Photo from website: smartkilim.com
Many people believe that without a cat their home becomes cold and empty, that these affectionate and beautiful animals can not only please with their appearance, but also have a positive effect on health, help balance blood pressure and even heal broken bones faster. Some parents believe that children who grew up with cats are much more developed than those who were denied such communication.
All these are controversial issues, one thing is understandable and extremely clear: if a cat suddenly starts shitting past the litter box, then something needs to be done urgently, otherwise your house will soon turn into hers, and people, meeting you on the street, will begin to wrinkle their noses in disgust. It is difficult when an animal chooses shoes or furniture as a tray, but if it is a carpet on the floor, then it is possible to deal with this, and it is also quite simple. So how can you remove the smell of cat urine from carpet or a simple rug so that its smell does not make your home uninhabitable? This is exactly what this article will discuss.
Causes of strong odor
It is rare to find homes without cats. They are loved by many for their affectionate nature. Specially beautiful animals are bred and become decorations for the home. But pets also cause a lot of trouble. There are problems with the toilet of animals. If you don’t get used to it in time, the apartment will have a persistent smell of cat urine.
It intensifies when:
- low consumption of clean water by the cat;
- puberty due to impurities in the urine of glandular secretions;
- poor nutrition;
- diseases of the genitourinary system;
- stress, anxiety.
A healthy cat's urine will also smell, but not as strongly. If the smell changes, you should immediately contact a veterinarian.
Preventive actions
To prevent urine from appearing on the carpet, you need to make sure that your pet does not commit such offenses again. The following steps will help you stop your cat from damaging furniture, carpets and floors:
- The cat litter box must be placed in the area of the home in which the pet will feel as comfortable as possible. Most often, a cat's toilet is installed next to the owner's. However, some members of the cat family do not like this. In such a situation, it makes sense to try to move the tray to some other area (to the balcony, to the corridor, etc.). In this case, the animal must have unhindered access to it.
- The cat's litter box needs to be cleaned regularly. The filler also needs to be changed. A cat will not relieve its natural needs in a dirty litter tray. In addition, you should not overuse cleaning products, because... their smell can scare the animal away and cause it to defecate elsewhere. Experts also recommend purchasing high-quality filler. If the pet refuses to go into it, it is better to replace the product.
- If the animal relieves itself in a flower pot, this problem can be easily solved. In this case, you need to replace the soil in it, and then place orange or lemon peels in the pot. The smell of citrus fruits repels cats.
- It is necessary to treat not only already marked areas on the carpet with specialized enzyme sprays, but also those places that may attract the cat in the future.
- Spayed or neutered pets do not mark carpets.
In some situations, the problem is that the animal has a disease. Cats can also experience kidney problems and genitourinary infections. If the animal continues to mark its territory in a variety of places, it needs to be shown to a veterinarian. The specialist will conduct an examination and give all the necessary recommendations to solve the problem. If necessary, he will prescribe suitable treatment.
In addition, experienced livestock breeders do not recommend punishing cats for their offenses. These animals are extremely vindictive, so an offended cat can cause even more problems.
Why is it difficult to withdraw
Removing a wet stain from carpet pile is difficult because urine quickly absorbs into the covering. There it crystallizes, and this hardened stain is not easy to wash off with ordinary water. Substances are required that can decompose the crystals and destroy them.
After the cat has marked the carpet, it is necessary to quickly remove the “fragrant” liquid before it is absorbed.
Place absorbent wipes on top, then sprinkle soda, talc or salt on the wet surface. Absorbents will absorb remaining urine. After cleaning the coating, wash the area several times either with professional products or improvised ones.
What not to do
Basic rules of what not to do when cleaning carpets.
These marks have a persistent, pungent odor and spoil the appearance of floor coverings.
- Pour hot water. Heat treatment is not suitable for all carpets and can lead to deformation of the product.
- Rub the stain vigorously. Friction can ruin the texture of the material.
- Remove the stain using chemicals without first checking the reaction on a separate piece of carpet. May cause discoloration.
- Treat the stain with bleach or bleach.
- Dry with a hair dryer or iron.
- Use colored napkins or cloth to remove moisture.
What not to do
When a puddle appears on the carpet, many try to poke their pet into it and severely punish it. Such actions will not lead to a good result. The kitten will get stressed, which will cause urine stains to appear on other pieces of furniture and in hard-to-reach corners of the house. If the animal does not yet understand where to go to the toilet, then it should be gradually accustomed to this. Here you need to have patience.
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Do not forget that the tray should:
- be in a secluded place where people rarely go;
- be clean, washed;
- have filler.
Each pet has its own tray. Then there will be no problems with puddles on the carpet. If trouble does occur, it is necessary to select cleaning products that will not render the coating unusable.
Features of eliminating urine odor from carpet depending on the “freshness” of the stains.
Dealing with urine on carpeting is not an easy task, but it is quite doable. The older the stain, the more effort it will take to completely get rid of the smell of urine on the carpet. Therefore, it is necessary to act immediately, without delaying “for later.”
Funny little animals bring a lot of joy to their owners, but there are also disappointments.
If the puddle is still fresh, then the initial task is to collect as much moisture as possible from the carpet. To do this, you need to cover the surface of the stain with paper napkins and, using palm pressure, absorb the urine into them. And thus change wet wipes for dry ones until they stop collecting moisture. Then you can start cleaning (methods are given below).
Even the most cultured animals can sometimes leave their mark or puddle on the carpet.
If the stain was noticed to be already dry, then the main goal is to remove urine from the carpet. To do this, you need to wet it again. You need to pour a glass of water onto the stain, wait for it to be absorbed, and follow the procedure described above to absorb the moisture with napkins. Repeat this at least 3 times (the more the better) depending on the size of the initial stain, and only after that start cleaning.
Special means
It is best to start removing urine stains with special preparations. Many of them are based on bioenzymes that decompose the pungent-smelling uric acid. Thanks to the substances, the pile is cleaned and the unpleasant odor is removed.
OdorGone
Reviews from those who have used this product indicate its effectiveness. After the drug is applied to the area of the carpet marked by cats, the components of urine decompose. After use, you can repeat the operation 2-3 more times to completely eliminate cat odors.
"ZooSan"
The odor eliminator removes them from all surfaces in the house. The product is safe for people and animals, as it does not contain chlorine or phosphates. Mix one part of the concentrate with 9 parts of water and use a sponge or a vacuum cleaner to wash the area marked by the cat. The procedure can be repeated after a few days.
"ZooVorsin"
A highly concentrated spray is used to clean the pile of various coatings. Cat urine stains are removed after 2-3 treatments. Thanks to the fragrances in the product, it also eliminates odor.
Cllansan
Carpets are deodorized with the product by mixing 100 ml of the product with 1 liter of water. Spray the surface and leave until completely dry. The antistatic agent in the solution softens the coating and restores the carpet fibers.
Odor Kill&Stain
The components of the product are enzymes that break down substances in cat urine. It takes time for the stain to disappear from the carpet and several treatments. The solution should be sprayed not only on the place where the puddle is, but also on neighboring areas.
Urine Off
The biological cleaner removes odors and stains from carpets effectively. After vigorous shaking, apply the product to a section of the carpet. It is better to cover the top with film and leave it overnight. Then remove the film and wipe the pile dry. Can be washed with clean water, without using chemicals.
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"Brovadez"
In addition to eliminating odors, the drug is used for disinfection purposes. It is diluted in water (2 ml per liter) and the carpet damaged by the cat is washed. It is necessary to check in advance how the liquid affects the color of the carpet.
How to wash a carpet yourself
To finally finish off the cat odor, it is advisable to wash the carpet. You can do this yourself using available tools.
- Laundry soap solution. Tip: You need to rinse the soap itself thoroughly, otherwise the grease will collect dirt.
- "Vanish." I wash my cat potties with this gel. The smell disappears completely. So the forecasts for the bucket are very rosy!
- Pour vodka over the stain. Let it dry. Then treat with Mr. Muscle floor cleaner. The method is good for rugs and carpets that cannot be pulled out from under the furniture.
Washing the carpet in an apartment is not easy, but the results are worth it.
Rubbing alcohol is useful for disinfection
Folk remedies
The necessary store-bought drugs are not always at hand, and the cost of some of them is not affordable for everyone. Fresh cat urine stains from the carpet can be cleaned with substances that are found in every home. They not only remove stains well, but also repel cats with their scent.
Alcohol or vodka
The apartment will get rid of the pungent odors of cats if you promptly wash the carpet with water with the addition of alcohol or vodka. First, you can wipe the pile with a cloth soaked in alcohol. Then you need to wash the area with soapy water.
Before cleaning, you should check whether the color of the carpet will change or not under the influence of alcohol.
Laundry soap
It is easy to wash off fresh stains using a paste of laundry soap and warm water. Apply the product to the area marked by the cat and leave for several hours. Then you need to rinse clean and dry. Small rugs stained by an animal are easier to wash by hand in soapy water after soaking them first.
Vinegar
For some reason, this remedy is the first to come to mind when a cat leaves a puddle on the carpet. They begin to pour acid endlessly, but this must be done carefully. Synthetic bristles may deteriorate when exposed to the concentrate. You should dilute vinegar in water, pour it on the stain, wait, and then wipe.
Baking soda
Soda is used as an absorbent when an unpleasant liquid appears on the carpet. It is necessary to carry out the procedure several times so that all the urine is absorbed into the powder and not into the carpet. Then, after sprinkling baking soda on the stain, pour vinegar or hydrogen peroxide on top. This will cause the breakdown of uric acid, which gives off a strong odor, to occur faster.
At the end, all that remains is to clean the coating to remove any remaining mixture.
Glycerol
Urinary secretions are successfully broken down by glycerol. You can use glycerin soap. It is rubbed and diluted with warm water in a 1:1 ratio. The mixture is applied to the areas marked by the cat on the carpet. It should be washed off after 1-2 hours.
Hydrogen peroxide
Peroxide solution is often used to remove stains from carpets. It can be used on its own or with baking soda when the two are mixed before applying to the marked mat. You can soak the stain in the solution and then clean it with a damp sponge.
Potassium permangantsovka
If you need to disinfect damaged pile, you should wash the coating with a pinkish solution of potassium permanganate. It is best to use the product on dark-colored items. If stains from potassium permanganate remain, you can wash them in soapy water.
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Ammonia
You can solve the problem of unpleasant smell on the carpet from a cat with an ammonia solution. You need to add a spoonful of ammonia to a glass of water. Pour the mixture onto the wet spot and leave for a while. Then wash off the remaining alcohol with clean water. The procedure can be repeated again.
Iodine
The smell of iodine tincture goes away quickly. You need to drop 20 drops of the substance into water and wipe the stained area. Iodine can leave stains, so it is better to use this method on brown or red carpets.
Salt
Fine salt should be sprinkled on the puddle of urine as soon as it appears. Change the salt several times until everything is absorbed. Then leave it overnight, and in the morning remove it from the carpet and rinse it with clean water.
Lemon acid
Cleaning the surface with a citric acid solution helps combat the smell of cat urine. Squeeze lemon juice into a glass of warm water. After mixing, carefully pour onto the stain. Since lemon has bleaching properties, it is used when cleaning light-colored carpets.
Aromatics
Spices or citrus fruits can overcome the unpleasant smell of urine. After removing the stain, saucers with freshly cut pieces of orange and tangerine are placed in the room. You can fight off bad odors in your apartment by roasting coffee beans.
What should you not do when removing stains?
To ensure that the carpet always remains in good condition, you need to follow a number of rules when cleaning it. The following recommendations will help prevent product damage:
- Do not use hot water for cleaning, as... temperature exposure can easily ruin the pile. In this case, the carpet will lose its attractiveness.
- Do not scrub off dirt by moving in the direction opposite to the direction of the pile.
- It is advisable to remove urine stains immediately as they appear, otherwise they will penetrate deep into the tissue.
- For processing, it is undesirable to use washing powders, dishwashing compositions and other mixtures that contain aggressive substances.
- Before using any product, you should first test it on an inconspicuous area of the carpet. If after half an hour the structure and color of the tissue in the treated area have not changed, the procedure can be continued.
- It is prohibited to use liquids that contain tea, sauerkraut and other products with dyes. They will ruin the appearance of the product. To solve the problem, you will have to go to dry cleaning and spend money.
Cleaning service
If you can clean the carpet from cat urine yourself, then the carpet requires cleaning by specialists. When visiting your home, specialists:
- remove all contaminants from the coating;
- they will use such means that will not damage the pile;
- will carry out the work quickly and efficiently.
Cleaning companies not only have the best and most effective products, but also equipment against old cat urine stains on carpets.
To summarize
After cleaning the carpet by any means, the area that the cat carelessly marked may noticeably stand out as a cloudy stain. Therefore, it is necessary to immediately balance the color scheme of the coating by using carpet cleaning products.
Among carpet shampoos, Vanish has proven itself well. Its use does not require any skills - just dilute the concentrate in water, foam it and apply directly to the entire treated area with a brush or sponge. After waiting the required time, the powder remaining after applying the shampoo is removed with a vacuum cleaner.