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If you’ve ever stepped into a room and been hit by that sharp, sour smell of cat urine, you know how persistent it can be. 

Worse, sometimes shampooing or scrubbing seems to make the smell stronger, not better. The good news: with the right steps and products, you can clean cat pee from carpet and stop it from coming back.

This guide walks you through fresh accidents, old stains, what not to do, and when it’s time to call in professional help.

Materials You’ll Need

• Paper towels or clean cloths
• Cold water
• Enzymatic cleaner (pet urine remover, available at pet stores or online)
• Wet/dry vacuum or carpet extractor
• UV flashlight (365–395 nm) for finding old stains
• Baking soda or peroxide-based cleaner (optional, for stubborn cases)

Step-by-Step: Fresh Cat Pee

Time required: 10–20 minutes active, several hours to overnight dry

1. Blot immediately. Use paper towels to soak up as much urine as possible. Don’t rub — rubbing can spread the stain deeper into fibers.
    
2. Rinse with cold water. Pour a small amount of cold (not hot) water over the spot to dilute urine crystals. Extract with a shop-vac or blot with fresh towels.
    
3. Saturate with an enzymatic cleaner. Apply enough cleaner to fully soak the area, matching the depth of the original accident. Enzymes need to reach the carpet pad, not just the surface.
    
4. Let it dwell. Follow the label, but most enzymatic cleaners need 8–12 hours to air-dry. This is when the enzymes break down uric acid crystals — the compounds that cause lingering odor.
    
5. Re-extract and ventilate. After drying, extract with a wet/dry vac or blot again. Open windows or run fans to speed up the process.

Still battling stubborn smells? Schedule a professional cleaning with COIT today.

Step-by-Step: Old Cat Pee or Stains

Sometimes the carpet looks clean but the smell lingers. That usually means urine soaked into the padding or subfloor.

1. Map with a UV flashlight. In a dark room, shine the light to reveal old or hidden stains.
    
2. Soak with enzyme cleaner. Apply generously — don’t just mist. The solution must reach deep into the pad.
    
3. Let it sit overnight. Cover with a damp towel if needed to keep the area moist during enzyme action.
    
4. Extract thoroughly. Use a wet/dry vac for best results. Repeat if odor remains.
    
5. For stubborn cases: You might need an “extract-flood-extract” method — flushing with cold water, saturating with enzyme, then extracting again. If odor persists after two full cycles, it’s likely time to call a professional.

What Not to Do

• Don’t use steam or hot water. Heat can bind proteins and odors permanently into carpet fibers.
• Don’t reach for ammonia-based cleaners. Cat urine already contains ammonia, so using it may encourage repeat marking.

Don’t apply vinegar before enzymes. Vinegar’s acidity can deactivate enzyme cleaners. If you want to use vinegar, wait until after the enzyme treatment is fully complete.

Which Cleaner Works Best?

Why the Cat Pee Smell Comes Back

Cat urine contains uric acid crystals that don’t dissolve in water. Even if the surface looks clean, these crystals stay in the pad or subfloor and can reactivate whenever humidity rises. That’s why the odor often smells worse after shampooing or a rainy day. Only enzyme or oxidizing cleaners (or professional extraction) can fully break them down.

When to Call a Professional

DIY methods can go a long way, but they have limits. Professionals like COIT use tools you can’t buy off the shelf, such as:

• UV mapping and moisture meters to find hidden damage
• Hot water extraction paired with pet-safe pretreatments
• Pad flushing or replacement when stains have penetrated too deeply
• Subfloor sealing to lock in odors
• Anti-resoil rinses and HEPA air movers for faster, cleaner results

If you’ve treated a spot twice and the smell returns, or if urine has soaked through to the subfloor, professional treatment is your best option.

How Can I Prevent the Cat from Peeing Outside the Litter Box?

Make the litter box an attractive elimination spot.  Cats need three things from their litter box: privacy, cleanliness, and space.

1. Privacy: Cats prefer some peace and quiet for elimination.  Keep your cat’s box in a quiet low traffic area away from noisy fans or washing machines. 

2. Cleanliness: Your cat’s sense of smell is much stronger than a human’s; make sure to scoop every day, and completely dispose of litter and wash the box out with unscented dish soap once a week.  

3. Space: Many litter boxes are too small.  Purchase larger litter boxes without domed lids.  Fill litter up only halfway, no more.

How Can I Prevent Cats from Marking?

Marking is different behavior than regular urination. When cats are marking, they deposit a small amount of urine on vertical surfaces.  Why do cats mark? Cats are not pack animals.  In fact, they often prefer to avoid one another.  Marking with urine is a way for cats to let others know that they claim that particular territory.  Prevent marking by spaying or neutering your cat.  Not owning more than one cat, or increasing the number of food dishes, water dishes, scratching posts, and litter boxes can also reduce or eliminate territorial behavior.  Many experts recommend one box per cat plus one more box, so if you have 2 cats set up 3 boxes.

Cats make great pets, but you must plan ahead to keep them eliminating in the correct areas.  Need more stain help?  See the COIT Spot Removal Guide.

FAQs About Cleaning Cat Pee from Carpet

Why does my carpet smell worse after shampooing?

Shampooing re-wets uric acid crystals buried in the pad. The water wicks them back up, releasing more odor. This is why the smell can feel even stronger after cleaning — the moisture brings those deep-set compounds back to the surface, where they off-gas into the air until properly neutralized.

Do steam cleaners make cat pee smell worse?

Yes, because heat can lock urine odors into fibers permanently. The high temperature essentially “sets” the stain, binding the proteins and crystals into the carpet, making professional removal even more difficult.

How long should enzyme cleaner sit?

Most need several hours to overnight. Always let the product air-dry for full effectiveness, since enzymes only work while the area is moist. Rushing this step is one of the main reasons odor returns after cleaning.

How do I find old stains?

Use a UV flashlight (365–395 nm) in a dark room. Cat urine fluoresces, making hidden spots easier to treat. Mark the glowing areas with painter’s tape or sticky notes so you can apply cleaner precisely where it’s needed.

Can I use vinegar?

Yes, but only after the enzymes have finished working. Vinegar can help with light residual odor but shouldn’t replace enzyme cleaners. If used too early, the acidity may actually reduce the effectiveness of the enzymes, so save this step for last.

Schedule your Disinfectant Cleaning appointment today!