In today’s topic, we would be looking at how to get rid of cat odor in an apartment and how to get cat urine smell out of an apartment.
Some apartments don’t allow tenants to keep pets like cats due to the bad odor they can cause an apartment. This odor can even cause problems with other tenants and future renters.
If you’re lucky and are allowed to keep cats in your apartment, it’s ideal to ensure that the place isn’t reeking with cat odor all the time.
Many things contribute to cat odor, including their urine, litter, and droppings. No matter the cause, you can eliminate bad pet odors by following the tips below; Also see our post on Easy Ways To Remove Litter Box Odor In An Apartment for even more tips you can use.
Table of Contents
1. Identify The Causes
The cause of the cat odor will determine the best way to get rid of it.
To start with, check the carpets, floors, cat crates, and other surfaces for cat urine, dander, or generally if they reek of cat odor. You should also check your clothes and other materials.
It could be difficult to locate these with eyes or by just sniffing. An ideal way to go is to use black lights. These are ultraviolet lights that change the colors of fluids. For example, urine will glow, blood turns black, etc.
Blacklights work on detecting urine because they are created with biological fluids that have fluorescent molecules, which makes them glow. And, black lights are safe as the rays are harmless.
2. Ensure Your Cat Is Clean
Bathing and blowing your cat when due is an important step to an apartment without odors as it helps to reduce dander, which is one of the causes of cat odor.
The National Cat Groomers of America have recommended that you bathe and blow your pet every 4 to 6 weeks.
If your cat urinates or litters where she shouldn’t, you should endeavor to clean the area as fast as possible. Cleaning up accidents quickly will help prevent the cat odor in the first place, so you don’t have to start looking for solutions to deal with it later when the odor is unbearable.
It would help if you also tried to understand why your cat is having accidents and not using the litter box. It could be due to a health condition. In such a situation, your vet will be in the best position to help.
3. Vacuum Regularly
You can’t skip vacuuming if you’re keen on how to get cat rid of cat odor in an apartment. By vacuuming regularly, you keep your apartment free from cat dander and fur, contributing to the foul odor.
Vacuum as much as you can. Vacuum every room, carpets, floors, staircase, windows, upholstered furniture, and every other surface or spot where dander can settle. Dander is like dust; it even flies to places where your pet doesn’t get to.
To be more efficient, sprinkle some baking soda on the surfaces and areas you vacuumed and vacuum again.
4. Keep Your Apartment Well Ventilated
If your apartment is well ventilated, it’ll be difficult for cat odor to remain. By opening your doors and windows, you let in sunlight and allow proper inflow and air outflow. The bad odor can go out for fresh air to come in.
Aerating your apartment will help mainly in cases where the cat odor is not very severe. It would help if you also turned on the fans and air conditioning units in your apartments as they’ll help dilute the bad odor.
Best yet, you can get an air purifier. These devices will improve your apartment air quality by trapping contaminants and unpleasant odors. See a list of the best air purifiers for cat odor here
5. Replace Highly Concentrated Areas Or Stuff
It’s easier to replace stuff that reek of strong pet odor. For example, if you’re looking for how to get cat urine smell out of clothes, you could dispose of the clothes and get new ones if they are not very valuable and will take too long to get them smelling fresh again.
This also applies to sheets, chairs, mattresses, carpets, etc. If these are highly drenched with old cat urine, it will be very difficult and, in some cases, impossible to eliminate the odor.
For hard surfaces like wood, you can get a professional to sand, repair, and repaint the area. Sanding could be expensive unless you paid pet fees and other extra security deposits.
6. Use An Enzyme Cleaner
Enzyme cleaners are amazing neutralizers. You can use them for any cause of cat odor from urine to litter, dander, etc. However, they’ll work best for removing cat urine.
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When sprayed or applied to contaminated areas, they neutralize bacteria by breaking down acids. You can use them on carpets, rugs, hard floors, upholstery, and all kinds of other surfaces.
Enzyme cleaners are must-haves if you have a pet in your apartment. You should get one as soon as possible if you don’t have one already.
See this video with more tips on removing from cat odors from your apartment.
Bottom line
Now, you should know how to get rid of cat odor in apartment if you’re dealing with such a problem. The tips provided here are simple, so you won’t find it difficult to implement but are very effective in getting rid of cat odor. We have discussed how to get cat urine smell out of an apartment, how to get cat urine smell out of clothes and more. If you enjoyed this article on getting rid of cat odor, please share it with others.
