Removing cat pee from carpet

Every cat owner knows the dread: you come home and smell that pungent, sharp ammonia odour. Your cat has peed on the carpet. Cat pee in the carpet is one of the trickiest accidents in the home. Not so much because of the stain, but mainly because of the smell, which, if you tackle it the wrong way, never fully goes away.

So it's no surprise that how to get cat pee out of carpet without having to throw the rug away is a popular search. In this article we explain why cat urine is so stubborn, what you should absolutely not use (spoiler: bleach and steam) and give you a definitive step-by-step plan to remove both the stain and the stench.

Why cat pee is so hard to remove from carpet

Cat urine is different from that of humans or dogs. It is highly concentrated and contains uric acid. When the urine dries, this acid crystallises. These microscopic crystals stick firmly to the fibres and the underlay.

The tricky part is that soapy water does remove the stain, but not the crystals. As soon as it gets humid in the house (for example on a warm, muggy day), these crystals reactivate and the cat pee smell comes back in full force. So to remove cat pee from carpet you need products that break down these crystals: enzymes.

What you should NEVER do

Before you start cleaning, it's crucial to know what makes the situation worse.

Don't use ammonia or bleach: Cat pee itself smells of ammonia. If you clean with ammonia or bleach, your cat thinks: "Hey, this is a toilet!" Chances are it will pee right over it again.
Don't use a steam cleaner: This is a common mistake. The heat of the steam causes the proteins in the urine to bind to the carpet fibre. You essentially 'bake' the stain and the smell in, so you'll almost never get it out again.
Don't rub: Scrubbing spreads the urine over a larger area and pushes it deeper into the fibres.

Step-by-step plan: Getting fresh cat pee out of a rug

Are you quick to act and is the spot still wet? Then follow these steps straight away.

Step 1: Absorb, absorb, absorb

Place a thick layer of kitchen paper or an old towel on the wet spot. Stand on it to press as much moisture out of the carpet as possible. Replace the paper until it stays dry. The more urine you remove now, the less you'll have to neutralise later.

Step 2: Neutralise with vinegar

Make a mixture of one part cleaning vinegar and two parts water. Pour this carefully over the spot. Vinegar neutralises the ammonia in the urine. Let it soak in for a few minutes and then dab it as dry as possible again.

Step 3: The enzymatic knockout

Now comes the most important part: the enzymes. Use a special cat urine product or make a solution of Biotex (green). Biotex contains enzymes that 'eat' the urine crystals and proteins. Moisten the spot well with this solution and let it soak in for at least half an hour.

Step 4: Drying and aftercare

Dab the spot dry again. Can you still smell something? Then sprinkle baking soda over the damp spot and let it dry until it forms a hard crust. The baking soda draws the last bits of moisture and odour out of the fibres. Then vacuum it up.

Removing old stains and cat pee smell from carpet

Sometimes you only find a stain once it has already dried. Removing cat pee smell from carpet is trickier then, but not impossible. The urine crystals have now hardened. You first need to 'wake them up' again by moistening the spot with water. Then repeat step 3 (the enzymes) above. Old stains often need several treatments.

The ultimate solution: Deep cleaning

Does the smell linger, or do you find the idea of urine in your rug unhygienic? By hand you often can't get deep enough into the pile or the backing of the carpet.

A spot cleaner (spray extraction device), such as the Achaté Spot Cleaner, is then the best solution.

Rinsing: The device sprays clean water with cleaning solution deep into the fibres.
Extracting: It immediately sucks the dirty water back up. This way you don't just dilute the urine, you actually remove it from the carpet. This is the most effective way to stop your cat from marking the spot again.

Why does your cat do this? (Prevention)

You're now busy removing cat pee from carpet, but you want to prevent it from happening again. Cats are house-trained animals; peeing outside the litter box always has a reason:

Medical: Bladder crystals or a bladder infection. If in doubt, always go to the vet.
The litter box: Is the box dirty? Is it in a busy spot? Or does your cat not like the litter?
Stress: Changes in the home or new pets can cause stress peeing.