Remove Cat Urine Smell in Clothes
I recently discovered a blend of everyday household cleaners that get cat urine smell out! This is pretty revolutionary since I thought you needed an enzyme cleaner to tackle cat pee! There are many reasons cats may have accidents so be prepared! Many include heath problems and anxiety. Don’t get mad or discouraged! I will show you how to fix peeing outside the box due to anxiety. In the meantime you can remove cat urine smell in clothes easily with this new product plus Borax!
If you need to remove cat urine smell from clothes you know how frustrating it can be! Regular washing often does not work especially on old set in urine stains which smell worse and worse over time. This is due to the chemistry of cat urine. When it dries it becomes more potent as the urea breaks down.
I Thought You Needed An Enzyme Cleaner But I Was Wrong!
Until recently, I thought only special enzymatic products could get the smell out. Recently I was out of enzyme cleaner and decided to try my new, concentrated Method laundry detergent instead. I thought it would just be a first wash and then I would get the enzyme cleaner for further washing. I was shocked when the cat pee smell was gone. Method’s plant based “Smart Clean” technology must really work! I knew it was my favorite laundry soap but I had no idea how powerful it could be.
Method Laundry Detergent and Borax Get Cat Urine Smell Out of Clothes!
I have tried different methods to get cat urine out of clothes and I was shocked at how well this worked! Here is what I did:
Put clothes in washer and add Method Laundry Detergent. I used the Beach Sage scent. I do not know how well this would work with Method’s other scents. I previously used their Mango Ginger scent and loved it! That scent is cheaper on Amazon I see so you might want to check it out. I bought it over and over but the Beach Sage is awesome too. I used a generous amount which would be more than a normal quantity since this is ultra concentrated. I also added the rest of my box of Borax to the load. This was probably only a half cup to a cup. Then I let the washer agitate to mix the soap and Borax . I paused the washer so the water did not drain out and it could sit to soak. I let it soak for a day and a half. Honestly I forgot about the load and would have restarted it sooner but maybe it helped that I left it so long.
Steps to Remove Cat Urine From Clothes with Method Laundry Detergent and Borax
- Put clothes in washer
- Add a generous amount of Method Beach Sage laundry detergent or other Method scent.
- Add a half cup to a cup of Borax
- Fill with water but not more than needed. If it is a small load only fill with the water needed to cover the clothes or fill halfway.
- Let agitate for a few minutes to mix up soap and dissolve Borax.
- Pause the wash cycle to allow the load to soak but not drain water.
- Leave alone to soak for 24-36 hours or at least overnight.
- Continue washing as usual and add a little more soap if you like.
This should be all you need to do! Smell the clothes when they are done washing. If you don’t smell anything you should be done! If you want to be sure you could wash them again in a normal cycle.
- Dry clothes.
You are done!
Do You Need Something Stronger?
This is much easier than other methods and I highly recommend it. I think this might work better with lighter fabrics. I very heavy fabric, coat or blanket might be harder to clean. If you need extra power for cleaning cat urine check out my post here: Cat Urine Odor Removal Easy Steps
If you want to remove cat urine from carpet check out my post here: How to Clean Cat Urine in Carpet
How To Treat Cat Peeing Due to Anxiety and Behavior Problems
If your cat pees inappropriately, there is likely a good reason. My cat was a chronic peer but now he is perfect. We found several products that ease his anxiety and he is now a happy, healthy boy. Of course there can be health problems causing this behavior and those should always be ruled out first. Take your cat to the vet to have them checked out. You can also get products to test for urinary tract infection. I review one of them here, Cat UTI Home Test
Here are my reviews of amazing anti-anxiety products which have solved our chronic pee problems!!
Jackson Galaxy Safe Space For Cats Drops
Sentry Calming Collar for Cats Review
Products for Cat Peeing Outside the Box
I Love Method Laundry Detergent
Method laundry detergent uses super concentrated, biodegradable, non-toxic, plant based ingredients for its “Smart Clean” technology. It is not tested on animals. It is concentrated so you can buy a smaller bottle but it will last just as long as a large jug. It also works better than other detergents and it smells lovely! I love Method! My new favorite scent is Fresh Air. I just got it and can’t wait to try it.
You Can Fix Cat Peeing Problems and Remove Cat Urine Smell!
It feels absolutely daunting when there is a reeking pile of clothes with cat pee and you don’t know how to clean them. I know! Don’t panic though. There are solutions that are easy and affordable. If you have Method laundry detergent on hand anyway you won’t have to buy a special enzymatic cleaner.
I would love to hear your comments or questions. Just leave them below!
Jessica
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We had a little accident in our house the other night with one of the cats peeing on the rug. Luckily it is only a fairly thin one, not our thick fluffy ones! I have to say I had just chucked it outside in the sunshine and was wondering how I was going to deal with it. It will fit in the washing machine so I am going to give your method a try this weekend.
Thanks heaps for the tip.
Thanks Heidi. It helps to wash them right away to get the bulk of pee out quickly. Or at least sop it up if you find it when it is still wet. It is when it dries that cat pee becomes difficult to remove. If you catch it while still wet a regular wash might all you need. It sounds like you are past that stage now though. If you have borax you can soak it in that (about a half cup per gallon of water) and regular detergent. Just put it all in a big bucket if you want to soak. If you don’t have Method detergent or one of the enzymatic cleaners I would start there…unless it is an old rug that isn’t worth the hassle to keep!
How helpful to read something like this. There is nothing worse than cat smell on your laundry especially if a male cat sprays
Using quality products as you have suggested is fantastic and I have a friend who will really value a visit to your site
Thank you so much
Thank you Vicki! Yes, the smell is terrible and it is so stressful not being sure how to get it out! I plan to always have this Method soap on hand just in case so I can use it for my laundry and also for any other smelly problems!
Thanks for stopping by!
Jessica
We have been very lucky with our newest feline family member. She is very cautious and I have not once found any pee anywhere except in her litter box. This wasn’t always the case with other feline family though. I will keep the Method laundry soap in mind should a problem develop, however!
Thanks for the very useful tip!
Thanks Karin. Yes, 3 of our cats are no problem. One is a jumpy boy though and he get anxious over things. He had not peed on anything in many months so I was surprised but you just never know! Thanks for stopping by.
Jessica
It’s very cool that you’ve stumbled onto an easy solution for this! Cat owners from all over are going to be thanking you! I also thought it was really cool that you have content on the causes of cats peeing due to anxiety. You can feel the love you have for your cats through the text 🙂 Thanks for this post!
Thank you Eric! Yes, this is such a common problem and sadly it causes many cats to get thrown out to end up homeless. I know how desperate I felt when my cat peed all over and I couldn’t figure out how to fix it. There are simple solutions to prevent it and he hardly ever does this anymore. I want to share this far and wide to help cats and their owners.
Thanks!
Jessica
Cat pee smells so bad! Mine kept peeing on our carpet inside, we don’t know why :O
But this is great info if she ever did it on our clothes, boy I would be annoyed haha
Thanks for the information 🙂
Hello Danielle,
There is a high likelihood your cat peed due to seeing other cats outside and feeling the need to mark his/her territory or due to some other form of stress. Of course medical reasons must be ruled out first by a vet in case of UTI etc. Luckily there are great products to fix the behavioral issues if that is the cause, like these drops that go on fur. Our boy get them morning and night and he is a purrfect gentleman now! https://thrivingcat.com/jackson-galaxy-safe-space-for-cats
Jessica
Hello Jessica, Thanks for this article. My girlfriend has two cats in the house and one of them is just constantly peeing on things. He has health problems that we are currently already dealing with the Vet so that could be the issue. I am going to have to give your Method a try haha. Do those calming collars work well?
Hello Tony,
My Norwegian Forest Cat boy was a real peer. He went all over. On clothes, on carpet, you name it. The vet couldn’t find any health problem causing it. Luckily I tried some products that worked. The ones that work the best for him are the collars and the Jackson Galaxy Safe Space For Cats Drops. He wears one of the collars continuously. Each one lasts 3-6 weeks depending on the severity of the case. We had to replace them every 3 weeks in the beginning but now he can go much longer. They come in a multi-pack so they aren’t very expensive. I use the Sentry brand. They are a bit annoying since they come covered in a white flaky powder. I knock the excess off before I put it on him.
The other product we use on him is the drops. You just put some in your hand and then rub it onto the cat’s fur. I appreciate that neither of these products have to be ingested. The drops really work! It is amazing. As soon as I put them on he calms down. Between these products he hardly ever pees on anything outside the box anymore and he is happy, affectionate and generally perfect. He is better behaved than all the other cats now. Here is my review of the drops: https://thrivingcat.com/jackson-galaxy-safe-space-for-cats
I hope your girlfriend’s cat is on the mend.
Jessica
I have a cat and a dog leave the smell on the cover of my sofa in the living room. I usurally put the cover in the washing machine, use regular detergent to wash it, then a lithe bit smell still left on it. After read your solution, I got to know there is a better way to deal with it. Thank you for sharing, it is very useful for pet lovers, I like to try it. I like to visit your site to get more ideas for my cat in the future.
Hello Lori Lee,
Yes, it is handy to have a detergent that will get pet smells out just by doing the laundry! I was pretty surprised that it worked so well. Thank you for stopping by and I hope I have more useful information for you here in the future.
Jessica
Thanks, Jessica, what a great idea. I’ll have to order some. We have two cats, and though they don’t usually pee outside the litter box, it has happened occasionally.
Do you think this might help when a cat sprays? That’s so much more pungent. My son’s cat sprays occasionally and he has to use a special cleaner which is expensive.
Thanks again,
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne,
I have not tried it for that so I am not sure but if you had the soap already it would be easy to try it and see. If you want a way to keep your cat from spraying I would suggest you check out these reviews I wrote also:
https://thrivingcat.com/how-to-stop-cat-from-spraying
https://thrivingcat.com/products-for-cat-peeing-due-to-anxiety
Thanks for stopping by!
Jessica
Thank you this is extremely helpful! Although I don’t have a cat right now, I did have a cat growing up and we never could get rid of that cat smell out so we had to throw it out… this would have been helpful… I will keep it for when I do get a cat…but I have a friend that has a new kitten and she pees on things. I will definitely have to share this with her.
Hello Christina,
I am glad this is useful for you and your friend.
Jessica