Q&A for How to Get Cat Urine Smell Out of Clothes

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How can I make my clothes smell good?

Susan Stocker
Green Cleaning Expert
Susan Stocker runs and owns Susan’s Green Cleaning, the #1 Green Cleaning Company in Seattle. She is well known in the region for outstanding customer service protocols — winning the 2017 Better Business Torch Award for Ethics & Integrity —and her energetic support of green cleaning practices.

Susan Stocker

Green Cleaning Expert

Expert Answer

Using a scented laundry detergent can help your clothes smell good. I personally don't like the smell of artificial fragrances, so I like to use an all-natural scented laundry detergent. Zum Clean's all-natural detergent smells great.

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What if my clothes went through the washer and dryer before I realized they had been sprayed? Is there any hope of getting the smell out?

Miss Sun

Community Answer

It's going to take a while, but every night, soak your clothes in a bath of cold water, 2 tbsp white vinegar, 2 tbsp baking powder, a touch of hydrogen peroxide, and a couple of generous squirts of liquid dish soap. Scrub thoroughly, then chuck them in the dryer, and repeat for at least two weeks. The smell will go away, but it will also smell strongly of vinegar, so be sure to wash them again in a cold water bath with some kind of scented soap.

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Can laundry ammonia take out urine smell in clothes?

Community Answer

It isn't the best product to use. Other laundry detergents and cleaners would do a better job.

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But what if the cat keeps peeing on me?

Community Answer

You might want to check with a vet to make sure that the cat doesn't have any medical issues. If the cat is perfectly healthy, then you might want to try to re-litter box train your cat.

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What if it sat around for a while?

Community Answer

You might do a more intense wash cycle, or use a pet odor reducing cleanser spray or foam solution such as Petzyme.

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My partner's mom's cat keeps peeing on my clothes. No matter what I do, I can never keep up with the laundry, so he keeps peeing. How can I get the smell out then?

Community Answer

First of all, keep the clothes up high. Don't keep them on the floor where the cat can reach it. Second, make sure the cat's litter box is all sorted out and they know where it is. Make sure that the litter box isn't dirty! That should help. But, to get the smell out, definitely make sure that it has laundry detergent in the washing machine and set the water to hot. Then dry in the sunshine.

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When can I start to put my clothes in the dryer after I have done all the steps to remove cat urine odor

CageyCat

Top Answerer

You may have the best outcome by drying the clothes outside (clothesline or put over a metal kitchen chair) first. Then you can give each a sniff test. If you smell any urine, you'll need to start over. If they seem to be okay, wash in usual manner and try the dryer. However, be safer rather than sorrier; air dry if uncertain... you can't easily get urine odor out of a dryer.

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When can I start to put my clothes in the dryer after I have done all the steps?

Brittany Decker

Community Answer

Put clothes in the dryer after completing the last step to remove the urine smell.

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When can I start to put my clothes in the dryer after I have done all the steps?

TheGayMaster

Community Answer

As soon as all the steps are done, they should be safe to put in the dryer. The urine smell usually won't last after one or two washes.

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