# Cat Pee & Laundry HELP!



## Peacock

I need some advice - some real serious "what would you do" if you were in my place. Put yourself in my shoes and give it a think....

We have six indoor cats. Yeah, that's too many, but what can I say, it just happened. :shrug: We had four, inherited one from my mom, and got adopted by a sixth last Oct. Anyway. The last two have a bit of a pee-pee problem. My mom's cat does it because she's old and senile (she's 17) and the new cat does it because, well, she's new - and fights with two of our other cats. 

We have solved the problem, sort of, by keeping my mom's cat in our bathroom (she's happy there, mostly) and the new cat in a big cage whenever we can't watch her; we hope that in time they'll adjust. But occasionally things get peed on. 

In the bathroom, anything left on the floor for a few minutes gets peed on. It's like peeing on stuff is this cat's *hobby.* The other cat is a sneak attacker - she pees on book/duffel bags, coats, clothes, rugs, anything left on the floor. We have to sniff things when we pick them up, and sometimes there's a pile of "pee wash" in the garage waiting to be done.

GROSS!!!!

Now, how do you get the smell out? I have tried: washing multiple times in hot water with double detergent, different detergents, vinegar in both wash and rinse cycle, liquid Febreze, Mr. Clean, Simple Clean pet odor remover, and possibly a few other things I can't think of. I've soaked, I've sprayed, I've had mixed success.

But even if that works, I have two other problems.

Sometimes an item with pee gets into the wash by accident, and therefore, the rest of the wash ends up smelling like cat pee. It's worse when it makes it all the way through the dryer.

But the biggest problem? The cat pee smell seems to stay in the washer, so that subsequent loads stink too. I can't afford to be running the washer too much with no actual clothing in it, just to get the stink out. 

And there's a limit to what I can use for this problem, since we're on a septic.

It's gotten so that I think I smell cat pee on the clothes even when I haven't washed anything with pee for a while - and it freaks me out that I might be sending my kids to school in clothing that smells like cat urine. ICK!!!

I feel like Worst Homemaker of the Year.

Any ideas? I'm at a loss right now.

Thanks!


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## Lynn Bodoni

How many litter boxes do you have? The formula I've always heard is x + 1, where x is the number of cats. Therefore, with six cats, you should have at least 7 litterboxes, and not all in one place, either.

Sunlight will SOMETIMES help with cat pee odor, but not all clothes can be exposed. So if you can hang your laundry out to dry, that will help.

However, you know what you're gonna have to do with this problem...eliminate as much temptation as you can. Put laundry and things UP, don't leave stuff lying on the floor. This is not just your job, every human who lives in the house should be picking stuff up.

Part of the peeing problem might be dominance games between the cats. I can't tell you to get rid of some of the cats, because I couldn't do it myself. However, DON'T ADOPT ANY MORE CATS until the feline population in your household goes down.


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## suzyhomemaker09

I am a *HUGE* ( understatement there ) proponent of a product called Odo-Ban..it is sold at Sam's club...some Wallyworlds carry it as well. I have a few more indoor cats than you do so ( and dogs ) believe me when I say this product works really well. It's a real cleaning product ..it has antibacterial properties..not just a perfume to cover odors.


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## Charleen

We've done some internet searches for this problem because we have a 14 year old cat that's urinating around the house. We've found that it's best to saturate the area with white vinegar first, soak that up and then follow up with hydrogen peroxide. Something about neutralizing the proteins in the urine. It HAS to be in that order. If it's on carpeting, be aware that the urine has soaked through into the padding under the carpet.

I agree on increasing the amount of litter boxes, too. And to clean them out EVERYDAY. Yeah, it's frustrating, but once we started EVERYDAY, things improved.

There's also a spray called Nature's Miracle (they also make one for dogs) that is helpful. We found that at the feed store.


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## Windy_jem

Has the cat been to the vet? It may have a urinary tract infection or bladder stones. Have the vet take a urine sample.
And use Vinegar for the pee, LOTS of it too!


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## ErinP

Second the vote for vinegar. I've had the same problem on occasion. (Usually she's telling us to empty her box!  )
But basic science says that since ammonia is a base, to neutralize it you need an acid. Ie, vinegar.


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## Peacock

Aha - got it. Vinegar, then peroxide, two steps. I've used a product that contained peroxide, and it worked somewhat well, but I imagine the two-step process would do so much better. Will try it!  Thanks so much.


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## ErinP

I've never tried the peroxide, myself. Vinegar always does the trick for us.

(Even for a friend of my son's whose coat had been repeatedly nailed by a tom, marking his territory. It _reeked_!! After the boys were in bed, I grabbed that nasty coat, washed it in a strong vinegar load, and got it dried and re-hung on the hook before they got up.)


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## Ardie/WI

First of all, I second making everyone pick up their stuff off of the floor.

Secondly, Edayna, I use a solution that helps to remove skunk odor. I have a older cat that marks the outside doors from the inside. I think that he smells the outdoors males and that stresses him out. Anyway, here it is:

Equal amounts of vinegar and peroxide. You can add some baking soda if you want. When washing a dog that's been skunked, add some dishwashing soap and AVOID THE EYES.

It has to be mixed fresh or the deodorizing effect dissipates.

Put it in a spray bottle and spray the inside of your clothes washer and dryer. Spray the clothing thoroughly to see if that removes the smell. BTW, rinse the pee wash in the garage with cold water before trying to remove the smell and don't use the dryer until your certain the smell is gone.


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## littlekari

I use "Out" it is an enzyme and it is found in a spray bottle at wallyworld in the pet department. It works well. Spray it on and let it dry to remove the smell. A paste of borax and water rubbed in works or fill the washer with water add a scoop of borax and let sit for a while then wash like normal. If you make your own laundry soap use that straight on the spot and let sit for a few hours before washing. Should be good to go.


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## RedTartan

I've never gotten the cat pee smell out of anything that's been allowed to dry. Once cat pee dries, it's just there.

Why haven't you gotten rid of the offending cats? I'm sure your mom wouldn't want you to keep her cat if it was urinating on all of your things. A house can permanently take on a cat pee odor if this goes on too long. You do not want to have to rip out sub-flooring and drywall to fix this. Ugh.

 RedTartan


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## jen74145

Go to Walmart, the hunting section. Get some scent removing laundry detergent. Voila.
I raised bengals for a time, and our young tom decided he was going to use my laundry as a toilet. *gag* If it will get tomcat rankness out, it'll get anything out. May have to wash twice, with vinegar rinse.

Oh, and line dry.


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## PyroDon

wash it three times before drying the kids and pets stain remover from wallyworld works fairly well, then make a big batch of cashew kitty so it doent happen again.
you can also get some nice fur lined gloves from 6 cats


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## pickapeppa

Our cats live outside now. But since it's winter, they're tucked away nicely in the garage, and can escape through the dog door during the day. I just couldn't take that litter box thing anymore. It was the easiest solution here, seeing as how getting cooperation from the rest of the family wasn't forth coming.

On the laundry issue, bleach works pretty well. Chlorine and ammonia react well enough to remove the odor from the fabrics. But for items such as towels and that, once they get damp again, you may pick up a faint cat odor. It takes several washes with bleach and detergent to clear it all out, until it gets peed on again.


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## ErinP

pickapeppa said:


> Chlorine and ammonia react well enough to remove the odor from the fabrics.


Yikes!! 
They sure do!

Ammonia and bleach combine to make chlorine gas. Which is deadly!


Whatever you might try, don't use bleach.:hobbyhors


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## pickapeppa

ErinP said:


> Yikes!!
> They sure do!
> 
> Ammonia and bleach combine to make chlorine gas. Which is deadly!
> 
> 
> Whatever you might try, don't use bleach.:hobbyhors


Only if you hang your head over the washer and breath it in. Lol. I don't imagine it's in large enough quantities to harm someone outside of that.


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## ErinP

I guarantee your washer is not sealed _that_ well. And it takes very little of it to kill someone. 
You've been lucky up til now. 
You might continue to be lucky. 

But why create a deadly gas when there are so many other options??


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## mamahen

I've used the bleach route too (although Odo ban will work, most of the time, but leaves laundry with a baby powder scent:shrug Sometimes I use both on the stinky dog beds. (no pee, just hound)

I know all about the chlorine & ammonia bad, bad gas. BUT how much pee is really in the offending laundry? Not even a 1/4 cup, once dried. You could also rinse it in sink and then lauder,if you're afraid of the gas. It will dull color on some clothes, but for most laundry, it really is fine. AND it will get that smell out!


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## ErinP

I guess I just don't think the risk is worth it. 

not when there are so many other options that work just well, if not better. :shrug:


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## tltater

I have had your problem in the past (and occasionally in the present :nono and just recently found that OxyClean with my detergent (which is what I started doing for stains on clothing that sneaks through) works really well. Not just on pee smells either, just stinky smells in general. I found it by accident but found it just the same and it worked well with the cat pee smell.
Juse my 2 cents.


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## Laura

I use borax. For clothes, soak in a water, borax solution for at least six hours, the launder.

For carpets, sprinkle borax on it and scrub in with a brush. Let it set, the rinse with white vinegar.

Our old cat recently died, but she was notorious in her last years about peeing on anything the kids left on the bathroom or laundry room floor. You'd think the kids would get a clue, especially with mom telling them a couple times a day, pick up your dirty clothes and towels and put them where they belong!

We have another cat, not long after she joined the family snuck into my room and peed in a box of my angora and cashmere sweaters. Borax and vinegar got them very clean. She became the porch cat.


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## floridacracker

We too have multiple cats and once in awhile the male will tinkle/mark on the laundry. What works for me is to run the laundry w/ a mixture of vinegar and borax only. Then do another cycle w/ detergent. I'd recomment closing off areas/doors if possible. Cats hate the smell of citrus especially orange so I have a spray bottle of water and orange oil (from the health food store) that I use daily. We also clean/scoop the litter boxes on a daily basis and have multiple boxes upstairs and downstairs for the animals. Good Luck!


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## the mama

Nice to know I'm not alone. I removed all the carpet from the house. They love to pee on plastic bags. Walmart and grocery bags. I'm going to try the citrus spray, thanks!


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## dancingfatcat

Trust me, getting the smell out of a backpack or anything for that matter is difficult if you don't know what to do. I usually wash normally and rinse with alot of vinegar. If the smell lingers (which it never has for me) re-wash with laundry soap and borax and repeat the vinegar in the rinse cycle. The vinegar is the key, it neutralizes the oder. I also use it to mop my floors with, and use if their is an accident on the floor.

Oh, you can get old dried cat pee smell out. I was going to go camping, went to get out the giant bag we pack our clothes in and it smelled, BAD. I guess someones cat got into our garage and used it as a kittie box, anyway it had been sitting up their, stinky for at least six months, I washed it like I normally would and used about 2 cups of vinegar in the rinse cycle and it was fine. No more smell.


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## westhof

I grew up in a house with a peeing cat and remember leaving early for school and realizing on the way that my gym bag, with my sports uniform in it, was covered in urine. Our poor kitty - It turned out that she had diabetes all those years! She suffered and we suffered. I don't think there is anything that can completely get the pee smell out. 

Get your cat(s) to the vet and get them tested for diabetes (or find a good vet that does house calls or a vet student that needs some practice). They may also have a urinary tract infection. My sister's cat did and it went up into her kidneys and caused hundreds of dollars of vet bills.

We used Nature's Miracle on the downstairs carpet where the dog peed once and it seemed to work. I have also been involved in pee-renovation on the last house (previous owners' menagerie) and it was a nightmare.

All the best for you and your family and cats. I hope you get this all figured out.


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## aaronwesley94

Get rid of the peeing cats....and keep the non peeing ones


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## J-jay

2Options 1. Move the cats out side. 2. you move out side.
I have never had a problem with a neuter cat.


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## manygoatsnmore

Even our neutered males spray (2 out of 3 of them) - nasty things. One is totally banned from the house, the other is still allowed in, but watched carefully and pounced on if he starts to spray. I'm hoping to rehabilitate him because he is such a love bug of a kitty. All of our cats will seek out a towel, plastic bag or anything else on the floor if the cat box isn't spotless. I have to scoop it daily - at the least, every other day, if they are spending part of the day outside. If I could find an only cat home for Max, the banned cat, I think he'd be okay - he doesn't like the unrelated male and marks his territory, which happens to be anywhere inside or out, if he smells or sees Tucker. I adopted all these cats, and I feel like it is my responsibility to care for them. I can't just "dump" a cat at the pound knowing what would probably happen to him. 

For the smell, lots of white vinegar and letting it soak in the straight vinegar gets most odor out, but if I still smell something lingering, I use generic Oxyclean and really hot water to soak it again, then wash it normally. That gets out all the odor (and I have a very sensitive nose). Good luck, and let us know how it goes.


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