How to Clean Cat Urine in Carpet-Use Enzymes and Borax!
Use Enzymes and Borax
Do you have a cat urine stain that has soaked into carpet or even the carpet pad? Or a stubborn stain that may be invisible but smells no matter what you do? You can use either enzymatic cleaners, borax or both. For stains soaked into the carpet pad you may need to cut that section of pad out unless you lift the stain out with borax. This naturally occurring mineral is an amazing cleaner and odor remover. It is also safe and chemical free.
If you want to learn about using enzymatic cleaners, please check out my previous post Cat Urine Odor Removal Easy Steps. I recommend the use of Nature’s Miracle products such as Urine Destroyer, Laundry Boost and Oxy Orange.
If you want to learn how to use borax to clean cat urine in carpet, carpet pad or clothing, read on!
Don’t Pull up Carpet and Remove Pad, use Borax!
When I had a cat urine soaked carpet I used the enzymatic cleaners first since I wasn’t sure if the borax would interfere with enzymes. This can be enough on it’s own, but in the case of cat urine soaked down through the carpet and into the carpet pad you may need to pull back the carpet, cut out the pad and treat the wood underneath. You may even need to replace the carpet! This sounds like a huge hassle so I was thrilled to discover borax works to draw the stain up through the carpet. It is amazing! It is also all natural and is a mineral mined in Australia. It is a white powder that looks like baking soda. It is safe to use around your home and does not contain any artificial chemicals.
The Ease of Borax! Just Pour It On!
If you want a different method to clean cat urine odor and stains or need to clean a cat urine mess that is soaked into carpet or carpet pad, then borax is your solution. It is also a great alternative/addition to enzymatic cleaners. It is also super easy. You wet the carpet with water and pour it on! Wait for it to dry and clean it up! Other sites will tell you to make a solution or paste with other ingredients but you don’t have to do that. Just borax is all you need.
I pour the borax on and within just a minute I can see the color change from white to yellow as it draws the old cat urine up! You can see it working! Read exactly how to do this below. You have to use enough for it to work and let it dry all the way.
How to use Borax to Lift Stains and Odor from Carpet.
If The Stain is Still Wet Do This:
If you find the stain right away you can blot up all the excess urine first. The more you can remove right away, the easier it is to clean up the rest. After you have blotted it up, you can either A) Use borax to draw up the rest of the liquid. B) Use one of the enzymatic cleaners first.
If you use an enzymatic cleaner, see my post Cat Urine Odor Removal Easy Steps.
If you want to go straight to the borax method, proceed here.
If still wet, pour borax directly on wet spot on carpet. Use a very thick layer. This should be 1/2 to 1 inch thick! Yes, it sounds like a lot but this is what you need. Work the first layer into the carpet, then just pour on the rest until it is 1/2 to 1 inch thick and solid white with no carpet showing.
If The Stain is Already Dry, Do This:
If the stain is older and dry already, then start by wetting the carpet with water. Pour or spray water onto the stained area until it is thoroughly saturated. Work the water all through the carpet to make sure all parts are wet. Then continue to pour 1/2 to 1 inch of borax onto the entire area as directed above.
Almost instantly you will see the white borax turn yellow as it draws the urine up out of the carpet! It is very reassuring to be able to see it working! If you are like me, you will feel very accomplished using an old-fashioned method to get visible results!
Now you have to be patient. You have to wait until the borax is dry! I have cleaned it up when it was not totally dry yet but that will muck up your vacuum so I don’t recommend it!!! Wait several days (unless you are in a very hot, dry environment and it drys faster). Once dry, scoop up the excess borax. I use a dust pan (the kind the comes with a broom) to scoop up the excess. Then you can use a brush to clean up more or go straight for the vacuum. Vacuum everything.
Depending on the stain, age, surface, thickness of carpet and pad, you may need to repeat this whole process several times. The good news is borax is super cheap! For just a few dollars you can get rid of the most stubborn stains and smells.
Remove Cat Urine Smell from Laundry with Borax.
You can use enzymatic cleaners or borax to help get cat urine smell out of clothing. To use borax, pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup into washing machine along with detergent and let clothes soak before washing as usual. Borax can be used to get all types of smells and stains out of laundry. Borax is traditionally sold in the laundry soap aisle of grocery stores for this purpose. If you have a fresh, wet urine spot on clothes you could pour borax on it directly before washing.
I hope these tips help you if you are wondering how to clean cat urine in carpet or clothing. Please leave a comment and let me know if you use these methods or have any questions.
Jessica
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Hi Jessica, fortunately we don’t have carpets in our house, but I read your post with interest because I have urine stains in my son’s car seat I need to remove. Accidents happen. 😉 Thanks for providing such a cheap, easy solution and such detailed instructions. Fab post! You rock.
Thanks Lauren! Yes, I was really happy to find such an easy, natural stain lifter! It is a great old-fashioned trick.
Jessica
Hi, I really like your site! There are many on dogs, so I am happy to read one about cats. The tips you have given to clean cat pee is really useful. It really is tedious when your little kitty decides to make use of the carpet as a toilet. Is Borax toxic though? And does it have a powerful smell as cats have sensitive noses – but then again, this may just deter them from going on the carpet! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Lily,
Borax is a natural mineral just like sodium or magnesium. Those are both safe (and magnesium is a necessary mineral for all mammals and required for life) in the proper doses. Of course too much sodium is harmful but it is not toxic in small amounts. Borax is sodium borate, not to be confused with boric acid which is used as a pesticide! Boric acid is used to control fleas but is toxic! Borax is said to be useful against fleas also (though I have not tried it) and is much safer. As with anything I am sure it is all a matter of degree. It probably isn’t good for pets in large amounts or to be inhaled.
Generally it seems safe however. I would not allow a cat to walk on the borax powder since they may lick their paws, but after it is vacuumed up I would not worry about it.
People actually have borax in supplements (I just saw it listed in one of my supplements today) so in tiny amounts it should be fine. It is not a toxic pesticide or other scary chemical.
Thanks for asking!
Jessica
Learn something new everyday… lol
We have two indoor cats, thank goodness they both know how to use there litter boxes. My wife has her own business cleaning houses and has told me a few awful stories about cat stains and how hard she works to do the best she can to get them out without destroying the carpet. I will have to pass on your site to her 🙂
Thanks,
Tom
Yes, maybe she can use borax to lift them out! We have three cats and only one has this issue! Luckily we have found solutions to prevent it most of the time but if something like this occurs it sure is handy to know how to clean it up!!
Thanks for stopping by!
Jessica
Hello Jessica,
We have carpets that have been thoroughly abused by pets and grand-kids. I found this post very interesting. I hadn’t heard about enzymatic cleaners or borax for removing stains. How are they on stains other than pet stains, i.e. soda pop and juice stains? Thank you for these cleaning tips.
Dianne
Hello Dianne,
I have not tried it but these enzyme cleaners by Nature’s Miracle claim they work on all organic stains and odors. They claim to work on many types of stains including food, grease, blood, grass, smoke etc. Borax works on many types of stains as well. Borax has been using for all types of cleaning for generations! I am sure it would work too. It is traditionally used as a laundry booster.
Thanks for your comment!
Jessica
Wow, I wish I would have read this post earlier! We just threw out an area rug that had some pretty nasty cat urine spots. Do you know if this will work for dog urine as well? We have some spots in our hallway from our dog. I didn’t realize that cat urine can penetrate not only through the carpet, onto the pad, but also all the way to the wood floor. That is pretty intense. I am glad to hear there is a natural way to remove stains and odor from the carpet. We finally have the cat trained to go outside, so hopefully, we are all done with that phase. Thanks for sharing. I will check the other posts on your site, you have some really great information.
Hello Steve,
Yes, these should work for dog urine as well! Cat urine is generally harder to get out so anything else should be easy!
Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
Jessica
This is great information, we are planning on getting a cat due to the mice issue we are having right now. But we do have a dog, he has never peed in the house as of yet. But if he were to, do you think this would work for dog urine as well?
I personally have to keep slippers on at all times, because of being on chemotherapy, which I sometimes don’t remember to do. Do you know these products would have any adverse affect on my health? Like I said we are looking at getting a cat?
Nature’s Miracle is labeled as “non-toxic” and is safe for pets. I think it is much better than chemical cleaners but I don’t know enough about chemistry to say that it would not be a concern for you. I would think it should be ok since it would be on the floor and you are wearing slippers anyway. I am pretty sensitive to chemicals and have many allergies and auto-immune problems myself and Nature’s Miracle products do not cause any problems for me. Borax is a naturally occurring mineral and should be safe but I don’t know how things react with chemo.
Thanks for stopping by and for your questions.
Jessica
I use to have cats. They just peed everywhere, mostly marking territory I think. No carpets, but they would do it on the couch. I guess if this works on cat urine, it can work on other spills on the couch or car seat?
I could see borax being used for other stuff besides urine.
Yes, borax can draw different substances up out of fabric so it should work for other stains and spills as well. Thanks for your question and thoughts.
Jessica
Now, this is a site post I wished I had come across about a year and a half ago. We had renters and they had a cat. Needless to say, the cat mad it a habit to urinate on the carpet and we had a very, and I mean very, difficult time getting that odor out of the carpet and the house.
We even went to a professional cleaning service and they told us it could cost upwards around $1500 to rid the carpet and house of the urine and urine smell. I am glad to learn about the methods of getting rid of cat urine, even if it too late for the last time. And I hope and pray that there will not be a next time, but if there is, then we will be prepared thanks to your site.
Thanks. I know what you mean. The smell can linger for years and be impossible to clean if you don’t use the right products. It seems like such a simple concept to use Borax, but it is so worth it when it works.
Jessica
Great topic Jessica! I have two adult cats that I hold in my home but it often happen that they eject urine on a carpet and it is so unpleasant. I try everything but it is very hard to clean it and smell is still there. I have never used Borax so I will definitely give it a try. Thanks a lot for revealing this.
Hi Daniel,
I was amazed when I discovered it. It might seem like an old fashioned way to clean but it is much better to find an affordable and easy solution that works!
Thanks for stopping by, I hope it works well for you,
Jessica
Hmmm, the dreaded cat urine. It can be awful. It was great to read this. We dont have cats now but my sister does so I will pass this on to her. Also like one of your other readers my wife cleans homes for a living and this is a common problem. At the end of the day if this will help to rid the urine and odors then it is a must read for anyone with cats or anyone who has anything to do with cats. Great job.
Thanks Dale. It is great to find affordable, readily available products that actually work! I was amazed to see the Borax pull it up. When the white borax turns yellow you know for sure that it is working!
Thanks for stopping by.
Jessica
Wow, this is so nice Jessica.. i have a cat and a puppy in my house and they stain my window seals and curtains so my question would be is borax good for all kinds of fabric material or only carpets, i just need to remove the stains in my curtains
Thanks Jessica
Yes, borax should work on any fabric. You would have to take the curtains down and lay them flat to use the borax but I would try it the same way as I used it on the carpet. Make sure you get them really wet first, then put a very thick layer of borax on top of the area. I would use at least an inch of the borax powder. It sounds like a lot but that is how it works.
Thanks for your question,
Jessica
I have to call BS. You said that borax is “chemical free.” No, it’s not. Borax IS a chemical. Sodium tetraborate decahydrate, to be precise.
I should have said man-made chemical I guess. Borax is naturally occurring just like sodium, potassium, magnesium, etc.
There are some risks with borax, it is considered toxic, & not safe unless used very carefully. Just because something is naturally occurring in nature, does not mean it’s naturally safe. There’s all sorts of things that can kill you in nature. Uranium, mercury, & lead are natural but bad for you. Many molds & mushrooms are deadly. Natural bears & alligators can kill you. You can drown in a natural pond, or freeze to death in a natural blizzard.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324167.php#takeaway
Yes, I agree. Common sense is required. You can drown in water and of course drowning is a very great danger for children. Anything can be harmful without common sense. Kids and pets should be kept away from borax but it is still safer than many commercial cleaners.
Hi Jessica, I have moved into a house that has cat urine that soaked into the hardwood floors and they sprayed the radiators. Can I use Borax to remove the odor? If so can you tell me what type of mixture I can use especially for the radiator, because that would need a spray bottle. Any ideas would help especially since I’ve rescued several cats…
Hello Josephine,
I have not attempted to use Borax on a wood floor but have used it on carpet with the assumption it is pulling the urine up. I have looked online and see references to using a borax water solution to clean wood floors but cannot vouch for it first hand.
I saw one that recommended using 1/2 cup borax to a pint of water and using that mixture on the floor. Another called for 1/3 cup Borax, 1/2 cup vinegar and 1/2 cup vegetable oil mixed in 1 gallon of hot water. I really don’t know which one is best. I guess you could try and see. Sorry I don’t have a more definitive answer on this one. As for the radiator I would try the borax in water and see what happens. Since it is a non-porous surface it can’t hurt to try. You could also get one of the enzyme cleaners and use that. Just make sure you spray it on and let it dry before removing it. The enzymes need time to work and need to dry out first.
Thanks for stopping by and asking,
Jessica