How to Get Cat Pee Smell Out of Couch In 3 Easy and Affordable Ways

Why Do Cats Pee on The couch?

Cats are many homeowners’ favorite type of pet but if they misbehave and decide to pee on the couch it becomes something else. Even after being trained to pee in the right place, accidents happen and you will be forced to take care of it immediately to prevent the cat pee smell from accumulating further.

Cat urine can stain your couch if you don’t take care of it immediately especially if you have a couch with a bright and sensitive color like white. And even if you have a functional couch color like black, you will still need to get rid of the smell so that it doesn’t accumulate to a foul odor. Fortunately, there are a couple of ways you can get the cat urine smell out of the couch.

When your cat pees on the couch it could be an accident or it can also be because you have failed to clean its litter box. You see, if your couch is always clean, and your cat is used to spending most of its time on it and only goes to pee on its litter box when it’s time, there is a higher chance of it getting used to peeing on the couch.

To be on the safe side, you will need to always make sure your cat’s litter box is always as clean and spotless as your couch. Because if your cat develops the habit of peeing on the couch, you are going to have a difficult time cleaning it and even ruining it further in the process.

How to Get Rid of Cat Pee Smell On a Couch In 3 Easy Ways

In this article, we will discuss three ways that you can apply to get rid of cat pee smell on your couch or any other furniture in your home. Read on to find out more.

Method 1: Using Baking Soda and Vinegar solution

You can get cat pee smell out of your couch by spot cleaning the couch immediately it happens. This will make it easier to remove the pee and minimize on the smell.

Step 1

Start by sprinkling a generous amount of baking soda on the area that the cat peed on in your couch then let it sit for about 8 minutes.

Step 2

Take a spray bottle add in 2 cups of water and ½ cup of vinegar and liquid dish soap then shake gently to mix the solution and spray the solution over the area.

Step 3

Use a sponge to rub the area, make sure to rub gently to prevent staining the non-affected area of your couch. Use clean water to rinse your sponge then rub it on the area again to remove the excess solution of vinegar. But since vinegar is acidic and usually has a strong smell, you might want to vacuum your couch to remove all the vinegar smell.

Method 2: Soaking and Cleaning Couch Upholstery

If you happened to spend the weekend over at your parents and you came back only to find your whole couch smelling of cat pee smell, you might really want to give your couch a good cleaning.

You see, it is possible for your cat to change positions of peeing in your couch if you don’t get to clean the first time it messed up and now it becomes your cat’s habit to pee all over your couch.

Therefore, to prevent the smell from being extreme, you will need to soak your couch cushion covers (if they are removable). But first, you will need to check the manufacturers’ tag to see if it is suitable for washing with water and detergents.

Step 1

Vacuum the couch to remove all the cat hairs, debris, dirt, and dust. Be sure to remove the cushions if they are removable so you can be thorough with your work. Vacuuming with the best vacuum cleaner helps in disinfecting your couch but doesn’t eliminate the cat pee smell.

Step 2

In a bathtub full of water, add a cup of vinegar (vinegar is absolutely great at eliminating foul odor, exactly what your cushion covers need) and your favorite powder detergent, put cushion covers inside and let them soak overnight. These will help in removing all the dirt and dust in them. And also the vinegar will help get rid of odor.

Step 3

The following day, remove your cushion covers from the bathtub. At this point, possibly the color of the water in the bathtub is not the same as when you had left it. Release the water and add more clean water to thoroughly clean the cushion covers so that they can be as clean and free from smell.

Ideally, you can put your cushion covers in the washer and wash them in a gentle cycle with cold water. You will need to avoid hot water when cleaning cushion covers as they cannot stand too much heat which might even end up ruining them.

Also, do not use fabric cleaners on your couch cushion covers, it is usually not recommended as they may shorten their lifespan.

Step 4

Although it is possible to dry the cushion covers in the dryer, its usually not advisable as they can’t stand up to too much heating. Therefore, you can air dry them in a sunny spot outside your house if it’s a bright sunny day.

Make sure you put them back on the couch if they are completely dry. Also if you have a microfiber couch, you can read more on how to clean microfiber couch covers without ruining them here.

Method 3: Use of Enzyme-Based Cleaners

There are cleaning products that contain enzyme cleaning solutions specifically for cleaning pet stains. The best thing about these products is that they are usually affordable and most importantly effective.

You just need to follow the instructions provided to use and the best thing is that they usually come in a spray bottle for ease of use.

The perfect example of an enzyme-based cleaner that will help you get cat pee smell out of your couch, fabric, carpet, or mattress is this one from amazon.

What Cleaning Products Shouldn’t I Use to Get Rid of Cat Pee Smell?

Some of these products are usually not harmful to your upholstery but may be harmful to your cat’s health. Therefore, if your cat likes spending most of its time on the couch, you will need to avoid using the following products:

1. Ammonia

The reason why you need to avoid ammonia is that it might make your cat to want to pee on your couch more. You see, your cat’s pee has ammonia in it, and if you use ammonia to clean your couch, if your cat smells it, it would assume that is its usual spot to pee.

2. Bleach

Bleach is the perfect solution for eliminating stains but it is not conducive for use within your pet’s environment as in case they inhale its smell, it can be harmful to their general health.

Also, bleach is known to change the colors of fabrics, its therefore not a so suitable solution as it can ruin the color of your fabric before you know it.

How to Get Cat Pee Smell Out of Leather Couch?

Leather is usually expensive and the thought of cat pee ruining it can be very disturbing. Luckily, there are a couple of ways you can get rid of cat pee smell on your leather couch and leave it looking attractive and fresh as it should be.

You can also apply this cleaning solutions in case your cat gets to pee on your leather bag, boots, car seat, or jacket. Read on to learn more

Method 1: Use of Natural Solutions

This method usually involves use of natural solutions like baking soda and vinegar which we mostly have at home or can be bought at an affordable price in a store near you.

In this method you will need:

• Baking soda
• Vinegar
• Spray bottle
• Water
• Dish liquid soap
• Paper towels
• Leather conditioner

Step 1

Use paper towels to soak up as much urine as possible from your leather couch. This will make it easier for the natural solution to work fast and effectively.

Step 2

Sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda on the area of your couch where the cat peed on and let it sit for about 8 minutes. However, depending with the extent of the smell, you might want to let the baking soda sit a while longer for it to absorb as much pee smell as possible (you can let it sit overnight for better results).

Step 3

In a spray bottle, add in two cups of water and ½ cup vinegar with your favorite dish soap and shake it gently to mix the solution. Spray the solution over the area and let it sit for about 3 minutes.

Step 4

Using a sponge, rub in the vinegar solution on your couch’s fabric so that you can get to the pee smell as much as you can. The best thing about combining baking soda and vinegar solution is how effective it is at eliminating odor.

Step 4

Take a towel and rinse it in clean water then use to blot the area completely to remove as much vinegar solution as possible. And since vinegar has a strong smell, you might want to vacuum your couch to remove as much of it as possible.

Step 4

Once your couch is completely dry, you will want to recondition it with the leather condition to make it shine and also to prevent it from cracking.

Method 2: Use of Enzyme-based Cleaners

The best thing about using enzyme-based cleaners is that they are effective in breaking down the enzymes found in cat urine.

These products are specifically meant for cleaning pets, and they are suitable for both your couch’s upholstery and on your pet’s overall health.

The best enzyme-based cleaners that you can use to get cat pee smell out of your couch is definitely this one available on amazon. It is affordable and most importantly effective.

What Happens If you Don’t Remove Cat Urine from Couch or Fabric?

Cat urine is noxious and if it is not taken care of immediately, you might not want to spend another minute in your home. one rule that should be strictly followed when it comes to the hygiene of your upholstery is to always respond to stains immediately to prevent them from staining further and also to make the cleaning process easy and fast.

Cat urine contains proteins, enzymes, and bacteria that would start break down and decompose if you don’t get rid of the urine immediately. The urine smell will then start to accumulate further until you no longer can take it and at this time it will be probably late to apply the home remedies and maybe the best thing to do will be to seek professional couch cleaning services.

Also, if you don’t get to clean the cat’s urine smell immediately, your cat will find the couch as the perfect place to help itself out. Because cats are usually directed by their urine smell, if you don’t get to clean the area, they will assume it for their litter box and get used to your couch as the spot where they pee and even go for their long call.

What Kills the Smell of Cat Urine?

The best natural solution that you can use to kill the smell of cat urine on your couch or any other furniture is vinegar. Vinegar has a strong smell but it is effective at eliminating odors and cat pee smell is no exception. And because vinegar is an acid, it helps in neutralizing alkaline salts that usually form in dried pet urine.

To use vinegar, put 2 cups of water in a spray bottle and ½ cup vinegar and liquid dish soap, then shake gently to mix and to form a solution. You will then spray the solution generously on the affected area of your couch or furniture, then rub gently with a sponge to get to as much urine smell as possible. Then blot dry the area with dry cloth, or since vinegar has a strong smell, you can vacuum your couch to get rid of all the smell.

Conclusion

It is very important to take care of cat urine smell immediately it happens as prolonging it will only make it accumulate further and even ruin your couch’s aesthetic. The methods we have discussed in this article are tried and tested, and hopefully they will be of help to you.