How to get cat pee out of clothes, smell and all

Step by step: how to get cat pee out of clothes, smell and all

1. 1

   Blot and rinse with cool water

   Blot up any wet urine with paper towels, then turn the garment inside out and hold the spot under cool running water so the water pushes the urine back out the way it came in. Rinse for a minute or two. Avoid hot water at this stage.

2. 2

   Find every spot by smell

   Cat urine often soaks into more than one layer, like a hood, a pocket or the folds of a pile on the floor. Sniff the whole item and anything it was lying on, and treat each spot. Missing one is why the smell seems to come back after washing.

3. 3

   Soak in baking soda and warm water

   Dissolve about 1 cup of baking soda in a sink or tub of warm water, submerge the item and leave it for 15 minutes. Rinse it well afterward so the baking soda doesn’t interfere with your detergent.

4. 4

   Or treat with an enzyme cleaner

   For dried or strong-smelling urine, saturate the area with an enzyme pet stain cleaner, enough to reach as deep as the urine went. Leave it for the time on the label (often 10 minutes to an hour) and don’t let it dry out. Test on a hidden seam first.

5. 5

   Pretreat with detergent

   Pour a little heavy-duty liquid detergent directly onto the spot, rub it in gently and leave it for 5 minutes. Don’t rinse it off; put the item straight into the washer so the detergent works during the wash.

6. 6

   Wash warm, with an oxygen boost

   Wash on the warmest temperature the care label allows, with a full dose of detergent. For whites and colorfast fabrics, add oxygen bleach. For a whole load, adding a 1 pound box of baking soda to the detergent also helps.

7. 7

   Sniff before you dry

   Pull the item out as soon as the cycle ends and smell the spot while it is damp. If there is any urine odor, repeat the enzyme and wash steps. Air dry the item, because dryer heat sets both the stain and the smell.

Why cat pee smell is so hard to get out of clothes

Cat urine is concentrated, and its uric acid doesn’t dissolve easily, so ordinary washing can leave the smell behind even when the stain looks gone. Heat then locks in what’s left.

Tide explains that uric acid dissolves less easily in cold, acidic water (like vinegar) and more easily in warmer water with a higher pH, which is why it recommends a 15-minute soak in baking soda and warm water before washing. Tide’s stain steps also say that if the stain persists after washing, you should repeat the treatment before using the dryer, because drying will set it.

The Humane World for Animals pet stain guide recommends adding a one pound box of baking soda to your detergent for machine-washable items, air drying, and washing again with an enzymatic cleaner if you can still see or smell the soiling. It also advises against ammonia and vinegar, because strong chemical smells can encourage a pet to mark the same spot again.

Cat pee on delicate, dry-clean-only and bulky items

Follow the care label first; some fabrics can’t take soaking or warm water, and bulky items need extra rinsing to get urine out of the filling.

Clorox similarly starts with a cool water rinse and a 5 to 10 minute pretreat, and says not to use its stain remover on fabrics that water-spot, such as suede, leather or silk.

How to get pee smell out of clothes (any kind)

The same method works for any urine smell: rinse cool, soak in baking soda and warm water or use an enzyme cleaner, then wash warm and air dry. Fresh accidents from children or adults often come out with the baking soda soak and one warm wash; dried ones may need the enzyme step too.

For mattresses and furniture, washing isn’t possible; see getting pee out of a mattress and getting rid of cat pee smell in the rest of the house.

Why your cat is peeing on clothes

A cat that pees on laundry is often telling you something about its health or its litter box, so check both or it will keep happening. Soft, absorbent piles of clothes are an easy target.

The ASPCA lists medical problems such as urinary tract infections and cystitis among the causes of litter box avoidance and advises seeing a veterinarian to rule them out. It also points to dislike of the litter, box type or location, and conflict between cats. Keep laundry off the floor and in a closed hamper while you sort out the cause.

Mistakes to avoid

• Putting the clothes in the dryer before the smell is completely gone.
• Rinsing fresh urine with hot water first.
• Using ammonia-based cleaners, which smell like urine to a cat.
• Washing the item but not the spot it was lying on, so the smell lingers in the room.
• Mixing chlorine bleach with ammonia or vinegar while trying to kill the smell.
• Ignoring repeat accidents instead of checking with a vet.