Reasons Why A Cat Pees Outside Of The Litter Box:
- The box isnt cleaned often enough
- Stress
- Illness
- Your cat doesnt like the location of its litter box.
If you have multiple cats, try providing at least one litter box with good-quality cat litter per cat and, if possible, have a litter box available on each floor of your home to help stop the problem before it starts or continues.
How Do I Get Rid Of Cat Urine Smell On Concrete
If you prefer, you can use a solution of white vinegar at a 2:1 ratio and mix it properly. The use of vinegar can help remove odors from concrete floors. Use a tough brush to scrub the floor after pouring the cleaning solution on it. As you continue to pre-treat the floor, you will notice that it is becoming more and more odorous.
Why Is Pet Urine Bad For Concrete
Concrete is a relatively porous material therefore, water and other liquids that come into contact with unsealed concrete will saturate and seep down into it. This saturation and seeping of water are usually harmless however, its not good when it comes to pet urine.
When urine gets in contact with concrete and dries, the uric acid crystals found in urine bond tightly to the concrete these crystals from deep within the capillaries and pores of concrete because the urine was allowed to soak for several days or months.
Additionally, when a pet urine smell is activated, it can find its way into anyones nose that is in the area. However, removing pet urine odor from concrete does not have to be complicated if you use the proper techniques.
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Cat Urine And Concrete
As stated before, cat owners often look for ways on how to remove cat urine from concrete. Cat pee tends to leave behind a distinct and overpowering smell that tends to stay for months and even years. This is made worse by the porous nature of concrete, which soaks up cat urine making it more difficult to remove.
The chances of another cat urinating in the same space also increase if there is a cat urine smell that is sticking on the floor. It is therefore important that you remove cat urine and all its traces as soon as possible to stop this behavior.
Before the problem gets too bad, you have to use the right products to be more successful with this challenge. If you use the wrong product, the urine might just stick even worse and deeper, and getting rid of it will be just harder.
Why Does Pee Smell Stay On The Concrete
Concrete is porous, so dog urine gets easily stuck in the tiny holes in the concrete. It soaks the urine in, so you will still smell the unpleasant pee odor coming out no matter how much you mop the surface. Its crucial to know how to prevent and treat this issue when it occurs. It might be a tricky task, but a couple of cleaning techniques will help you resolve this issue efficiently. Continue reading to find out more about them.
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Normal Cleaning Wont Remove Urine Odors
You may have tried traditional cleaning methods to remove the smell of cat urine to no avail. The stains may be gone, but the smell remains no matter how hard you try.
Concrete is essentially a sponge. Its porous, so if a liquid is allowed to sit on it for a period of time, it gets absorbed. This is why its so hard to get stains and smells out of concrete floors.
Urine contains uric acid crystals that bond to the concrete when the urine dries. Unfortunately, the crystals work their way deep into the pores of the concrete. The longer the urine is left to soak into the floor, the deeper it soaks in.
The problem is that uric acid crystals are insoluble. They dont bind to regular cleaning solutions or soaps, so they stay in the concrete regardless of how long youve scrubbed. While the smell may temporarily dissipate, it comes back stronger than ever any time moisture is introduced. Basements are particularly susceptible to this because they are underground, meaning the concrete is constantly exposed to moisture.
When moisture or humidity is introduced, the uric acid crystals release a gas, which is the cat urine odor that you smell. The best way to stop this from happening is to use an enzymatic cleaner designed to break down and attack uric acid crystals.
Use A Sealant To Keep Cat Odors Away
For tough odors, you may need to seal the basement or garage floor after you have cleaned the area. Remember, even if you cant smell cat pee anymore, your cat might be able to.
As a preventive measure, if your cat revisits the area, or if odors keep creeping up, repeat the steps above and seal your concrete floor with Kilz Primer.
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How To Get Cat Urine Out Of Your Concrete Floors
It can seem a daunting task at first. There are all sorts of commercial products and home remedies out there that claim to help. All these products do the same thing, but sales jargon and shop talk make things more complicated than they should be.
Luckily for you, Ive done the research, put in the hard work, and now all you have to do is read!
There are some simple tips and tricks to help get that mess cleared up. Youll find the list below covers everything you might need.
Remember, you should always clean up these messes as quickly as possible. Urine is made up of waste products, and it isnt healthy to be around it for any amount of time, for you or your pets. Cat urine is especially unhealthy.
Why Is Dog Or Cat Urine On Concrete So Smelly
Unsealed concrete floors wont repel pet odors as much as you might think.
Concrete is porous, meaning it can soak up offending liquid from wood stain spills to number twos especially when its left without being cleaned.
Youve probably noticed the floors of pet boarding facilities and daycares are often made up of smooth concrete.
So why use it if it doesnt repel dog or cat pee?
Anyone with a business that involves dogs has more than likely done their research, and understand that a sealed concrete floor is actually a fantastic option.
Dogs and cats cant chew this type of flooring, dig it up, or scratch it.
They dont offer a refuge for pesky fleas or mites that pets often carry.
A sealed floor is also much easier to clean off any organic stains.
However, the lower surfaces in your home might not be sealed , which is why urine accidents can become a problem.
Sealing it is the key to protecting it, and Ill delve a little more into that option later.
For now, Ill focus on cleaning up stains that have already happened.
Sealed or not, all accidents should be cleaned.
On unsealed concreate areas the cleaning process can be a little more intensive.
However, there are still ways to restore the floor and banish smell due to the ammonia and uric acid.
So whether your dog had an accident in the garage, missed the lawn and peed on the sidewalk, or the culprit is a cat marking their territory you have a couple of good options that are both natural and safe:
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What Takes Cat Urine Smell Out Of Concrete
Removing cat urine from concrete is much easier than people think. Sure concrete is porous and the cat pee can soak right in, however the beauty of concrete is you can treat it with very strong odor neutralizers and not hurt it. Cat urine smell in basement areas can be difficult to locate which is why people often have problems trying to neutralize it, however following the steps below will make it easy for you.
Can I Use Enzyme Cleaner In A Power Washer
Its not recommended or necessary to deliver enzyme cleaner via a power washer or other similar cleaning devices.
Enzymes work by sitting on the spot and being left alone for several minutes to overnight, depending on the size, age, and location of the stain.
Using a power washer will not allow you to coat the affected spot very accurately, and it might waste much more product than you would need to use otherwise.
If youre set on power-washing concrete to rid odors treat it with enzyme cleaners first.
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Treating The Concrete Floor
Prepare the enzymatic solution according to the manufacturers instructions and saturate the place with the cleaner. Work on small portions to ensure accuracy. The use of clean deck or the household sprayer will make your work easier. Repeat the process once the floor is dry. Apply a sealant to your floor to completely keep off the odor.
This procedure can serve best to remove cat urine odor from concrete floor among other odors. Never let your pets odor chock your visitors as you can quickly eliminate the foul smell at home with little hassle. Make use of the tricks and redeem your self-esteem and comfort.
How To Identify Urine Odor Stains In Concrete
In order to get the best results from an enzymatic pet urine cleaner, you must first identify the exact areas in the concrete affected by the urine.
Many times the source of pet urine odor can easily be identified, such as an area where pets were kept in a pen. However, sometimes it may not be so easy to detect.
This is often the case for people who have moved into a home that previously had pets, only to find that the garage floor reeks of a foul urine smell. Stains may have previously been cleaned thus hiding the source of the odor.
One tool that does a good job at identifying pet urine is a U.V. light or black light. do a good job.
Close the doors and then turn on the black light. Hold it no more than three feet off the concrete as you scan the floor in sections. Old urine stains will stand out as blue, green, or yellow markings on the concrete.
We like to encircle the far outside area with arrows pointing towards the urine stain. Chalk works well for this providing you dont get it wet. Be sure to check the first two feet of your walls from the floor up as well. Sometimes pets will urinate on the walls which will require removing and replacing the affected section of drywall to get rid of the smell.
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Why Urine Is So Bad For Concrete
As you already know, concrete is dry and hard as rock. Among concretes basic properties, its also a relatively porous material.
This means, that water and other liquids that comes into contact with bare concrete will saturate and seep down into it.
Usually this is harmless, but when it comes to pet urine its obviously not good.
Dog or cat urine has a way of seeping in and working its way down into concrete materials its own and anyone who has had cats or dogs knows that an animal urine stain can be difficult to get rid of from your garage floor, basement flooring, patio and under carpet pads.
Whats worse is this potent stuff can lie dormant inside the concrete for years, only to keep releasing its odor when moisture gets back down into the concrete to rehydrate and activate the smell.
The fumes will find their way into anyones nose who is in the area. Yuck!
This is the problem you most likely face, but rest assured, there is a natural and scientific way to put an end to the root cause of this smelly issue.
Will Bleach Get Rid Of Dog Urine Smell On Concrete
We advise never to use bleach to eliminate dog urine smell on concrete. It might help you resolve the problem, but it has a lot of disadvantages. Dog urine contains ammonia that can be harmful once mixed with bleach. When bleach gets in contact with ammonia, it releases toxic fumes. Thats why its not recommended for cleaning dog pee from concrete, garages, or pretty much any surface covered in urine. Try some of the other available options as they can be just as efficient and wont harm your health. If you still want to proceed with bleach regardless, make sure you air out the space and stay away until it has completely evaporated. Keep your pets and family away from the toxic fumes too.
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Use Pet Urine Enzymatic Cleaner On The Concrete Floor
Pets urine contains uric acid particles, which are insoluble and stick tightly to the floors surface. Therefore, regular cleaning agents wont get the job done because soap and water cannot bind with the uric acid crystals consequently, they remain put.
Knowing how to clean dog urine on the stained concrete floor using an enzymatic cleaning solution will save you labor and energy. Additionally, it would be best if you only bought enzymatic cleaners made specifically for pet urine.
Here is how you can use an enzymatic cleaner to remove pet urine from concrete:
- Prepare the enzymatic solution according to the manufacturers instructions and saturate the affected area with the cleaner. You can also pour the cleaner out and spread it around evenly using a deck scrub brush.
- Do not dilute the cleaner with water use it at full strength.
- Allow the cleaner to sit for a day to ensure that it works its way down into the concrete and does not evaporate quickly into the air as it starts to dry. Remember that the longer the stain eating enzymes digest the odor causing molecules, the more effective the process will be.
- You can control evaporation by laying a large plastic tarp or liner over the sprayed area. This process will allow the solution to penetrate better into the urine-stained concrete.
- Allow the surface to dry for at least 24 hours.
Bleaching And Ammonia Products
Do NOT use bleaching products on your concrete floors. No matter the stains, no matter the mess. You dont want to have bleach absorbed into your floor. It can be incredibly harmful to both us and our pets, and it isnt worth the risk.
There are a lot of articles on the internet that say bleach can be used on concrete and a lot more that say it should not. In my opinion, it is best to stay on the safe side, and not use it.
Besides all that, bleach products are unlikely to get rid of the smell.
All of the above applies to any ammonia-based products as well. Ammonia is a big component of urine, and adding more of it to the mix wont help.
In fact, it could be quite harmful, and will even draw your cat straight back to where you applied it. The cat is even likely to pee in the same spot again, starting a cycle that you shouldnt have to deal with.
Most importantly, never, ever, mix bleach with ammonia. It creates an extremely harmful substance.
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Ive Tried Other Methods For Removing A Urine Spot And They Didnt Work Will Enzyme Cleaner Work On Stains Which Have Already Been Treated
In most cases, yes!
You might have had some well-meaning advice from others about how to remove the pungent smells only for the method to be a bust.
Enzyme cleaner can rescue flooring from carpeting to urine stained tile, furniture, and clothing from very old stains stains which someone has tried to remove through other means already.
The only thing you want to be careful of is mixing enzyme cleaners with other substances.
This means if you used a general cleaning spray or detergent, you should let it dry before giving the enzyme cleaners a try.
Removing Cat Urine Using Trisodium Phosphate
TSP is good for urine stains as it gets down to the bacteria. Its mixed with hot water and you can use it to scrub the urine spots if you can find them or the whole floor. Its irritative to the skin so its good to have some protection.
Also, read the instruction from the bag on how to mix it with water so it wont be too strong or too mild. TSP can also cause changes in floor color so have to be careful with it or maybe use it on the whole floor.
Id only use TSP after Ive tried other means because I wouldnt want any changes in my floor color or wipe the whole floor because of it. If nothing else works, then its a different tale.
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Trisodium Phosphate To Remove Pet Urine Odors
If you have tried pre-treating the area and cleaning it with an enzyme cleaner and it still smells, you may need to bring out the big guns.
We recommend this as a last resort because Trisodium Phosphate, or TSP, can be corrosive and damage the skin.
Be sure to wear rubber gloves made for cleaning, safety glasses, and protective clothing if you have to use TSP to remove cat urine odors.
How To Get Cat Urine Smell Out Of Concrete & Cement
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Being a cat owner comes with some undeniable truths one of them being that you will eventually have to deal with a cat accident outside of the litter box. We can mostly figure out how to clean it out of carpets, but how do you get rid of cat urine from concrete and cement?
If youre here, you probably have a cat who has urinated on a concrete floor probably either in a basement or garage. Concrete may not be a material that we think will hold cat urine smell, but it does.
Cat urine is more concentrated than dog urine and cleaning cat urine from a concrete or cement floor may take multiple treatments, but it will eventually come out with the right products and some elbow grease.
Unlike a soft surface that can soak in an enzyme cleaner, you may wonder how a urine neutralizer can soak into a porous material like concrete. It can be done.
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