be times where you miss the initial accident. Over time the odour becomes really unpleasant and that’s when knowing how to get cat urine smells out of carpet is handy. Here’s how:

  1. Take your time locating the source of the smell – under furniture, in corners, etc.

  2. Mark any spots you find with tape so you know exactly where to clean. 

  3. Wet the affected area and apply your enzymatic cleaner before soaking up.

  4. Spray white vinegar directly onto the stains and then sprinkle a light coating of baking soda on top. Leave for 24 hours to let the mixture absorb the urine.

  5. Vacuum up the residue and consider steam cleaning for a final assault on the stain.

Preventing your cat from peeing on the carpet

Even though you know how to get urine smells out of carpet, prevention is better than cure, and stopping your kitty from going outside the litter box is always going to be the best way forward. Here are our top tips:

  • Tackle the problem quickly – if you see your cat starting to pee put them straight on the litter.

  • Try multiple litter boxes in different locations.

  • Try different boxes – your cat might not like the box, the location of it – or both.

  • Try changing the litter – they could be put off by smell or texture.

  • Clean the litter box regularly – cats are clean creatures and won’t want to go in a dirty box.

  • Make sure you thoroughly clean any accidents, so they’re not attracted to the smell in future.

  • Consult your vet if problems persist.

Once you know how to get cat urine smells out of carpet and prevent your kitty from peeing outside the litter, it’s much less of a problem. And always remember to wear gloves and protect your skin while cleaning!

Originally published