Cats are one of nature's most fascinating creatures and are so enjoyable to watch. There are many reasons to love cats, but cat urine is not one of them. Felines have probably the most pungent smelling urine and feces of any other domesticated animal. Feces can easily be picked up and disposed of properly, but what about cat urine? Urine will soak into a carpet and many people find it nearly impossible to completely get rid of it, but it is possible. There are a few simple rules one must go by to get rid of cat urine on carpet for good, but first it's a good idea to understand the physics behind the problem.
When an animal urinates on carpet, it doesn't just soak into the carpet, but also into the padding. If left untreated it will even soak into wood or particle board floors. A product that simply sits on the stain or is rubbed into the carpet fibers will not do anything about the urine in the padding. Those kinds of cleaners will eliminate the stain on the carpet itself, but the stain always comes back the next day once the urine in the padding has time to soak back up into the newly cleaned carpet fibers. Even when a cat owner thinks they have won the battle, it's usually not the case.
The next problem is the residual odor. Just because the human residents cannot smell it, doesn't mean the cat cannot. If a cat smells the residual odor of urine, it will likely think that spot is an appropriate place to go and use it again. Only a truly effective cat urine remover product will remove the odor to such a degree the cat doesn't even know the stain was ever there.
The best answer so far is enzymatic and bacterial cleaners. Enzymatic cleaners have components that actually eat the urine, thus removing the stain. Of this category of cat urine removers, here is a list of the most highly praised:
1. Nature's Miracle Stain and Odor Remover
This product uses bacteria that consume the urine. It does a great job of this and receives many positive reviews from consumers. There is another product on the market by the same company called, Nature's Miracle Urine Destroyer with which consumers are not quite as happy, stating the urine smells better than the product. A 32 ounce squirt bottle of Nature's Miracle sells for about $7.
2. MisterMax Anti Icky Poo
This is another urine remover that garners high praise from consumers. Not only does it use live bacteria to destroy stains, but it's also nontoxic to humans and pets in addition to being environmentally friendly. This product can be found in a gallon size jug for about $32.
3. Simple Solution Extreme
This is a spray on product, which is not typically the best choice to get down into the carpet padding, but still receives high marks from reviewers. It touts itself as being the only pro-bacteria formula. Cat owners can pick up a 32 ounce spray bottle of this for about $9.
4. Equalizer Stain and Odor Remover
Consumer reviews of this product are stellar; stating it not only eliminates the stain, but neutralizes the odor completely ensuring the cat will not use the same spot again. This product sells for approximately $10 for a 20 oz aerosol can.
5. Fizzion
Another highly praised urine remover is Fizzion. One of the nice things about this product is that they sell tablets the consumer can mix with water to refill the spray bottle once it's empty. This eliminates waste in the landfills and saves the consumer time and money. A 32 ounce spray bottle of Fizzion, complete with a two-pack refill, sells for about $7.
After one or two applications of any of these products, it's a good idea to then follow-up with a steam cleaner. Only use the steam cleaner after the product has been given good time to work its magic. If the carpet is steamed right away, the heat will kill the bacteria. The steam cleaner will get down into the padding and lift any residual urine that may be left over. Once the carpet has then been allowed to cool off and dry somewhat, follow-up once again with another shot of the urine remover. This will ensure the stain and odor are gone forever.
By following these instructions and recommendations nearly any urine stain can be completely removed, even those stains that have been around awhile. In fact, that spot on the carpet will probably be the cleanest of the entire house. Not even the cat will know they ever went there.
