home ec: getting rid of cat smell

This post is gross, and I hate that this happens to me, and hate if it's happened to you. 

Cat pee is one if the most foul stenches on God's green earth. That ammonia smell permeates everything, stains, but the worst part...it LINGERS. Long after the damage is done, you're left with the odor. It's nasty, and it must be stopped. 

Meet Ally. Better known as "Al Moans" around these parts, because when she wants something, she doesn't stop moaning about it (women. Am I right?)

Ally is 9 years old. She's always been a pretty good cat. Somewhat aloof, like most cats. When I got preggo with Henry, though, all of that changed. Before I even knew I was pregnant, she did. She suddenly had to be on me at all times. Snuggly. Friendly. Even with strangers. We wondered what would happen when the Henry man came, but she stayed friendly and never retaliated against the baby. 

When it was time for Max to come along, we didn't worry about how she would adjust. But as soon as we came home from the hospital, she started peeing on Stella (the Great Dane's) bed. Constantly. We had to get rid of two beds. It was terrible. The smell was everywhere. We ended up moving her food away from the dog food (Stella tends to steal) and relocated the dog bed, and the behavior pretty much stopped. Until...

She started peeing on the baby's stuff. Primarily, his changing table. Since we have a 2 story house with all bedrooms upstairs, we set up a pack and play as a downstairs changing station. She peed on it 6 times in less than 2 weeks. And in the nearby laundry basket. And the sofa. And our white wool rug. And, the last straw, the car seat. So much so that the pee pored out if the seat when we lifted it up. 

This brings us to our current problem - getting cat pee smell out of hardwoods. Everything else she peed on was washable (laundry) or disposable (cheap wicker laundry basket). I thought the floors would be a simple fix. Wrong. 

Here's what we tried. 

First, clean with antibacterial cleaner and paper towels. That prevented staining, but the smell came back. 

Second, steam clean. I have a Bissel Swiffer steam cleaner which works really well on most things. In this instance, though, it seems to have angered it. So gross. 

I took to the Internet. After looking at countless posts from others, here's what finally worked. I should have known. 

VINEGAR.

Vinegar and water to be more specific. There is absolutely nothing that vinegar can't clean. 

To remove cat urine smell from hard surfaces:

1. I made a 50/50 concoction of white vinegar and water.
2. I poured it over the area and let it soak in about 10 minutes. 
3. I sopped it up with paper towels. There is a time for reusable, and a time for disposable. This was a time for disposable.
4. Then with a damp rag, followed by a dry rag, I went back over the area. 
5. I now smelled like a potent combination of cat pee and salt & vinegar chips. Sexy. 
6. Then I showered. 

The next morning, the smell was gone. Problem solved. 

When we've had this issue on a soft area (carpet or cushion), this is what works.

To remove cat urine smell from soft surfaces:

1. Sop up the area with paper towels.
2. Using a Bissel Spot Bot Pet Cleaner (an amazing investment), go over the area with the brush attachment.
3. Cover the area with a liberal amount of baking soda. Let it soak up for about an hour. This will help absorb the liquid and help the smell.
4. Brush off the baking soda.
5. Febreeze if necessary.

Anyone else have this issue? What worked for you?