How to Get Rid of the Cat Urine Smell in Your Apartment

Share:

How to Get Rid of the Cat Urine Smell in Your Apartment

Staff Writer · Sep 2, 2009

If you need to get rid of the cat urine smell in your apartment, there are a number of steps you need to take to address the problem. Eliminate odors and stop your cat from continuing to mark the apartment with this simple guide.

Checklist for Eliminating Odors

First and foremost, you need to make sure that your cat is not suffering from a medical problem. Keep the litter box clean, have your cat spayed or neutered and use a cat pheromone solution to discourage your cat from spreading cat pee all around your apartment. Do not punish your cat for the behavior, as if there is something wrong with her, if none of these solutions work. Have your cat examined for a possible underlying medical problem. It’s possible she’s stressed from a recent change in her environment, and the vet will be able to prescribe something to calm her down.

While you are trying to address your cat’s problem, you need to get to work quickly on her cat urine stains, or it will become more difficult to eliminate odors. Put together a kit to get rid of the cat urine smell that includes:

  • Paper towels
  • Hand towel or cloth
  • Scrub brush
  • Vacuum
  • Wet vacuum (optional)
  • Black light
  • Hair dryer or fan (optional)
  • Baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon dish detergent mixed with 1/2 cup warm water
  • Cold water
  • A commercial cat odor and stain remover (particularly one that attacks enzymes) or
  • Distilled white vinegar and
  • Warm water

Step 1 – Find, Blot and Rinse

If the cat pee stain is fresh, you should get to work as soon as possible. Blot the stain carefully, pour cold water over it and blot again. If you can’t find the stain(s), use a black light to search for any glowing spots.

Step 2 – Clean

Pour a mixture of equal parts vinegar and warm water (or use a commercial cat urine cleanser) onto the hand towel, and wipe the stain in a circular motion. Allow to air dry or use a hair dryer or fan to speed the drying process.

Step 3 – Use Baking Soda and Dish Detergent

Get rid of the cat urine smell with baking soda and the dish detergent/water mixture. Sprinkle the affected areas liberally with baking soda, and then pour a few drops of the detergent/water mixture. Use a scrub brush with soft bristles to work the mixture into the stain.

Step 4 – Vacuum

You can get rid of the cat urine smell once the area has once again dried. Vacuum up the remaining baking soda and detergent mixture. Repeat steps 3-4 if necessary.

Step 5 – Wet Vacuum

If the cat urine odor persists, consider using a wet vacuum to more thoroughly clean carpets, rugs and drapes. A simple water and detergent solution should help.

If you still cannot get rid of the cat urine smell, you may need to get rid of any items your cat has stained and/or remove everything from your apartment and give the apartment a thorough cleaning inside and out. This may seem troublesome, but living in an apartment rife with cat urine bacteria makes for an uncomfortable and potentially dangerous living environment.

You might also like:

Moving into a new apartment or rental property can be both exciting and stressful. From packing up your belongings to coordinating logistics, there’s a lot to manage. However, one aspect that is often overlooked is what to expect on move-in day regarding the condition of your new unit. Surprisingly, according to recent surveys, a significant […]

Jessica Lee

 · Mar 12, 2024

On ApartmentRatings, real renters have the ability to rate and review their apartment communities based on their experience touring and or living in the communities. ApartmentRatings offers renters the ability to see what life is like at a community through a report card grade style format called epIQ. Every month we highlight apartment communities whose […]

Jessica Lee

 · Feb 28, 2024

On ApartmentRatings, real renters have the ability to rate and review their apartment communities based on their experience touring and/or living in them. ApartmentRatings offers renters the ability to see what life is truly like at a community through a report card grade style format called epIQ. Every month we highlight a major city across […]

Jessica Lee

 · Jan 31, 2024