Sometimes your cat might have an accident or miss the litter box and pee on your clothes instead! It’s a common problem for cat parents, and thankfully, you can solve it without needing to throw your clothes away—especially if you wash the clothing before the urine can dry. From start to finish, here's a complete guide to getting cat urine smells out of your clothes. We'll also share a few tips for how to prevent your cat from having accidents in the future.

Things You Should Know

  • Rinse out the urine spots and blot them dry before soaking them in oxygen bleach.
  • Coat your clothes in a white vinegar solution. Then, apply baking soda to the stains before putting them through the laundry and air-drying them.
  • Clean your clothes a second time by washing them with an enzyme detergent that can destroy urine odors for good.
4

Coat the stain with a vinegar solution.

  1. Vinegar is an acidic product that neutralizes the alkalinity of the urine. Essentially, the acid in vinegar kills the urine bacteria, so it doesn’t smell anymore. Create a vinegar solution by mixing 1 cup (240 mL) of water with 1 cup (240 mL) of white vinegar. Coat your fabric with the solution and let it sit and soak in for a few minutes before moving to the next step.[4]
    • White vinegar is the most effective cleaner because it won’t stain any fabric.
    • You can use vinegar to eliminate many odors, not just cat urine![5] If a piece of clothing or fabric smells bad, treat it with white vinegar.
6

Machine wash each item without detergent.

  1. Washing with vinegar and baking soda helps neutralize odor. Toss your stained clothing in the washing machine and wash it using a cool or cold setting—warm or hot water will set in the urine odor. It’s okay to wash more than 1 urine-stained item if you need to, but don’t wash a full load all at once; this allows each garment to get as clean as possible.[7]
    • You’ll use detergent on the second wash (this process involves 2 washes total). However, it’s best to let the vinegar and baking soda do their jobs on the first wash.
    • Try not to mix urine-stained clothing with other clothes in the same load. Cat urine odor is powerful and can spread to your other clothes too.
8

Re-wash the clothes with enzyme detergent.

9

Wash your clothes multiple times if necessary.

  1. The stain might take a few washes to remove, depending on its severity. Don’t give up if your clothing comes out of the wash still faintly smelling of cat urine! Remember: it’s a strong scent and doesn’t come out easily if the urine dries before you can wash it, but multiple cycles in the washing machine can do the trick. Wash your garments with enzyme detergent until the smell is gone.[10]
    • Vinegar, baking soda, and oxygen bleach are all great for pre-treating fabric, but enzyme detergent gets rid of smells for good—which is why it’s such an important part of the process.
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10

Check your cat’s health if they have frequent accidents.

  1. Peeing outside the litter box can signify stress or a medical issue. Ensure your cat is happy and healthy (and prevent future accidents outside the litter box) by taking your cat to the vet. A veterinarian can verify whether there are any problems and give your cat the medical treatment they need to get them peeing in the litter box once again.[11] Possible issues include:
    • Your cat might have a urinary tract problem causing them to avoid the litter box, or they might feel pain in their joints that makes climbing into a box difficult.
    • Bathroom difficulties could just be a part of old age. Cat dementia and cognitive dysfunction in elderly cats often makes them do their business outside the litter box.
    • Changes like a new family member, a new pet, or even just moving the litter box can stress your cat out. Reduce your cat’s stress by rewarding them with treats and attention when they use the litter box correctly.
    • Check the litter box! It might be as simple as your cat not wanting to use a dirty litter box, or not liking the litter in it. Clean the litter box more often and try new kinds of litter to see if your cat responds positively.

Expert Q&A
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  • Question
    How can I make my clothes smell good?
    Susan Stocker
    Susan Stocker
    Green Cleaning Expert
    Susan Stocker runs and owns Susan’s Green Cleaning, the #1 Green Cleaning Company in Seattle. She is well known in the region for outstanding customer service protocols — winning the 2017 Better Business Torch Award for Ethics & Integrity —and her energetic support of green cleaning practices.
    Susan Stocker
    Green Cleaning Expert
    Expert Answer

    Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

    Using a scented laundry detergent can help your clothes smell good. I personally don't like the smell of artificial fragrances, so I like to use an all-natural scented laundry detergent. Zum Clean's all-natural detergent smells great.
  • Question
    What if my clothes went through the washer and dryer before I realized they had been sprayed? Is there any hope of getting the smell out?
    Miss Sun
    Miss Sun
    Community Answer
    It's going to take a while, but every night, soak your clothes in a bath of cold water, 2 tbsp white vinegar, 2 tbsp baking powder, a touch of hydrogen peroxide, and a couple of generous squirts of liquid dish soap. Scrub thoroughly, then chuck them in the dryer, and repeat for at least two weeks. The smell will go away, but it will also smell strongly of vinegar, so be sure to wash them again in a cold water bath with some kind of scented soap.
  • Question
    Can laundry ammonia take out urine smell in clothes?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    It isn't the best product to use. Other laundry detergents and cleaners would do a better job.
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About This Article

Susan Stocker
Co-authored by:
Green Cleaning Expert
This article was co-authored by Susan Stocker and by wikiHow staff writer, Glenn Carreau. Susan Stocker runs and owns Susan’s Green Cleaning, the #1 Green Cleaning Company in Seattle. She is well known in the region for outstanding customer service protocols — winning the 2017 Better Business Torch Award for Ethics & Integrity —and her energetic support of green cleaning practices. This article has been viewed 196,198 times.
1 votes - 100%
Co-authors: 8
Updated: October 25, 2022
Views: 196,198
Article SummaryX

If you want to get the smell of cat urine out of your clothes, start by blotting any excess liquid with a paper towel, then rinse the garment for a few minutes under cool, running water. Next, fill your sink with warm water and add a scoop of oxygen bleach to pre-treat the stain. Leave colored clothing to soak in the sink for at least 1 hour, and let white clothing soak for up to 4 hours. After your clothes have soaked, throw them into your washing machine and coat them in a solution that is 1 part white vinegar and 3 parts water. Finally, run your washing machine on a cool or cold setting and hang up your clothes to air dry once the wash cycle ends. For more tips, like how to use an enzyme detergent to treat cat urine stains, read on!

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