6.22.2012

How to remove the cat pee smell from a couch


Sadly, this is something I have gotten good at lately.

*DISCLAIMER- if your cat is peeing outside the litter box suddenly, you need to take him/her to the vet to rule out any serious problem.  We have done this several times- our cat is fine and seems to just have an attitude.*

Once in awhile our cat will pee on our couch.  There's no trigger that we can identify.  She has several litter boxes that are kept clean and she seems to like her litter, as far as we can tell.  She goes months using it perfectly and then bam, accident.  We ruled out any sickness, bladder issues, etc.  Basically, she's just a cat, and she's vengeful.

I don't mean to brag but I am a CHAMPION at getting out the stink right now.  This morning as we were putting cushion covers back on my husband even complimented my skills at this.

Make sure your couch materials are ok for this treatment before you try it!

Here's what you need:

Laundry soap
Distilled White Vinegar
Baking soda

First:  Remove the cushion cover and throw it in the washing machine.  Do a cold rinse.  Wash on hot (if possible for your fabric) with your regular laundry soap, but put VINEGAR in the fabric softener spot.  Do a 2nd rinse after the wash and dry as needed for your fabric.

While that's in the wash, take your cushion outside.  Sprinkle baking soda over the top of it.  Now, pour distilled white vinegar all over the top as well.  The baking soda will fizz and bubble and the vinegar will get in all the cracks as it goes down into the cushion.  Leave this to dry in the sun if at all possible, rotating it vertically 90 degrees every so often.  When I do this I literally see yellow pee dripping out of the cushion.  Gross, huh?  That's why we do this outside.

When your cushion is dry, turn on your hose and RINSE RINSE RINSE all that dried baking soda out.  Dry your cushion again.  I know, it's a pain.  So is smelling cat pee every time you sit down to watch tv.

Reassemble your couch when everything is dry.

This is fail-proof for me, but tweak as needed (and let me know how you adjusted it!)

10 comments:

  1. any ideas about getting it out of carpet?

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    1. Hi Lil J!

      To get cat pee smell out of a carpet, we first blot as much as we can with dry towels. Then we sprinkle baking soda over the spot and gently pour distilled white vinegar over the baking soda. We let it bubble for a minute and then start blotting it up. Once the spot is dry, we sprinkle more baking soda, rub it into the carpet, and then vacuum it up.

      I hope that helps you and thanks for reading! :)
      Gina

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  2. You are my new online soulmate! You have project ADD and a vengeful cat! Where have you been all my life? (Also - thanks for posting about how to remove the pee odor...we have an 18-year old Maine Coon that has had a serious attitude since I got him 15 years ago...Sigh...) We just noticed an 'accident' (though I'm not sure I'd call it that exactly) last night and we're going to try your trick of removing the odor today. Right. Before. Guests. Arrive. BLAH!

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    1. Aw, you are going to make me blush! Maine Coons are beautiful cats but considering how much my cat loathes me, I'm not sure I want her to be the size of a small horse! Haha. Thanks for reading :) I hope this helped you with the cat accident!

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  3. Help we have a cat that pees on beds. This our 3rd new mattress for my daughter we can't keep buying a new mattress,what to do?
    I have poured baking soda on area after trying to soak up the area, also sprinkled white vingaer hoping it to help what you suggested for the cushion,except unable to take outside.

    crazy woman w/5cats

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  4. My cat pee'd in my leather purse. Any ideas how to get the smell out of it?

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  5. My cat pee'd in my leather purse. Any ideas how to get the smell out of it?

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  6. Just wondering if you have any tricks for when urine gets on other areas of the couch that you can't remove like the seat cushions?

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  7. One of my 2 cats (both neutered males) had taken to painting all of my walls, furniture, and anything else he could reach. I was horrified when I got a UV light. He never did that in all of the 9 years I've had him and didn't when I got him a buddy (they love each other and did so right away) but when a strange black cat started showing up outside both of my cats went nuts and the older one (9) started his wall painting, as well as the curtains out in the kitty room. I couldn't keep up with it.

    My cats are indoor cats so it's not like the stray is actually going to get in here but they both hate him (and he is weird...my neighbor's cats hate him too). I've tried cleaning with a pet urine enzyme and then spraying some "No More Spraying" but that hasn't worked. He's a sneaky little bugger too; he waits until he thinks I'm not looking and then does it. He's learned that the minute I see him backing his butt up to something he gets yelled at.

    It wasn't until I found NoMoreCatPee.com that I was able to finally get rid of this tiresome behavior. Now my house doesn't smell like a litter box anymore :)

    I've placed a link to their website above if you're interested in checking them out. Cheers!

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