If you have a cat, chances are you’ve had to clean up at least one accident in the house. There are a number of reasons your cat might go to the bathroom somewhere other than their litter box — a urinary tract infection, dirty litter box or anxiety could be the cause, according to PetMD. Regardless of the reason, accidents happen.
Cleaning up the mess with the right product is crucial to ridding your house of the unpleasant smell. “The best way to get rid of cat urine smell for good is to use a stain remover with enzymes,” Carolyn Forté, executive director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, suggests.
Next time you notice a wet spot on the couch or a smell coming from the carpet, it’s important to work quickly to remove both the stain and the smell. “It is the scent that brings animals back to pee on the same spots over and over again,” says Forté. Guaranteeing the smell is gone will ensure you don’t have to clean up the same mess twice. Follow this guide to remove unwanted cat pee odors from all sorts of surfaces.
Carpet
An enzyme-based cleaner like Bissell Pet Stain & Odor Remover is your best bet for cleaning carpets and area rugs.
Before using, soak up — don’t wipe! — as much of the stain matter as you can with a paper towel or rag. Spray the product (which also removes stains and smells from feces, vomit, and blood, FYI) on the trouble spot until the area is thoroughly saturated. Gently blot the area with a clean, damp cloth to remove as much of the stain as possible. Cover the spot with a damp towel and let sit for up to 12 hours.
Upholstery
If the cushion covers are removable, stick them in the wash ASAP or take them to the dry cleaner. For stains that have set into the sofa cushions, try the Bissell Pet Stain & Odor Remover and follow the same steps above. If all fails, hire a cleaning service to deep clean your couch cushions and pillows to remove the odor.
Wood
If your wood floors have a sealant, you’re in luck. Simply use paper towels to absorb urine and clean with your favorite hardwood floor cleaner like Bona Multi-Surface Floor Cleaner or Simple Solution Hard Floor Cleaner. If a dark or discolored stain forms, it may be best to call a professional.
Ceramic Tile
Unless the urine has spread to the grout, you can simply wipe up the mess with a paper towel and clean with a tile cleaner like Lysol Clean & Fresh Multi-Surface Cleaner. If the tile isn’t glazed or the liquid has spread to the grout, use CLR Cleaner Spray to remove discoloration. To remove odor, make a thick paste with water and baking soda, rub into the grout, and wipe once dry. After cleaning, spray the grout with Lysol Disinfecting Spray.
Amanda Garrity is a lifestyle writer and editor with over seven years of experience, including five years on staff at Good Housekeeping, where she covered all things home and holiday, including the latest interior design trends, inspiring DIY ideas and gift guides for any (and every) occasion. She also has a soft spot for feel-good TV, so you can catch her writing about popular shows like Virgin River, Sweet Magnolias, Hallmark Channel’s When Calls the Heart and more.
Laura Millar (she/her) is the assistant lifestyle editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers home design. Prior to joining Good Housekeeping in 2024, she wrote for NBC’s TODAY.com, where she covered everything from entertainment news to pop culture updates.
