# How Do I Clean a Couch Covered in Cat Pee?



## athomas (Jul 7, 2010)

Well since I'm having probably the most issues with cats on this forum, and can't get them neutered since I can't get my hands on them, my couches are both 100% covered in pee now. I can't sit down without smelling like a bloody liter box. Can I just get a steam cleaner and clean the mess out? I assume the cushions are ruined?


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

If you cant get your cats captured to get them neutered I would suggest putting a hav -a- heart trap out to get them. The peeing wont stop until they are neutered. Once a kitten is 3 lbs here in the US they can be neutered or spayed. Once a cat smell pee in a spot they will continue to pee in that area. Neutered toms spray to mark territory and if they are upset. 

I just faced having my sofa peed on. One of my cats had UTI. I took Palomive dishwashing Liquid in water and washed the fabric on the sofa. I rinsed it when thru with club soda. (Dr Elsey~ from his website) 

I took off the sofa cushions and ran them thru my washer. First time you run the load pour in a lot of vinegar into the soap dispenser. Then run the load again with regular laundry detergent. Take foam part of the cushions and wash them in a bath tub with vinegar and then soap. Let dry. Put a garbade bag over the cushions before putting them back into the covers so they cant be saturated with pee if it happens again. 

My sofa is like new again and you cant small the pee. I have a sensitive nose and cant smell it. I also had a friend come over to give it the sniff test and she couldnt either.


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

Mitts&Tess, That's the best advice I've heard of dealing with cushions that a cat had peed on....after thorough cleaning, encase them in plastic garbage bags before the covers are put on. Thanks for sharing this great tip!


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## ilovemycatz (Jul 20, 2010)

_my 1 year old cat did this today, she's forever weeing on things... so i'm getting her spayed on Monday to see if that sorts the problem out.
my cat will wee on anything, curtains, clothes, the bed, the sofa and the floor now too. 

they probably wont stop until you get them snipped though..

but anyway what has sorted out my "brand new" sofa  is..

- take the covers off and put them on a cool quick wash in the washing machine
- the actually cushions (bulky bits) of the sofa you can put in the bath tub, fill up with warm water.. add a little fabric conditioner/cleaner to get rid of the smell and leave in the bath for about an hour... 
- take out of the bath and do a sniff check then leave them all out to dry naturally, becareful when taking them out of the bath as they get heavy when wet and you don't want to rip them.

x
_


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## athomas (Jul 7, 2010)

I tried Nature's Miracle, and it kind of worked, but I smell a mix of cleaner, with a little cat pee. How about hiring a steam cleaning company?

Or renting a steam cleaner and doing it myself? Tips there?


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## Muzby (Jan 9, 2008)

To really get rid of the smell you have to SOAK the offending item in Natures Miracle.. repeatedly. Then dry them in the sun (balcony?) if possible. It will work.. but they have to be completely soaked.


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## athomas (Jul 7, 2010)

They were soaked.

Would a professional steam cleaner be able to help?


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## athomas (Jul 7, 2010)

I have like half a bottle of the Nature's Miracle left, had an idea. Use the rest of the bottle, pour that into the tub with HOT water and laundry detergent, take the covers off the cushions, and scrub each cushion and cover. Let them soak for a few hours, and rinse them in hot water from the shower head for a few hours. Think that'll help?


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## mimitabby (Apr 20, 2010)

either that or throw the whole thing away. And i'm serious. if you have spraying cats, and they are not neutered, all this washing is not going to help. They will continue to spray, possibly even after they are neutered, because you can't tell how far into the stuffing the urine has penetrated so if you can't get the entire volume of the pillows/cushions treated with the Nature's miracle, it's likely you will not get all the urine either.


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## athomas (Jul 7, 2010)

I got rid of those cats a while ago. The smell is lingering. I guess you missed that.


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## mimitabby (Apr 20, 2010)

sorry when you said you couldn't "get your hands" on them I thought that meant they were loose in your house. but seriously, you probably need a new couch. Tomcat urine is EVIL.


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## athomas (Jul 7, 2010)

Well I don't have thousands of dollars to buy new couches, so I need to fix these. I'd rather stay on topic.

So, should I get a steam cleaning company to do it, or should I soak them in Nature's Miracle, HOT water, and detergent like I said before?


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## athomas (Jul 7, 2010)

Also, they're foam cushions. Cold water might work better I'm thinking, hot would just set the smell.


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## paperbacknovel (Jun 9, 2010)

athomas, did you follow Mitts & Tess's suggestion from earlier? She had a really detailed list of instructions regarding how she got rid of the urine smell from her couch. 

To be honest, I can't think of any other suggestions other than what people have already told you--maybe try all of their suggestions first? I've never had to clean up cat urine before, but the white vinegar should help, I think.

Since you bumped up this old topic, it looks like you still have the cats (is there any way to edit the first post to clear that up?).


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## athomas (Jul 7, 2010)

athomas said:


> I got rid of those cats a while ago. The smell is lingering. I guess you missed that.


I thought I cleared that up already...


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## paperbacknovel (Jun 9, 2010)

athomas said:


> I thought I cleared that up already...


*facepalm* No, I was talking about your response to mimitabby. Of course I know that those cats are no longer there. My post suggested that you edit your original post to show that, or else you may be getting more responses from people thinking the cats are still spraying, because they're just reading the first post. Mimitabby couldn't have known without going through the whole thread, because the first post has stayed the same. 

So, have you followed Mitts & Tess's suggestion (in the first post you recieved for this topic)? Did it help any? If we know everything you HAVE tried, it would help in suggesting other options.


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## athomas (Jul 7, 2010)

paperbacknovel said:


> *facepalm* No, I was talking about your response to mimitabby. Of course I know that those cats are no longer there. My post suggested that you edit your original post to show that, or else you may be getting more responses from people thinking the cats are still spraying, because they're just reading the first post. Mimitabby couldn't have known without going through the whole thread, because the first post has stayed the same.
> 
> So, have you followed Mitts & Tess's suggestion (in the first post you recieved for this topic)? Did it help any? If we know everything you HAVE tried, it would help in suggesting other options.


I'm going to try some cold water with detergent and vinegar, and soak in the tub, sort of combining everyone's suggestions. Not sure how much detergent and vinegar to use though, and what kind of detergent.


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## mimitabby (Apr 20, 2010)

i think you cannot use too much detergent in this case. A gallon of nature's miracle used according to directions would be best. And lots of sunshine..


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## athomas (Jul 7, 2010)

So, liberal amounts of detergent... Check. How much vinegar?

As to sunshine, no balcony/patio. I have a big front window with trees in front of it. The windows open, though.


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## paperbacknovel (Jun 9, 2010)

In her post, she says regular detergent...so whatever kind you're already using.

Have you unzipped the cushions and taken the foam part out from the covers themselves? It'll be easier if you can wash them separately.


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## CatnipCats (Feb 15, 2010)

White vinegar works well for us. But it's hard to get the foam dry all the way through.


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