Effective Ways To Get Rid Of Cat Urine On A Hardwood Floor
Overall, hardwood floors are fairly durable and easy to maintain, but cat urine is a still a formidable opponent for any surface. Whether yours are the popular oak or maple floors or you have a pricier wood like teak or black walnut, youll need to use some care to get the stubborn cat pee smell and stain out without damaging the floor.
Can Pet Urine Damage Hardwood Floors
Hardwood floors are susceptible, and even if yours are sealed, urine can still cause damage. If your pet caused staining in an area where you havent noticed, the fluids might have soaked into the wood.
In many cases, the hardwood flooring may require sanding and refinishing. However, this will only work if the stain is rather shallow. You might have to replace the wood entirely if the stain is deep.
Best Practices For Cleaning Pet Stains From Hardwood Floors
Its best to regularly clean your floors to keep then free of pet hair and other pet stains. For quick daily cleanings keep a vacuum, soft broom, dust mop or microfiber mop on hand to run over floors to pick up any pet hair or loose particles. We know how those sweet and unintentionally sneaky pets are notorious for bringing in all kinds of debris.
When removing pet stains, consider cleaning hardwood floors in small sections to be sure you can manage rinsing quickly and thoroughly. Also, be sure the room is well-ventilated for your sake and your pets. And its a good idea to wear eye protection and gloves when working with a bleach solution to remove more challenging pet stains.
For whatever pet stain remover cleaning product you end up using, its best to learn how to best remove pet stains from hardwood floors. Always test a small section of the floor before cleaning the whole pet mess and read the directions on how to use stain removing cleaning products.
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Tips For Cleaning Cat Urine Off Impermeable Wood Surfaces
- Factory- or pre-finished wood floors can be more affected by cat urine than site-finished wood floors. Pre-finished floors’ planks are individually stained and sealed in a factory. After the installation in your home, seams remain, which may allow for the urine to permeate. Site-finished floors are raw, unfinished wood floors that are first installed in your home and then stained and sealed. The benefit is that sealant has permeated and filled in the seams, preventing the urine from entering.
- Before you take any drastic measures such as sanding the floor, first try cleaning the hardwood floor with a cat urine odor removal product. If the wood floor has a solid finish, with no seams between the boards, there is no reason why these products will not work.
- Determine if your floor is actually made of wood, since many floors that appear to be wood are, instead, luxury vinyl plank, wood-look ceramic tile, or laminate flooring. All of these are liquid-impermeable surfaces and can be cleaned with a urine odor removal product. These products are specially formulated to eliminate odors and sometimes even remove the urine itself. Typically, they contain water, hydrogen peroxide, and a host of other agents such as sodium hydroxide and alcohol ethoxylates.
Can Pet Stains Be Sanded Out Of Hardwood Floors
Pet stains are the blight of homeowners all over the world that lift their carpet and find otherwise good hardwood floors. The problem becomes more apparent when they start sanding their flooring, and the pet stains are still visible or maybe now are even more noticeable. This question is a common one I get, and Im finally writing the definitive answer here.
Can pet stains be sanded out of hardwood floors? Sanding hardwood floors only removes maybe 1-2mm of wood. The ammonia in pet stains penetrates deep into the timber. Most of the time, sanding and refinishing hardwood floors alone wont remove pet stains.
However, there are some things that you can do to fix the problem. First, lets explore and understand the issue a little more.
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Proceed With The Following Steps To Remove Dry Urine Stain:
- Sand or buff the area with No.2 fine steel wool or soft grit sandpaper.
- Vacuum and wipe the area with a damp cloth to remove the particles and let it dry completely.
- Apply your desired color of wood stain and let it dry before you apply a second coat.
- Finish by applying a clear topcoat of polyurethane, varnish, wood wax, or your desired finish.
S For Cleaning Mopping And Removing Pet Stains
Whenever you spot a pet mess such as pet urine, try to soak up as much of the liquid as possible as quickly as possible with an absorbent cloth or dry paper towel. If a liquid like urine soaks in between the floorboards, it can cause damage and odor.
If youre going for convenience to clean pet stains, grab your standard mopping tool and Clorox® Scentiva® Disinfecting Wet Mopping Cloths and follow these three easy steps:
Read more how to clean floors and how to mop floors with Clorox® Bleach.
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How To Get Cat Urine Odor Out Of Wood Floors
- Pin
- Skill Level: Beginner
- Estimated Cost: $10 to $20
While you love your cat, as a homeowner with beautiful wood floors, you like your floors, too. But cats and wood do not mix. Cat urine has an unmistakable, ammonia-like, pungent smell that permeates the room and can even extend to the rest of the house. Until the cat urine odor is addressed, it will announce itself every time you enter the house. Older, heavily used wood floors’ porosity makes the problem even worse, since the urine is able to soak into the wood. While it is no simple task to get the smell of cat urine out of wood flooring, it can be done by using the right type of cleaner or, if the problem is advanced, by sanding the floor.
- Scrub brush with nylon bristles
Removing Pet Stains: Natural Cleaning Options
If you prefer natural products for cleaning pet stains, consider using white vinegar. White vinegar works to neutralize the ammonia in urine, and its also a deodorizer.
The typical recommended mixture contains 1/4 cup vinegar to 1 gallon of warm water. You can use this mixture on many others surfaces throughout your home in addition to hardwood floorseven for messes your pet didnt make.
To use a vinegar mixture on your hardwood floor, follow the same steps for regular mopping or mopping with bleach.
One last trick to remove pet stains from hardwood floors is to use baking soda to absorb liquids, including urine. Baking soda also helps to neutralize odors. Sprinkle baking soda on the damp area, allow enough time for the soda to absorb the moisture, and then wipe up with a towel or paper towel.
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Try Sanding A Smaller Spot First Just In Case It Is Sandable
You can at least try to sand the damage out, just to make absolutely sure you don’t have to tear the boards out – use an agressive sander at least 36grit so you can grind through the damaged wood fiber. Keep the sander moving you don’t want to leave sander-shaped depressions in the wood!
The smell is likely to be bad as you sand, but if you see the stain lighten, there might be hope! Some cat accidents will probably sand out, or at the very least lighten considerably after sanding.
However There Are Some Things That You Can Do To Fix The Problem
How to remove black cat urine stains from hardwood floors. Now, sit back and examine if the black spots are all gone. Pet mess , water spots, ink, blood stains, and food spillage are common causes of dark stains on the floor. Whats people lookup in this blog:
If its still darker than the rest of the floor, apply a second coat. If you go on the internet and search for ways to remove pet stains from wood floors, you will find it is an industry unto itself. Mix one cup of white vinegar in a bucket of warm water.
Remember, just because you cant see the damage doesnt mean it. One standard bucket contains around 2.5 gallons. The ammonia in pet stains penetrates deep into the timber.
Remove the cleaning towels and use the sponge to scrub the soaked parts. Allow 24 hours for the bleach to evaporate and the floor to dry. So, the surface may require refreshing to get back the color.
Wearing eye protection, use the brush to apply a very thin coat of wood bleach to the stain. Dog urine, cat urine, human urine stains and odors. Most people recommended hydrogen peroxide and according to them had great results.
First, lets explore and understand the issue a little more. I did a ton of research on how to remove urine stains from wood and floors. To remove cat urine from wood floors, clean the floor with warm water and white vinegar, which will help neutralize the bad odors.
Pro tips to deal with pet stains
Removing Pet Stains from Hardwood Floors The Journey of
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How Do I Get Cat Pee Out Of Wood Floor
urine
. Keeping this in consideration, how do you remove pet stains from hardwood floors?
Soak a cloth in hydrogen peroxide. Place the cloth overthe stain. You’ll want to leave it there for at least eighthours or overnight to let it really go to work on the stain.The hydrogen peroxide helps to remove both the stainand the odor.
Likewise, how do you get urine smell out of wood? Hardwood Floors: Getting Rid of Pet Urine Odor
Also asked, how do I get rid of cat urine smell in my car?
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How do you remove black water stains from hardwood floors?
How to Remove Dark Water Stains From HardwoodFloors
Common First Fix: Hydrogen Peroxide
If you go on the internet and search for ways to remove pet stains from wood floors, you will find it is an industry unto itself. There are YouTube videos showing folks spraying hydrogen peroxide on stains for days, soaking towels in hydrogen peroxide and covering that with plastic . These remedies work to a degree. The peroxide will bleach the surface stain and, if done over days, may even penetrate beyond the surface cells of the wood, removing deeper staining. In a lot of cases, that’s good enough.
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Cat Urine Stain On Hardwood Floors
How To Prevent Pet Stains
The best way to clean stains is to prevent them in the first place. If you have young pets that may not be adequately trained yet, keeping it clean can be difficult. But weve found these tips useful:
- Training: Take your time training your pet and stay patient. Consistently training your pet to go outside will pay off in the long run.
- Preparation: Be aware that there may be a mess to clean up, and keep a spray bottle ready with an effective solution.
- Clean litter: Keep the litter box clean for your cat so they wont look for alternative places. Use a mat to prevent any messes from being dragged onto the floor.
- Regular schedule: If you have a dog, make sure youre taking it out often. Perhaps think about a regular walking schedule. You can also purchase a dog litter box if you live in an apartment or if its difficult to take the dog out.
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Why Does Cat Urine Smells So Bad
Cat urine smells so bad because of the high concentration levels of their urine as cats drink a little and seldom urinate. It is also worthy to note that cats are originally desert creatures and their kidneys are made to absorb large quantities of water for hydration allowing them to drink less water. Cat urine composition includes the following: urea, urobilin, sodium, uric acid, electrolytes, creatinine, pheromones, and 5 strains of bacteria.
What To Do When You Notice Pet Stains
Finding pet stains on your floor can be discouraging. However, taking quick action can reduce damage.
The first thing you should do is to remove any excess fluid or material. Blot the area using a cloth or paper towel always starting from the edges and working your way in. Beginning in the center of the stain could spread it, causing damage to a larger area.
Once youve gotten rid of most of the mess, its time to tackle the stain and potentially unpleasant odor. Use one of the methods we showed above all are natural and safe to be used in family homes.
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Dog Urine Stains On Hardwood Floors
When your dog takes a puddle on your hardwood floor, dont stand there wringing your hands. It would help if you acted fast. Ensure you place thick was of dish towels on the puddle. Please continue to use the fresh towel to soak up the urine till it comes up dry.
It is difficult to get rid of odors from hardwood floors since urine can saturate the wood. The first step to take is to mix white vinegar and water in a ratio of 1-1. Utilizing a sponge, rub the solution on the urine stain.
Allow the solution to sit for at least five minutes, then wipe it with a clean, dry towel. If the odor persists, sprinkle baking soda on the floor when it is still damp. Allow the baking soda to sit for at least six hours. Afterward, vacuum it up with a soft brush attached to the vacuum cleaner.
Will Hydrogen Peroxide Damage My Hardwood Floors
No, just the opposite! I found it not only absorbed the cat urine and the smell, it also left my hardwood floors in a better condition then before treatment. They were cleaner, softer and looked healthier.
Rocco and Roxie Cat and Dog Urine Solution
I saved the best for last! My absolute favorite for removing cat urine and cat pee smell is Rocco and Roxie Stain and Odor Eliminator. This stuff also works wonders on dog urine, vomit and anything else associated with pets.
This stuff not only works to remove the smell and stain left by your adorable feline, it replaces the odor with a lovely scent. This is one of the reasons I like Rocco and Roxie more than Natures Choice, the fresh smell. And this fragrance is not just covering up the cat urine nastiness. Cat urine smell is eliminated and replaced with a fresh scent.
I highly recommend giving Rocco and Roxie a try.
So thats my experience with cat urine remover that works. And just to repeat, Rocco and Roxie doesnt just work and removing cat urine, it also removes cat pee smell.
I purposely did not include all the other ones I have tried that did not provide results because I figure you might be like I was, frantically googling for your ideal solutions to help you out now. Why spend time on what doesnt work?
To sum up, I also want to add that both Madison and Abigail have crossed over the rainbow bridge.
I am happy to have an eight year old male tuxedo that keeps me hopping!
Thanks for reading, Lisa
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