Cat Urine Smell Remover For Concrete
Anyone who’s ever had a cat knows that their urine can leave a pungent smell. So when your cat goes rouge and starts peeing on the floor, it becomes a problem very quickly. This can happen when the cat feels threatened by another cat and wants to mark it territory. In contrast, sometimes the cat is just stubborn and pees outside the litter box… which is extremely frustrating. Either way, it’s an issue that needs to be resolved. Hence, why I wrote this blog about cat urine smell remover for concrete.
My company specializes in concrete restoration so I’ll share some tricks I use to help eliminate the cat urine odors from my client’s basement concrete floors. These are processes I’ve perfected over the years when dealing specifically with cat urine that’s soaked into the concrete and the odor lingers after trying to clean the area.
I Cleaned But The Odor Keeps Coming Back
I’m sure you’ve already tried an enzyme based cleaner or some sort of vinegar solution to remove the smell… but to no avail. See, enzyme cleaners work better on non-porous surfaces or fabrics like carpet. This is because the enzymes eat up the bacteria while the area is wet. So when you clean a non-porous surface like tile the enzymes have a chance to remove all of the bacteria from the surface of the tile. With carpet, the area holds the enzyme cleaner for longer and has more working time to break down the odors.
Concrete is a totally different, very porous substrate… apples to oranges. The concrete soaks up the urine and it migrates down into the slab. So when you clean the surface it’s not reaching the odor causing bacteria that’s far below the surface. So after the concrete dries up the odor comes right back.
The question is… how do you remove the odor that’s trapped deep inside the concrete?
Trick #1
When I run into this problem I always use Odor Kleanz instead of a basic enzyme cleaner. This stuff is great! Besides the enzymes all the other cleaners have, it also has beneficial bacteria in the solution. It soaks in deeper, and after I’m done scrubbing and removing the dirty water, the cleaner continues to work it’s magic. See, after the surface is dry the enzymes stop working. But the beneficial bacteria keep eating away at the bad, odor causing bacteria for up to a week. I’ve found that this cleaner works SO much better than the other enzyme cleaners I’ve used. And trust me, I’ve used most of the major name brand cleaners.
Plus, it’s pet and human friendly… meaning it’s non-toxic and very low in VOCs.
How To Use
Just pour Odor Kleanz and water at a 50% / 50% ratio (1×1) into a clean pump sprayer. Any cheap two gallon weed sprayer from the hardware store will work. Spray down the solution until the surface looks completely wet. Scrub the areas really well with a deck brush or push broom. The more you scrub the better it works. Spray more down if any areas start to dry up.
After scrubbing the areas for at least 15 minutes, rinse the concrete thoroughly. For interior basement cleaning you can wet / dry vacuum up the dirty water and rinse water after cleaning. You can also use a mop to remove the dirty water along with the rinse water.
After the concrete is dry the cleaner will continue to break down the odors for a week or so.
Trick #2
After cleaning most people stop there… but why not add some protection for future desecration? Sealing the concrete is the way to go. Nothing fancy is needed… this isn’t a showroom floor, it’s your basement! So what sealer is the right one for this type of project?
We carry a bunch of different types of penetrating sealers. Most of them only treat the top of the concrete or aren’t meant to resist fluids that are as acidic as cat urine. So I use Odor Shield for my clients. It’s formulated to soak deep into the concrete and chemically react with the minerals inside the slab. As it cures it fills in the voids in the concrete where fluids and bacteria hide out. The concrete is now permanently more dense and completely waterproofed. So when your cat pees on the concrete the fluids will sit on top of the surface and won’t soak in like it use to.
Another perk is it’s pet and human friendly… meaning the sealer is non-toxic and VOC free.
I always leave my clients with some Odor Kleanz for future spots. Just clean the area and the enzyme / beneficial bacteria mix will break down any new spots and eliminate the odor completely. Remember, after the floors are sealed it’s not allowing the urine to soak in anymore… which makes clean up a breeze.
How To Use
Just pour Odor Shield into a clean pump sprayer… you can even use the same sprayer that you used for the cleaner (just wash it out before using it with the sealer). Spray down the sealer until the surface looks completely wet. Let it soak in for about 20-30 minutes. If there’s any sealer left on the surface you can remove it. I usually use an old bath towel and drag it across the surface, then toss it out after using it. Or you can mop it up with a dry, clean mop head. A wet / dry vac works really well also.
Keep the area completely dry for 24 hours. As soon as the concrete looks dry you can walk on it again.
Conclusion
In conclusion, learn from my mistakes. I’ve tried SO many different cleaners and sealers over the years with mediocre results. This combination is the one two punch that will knock out the cat urine smell from your concrete once and for all. Odor Kleanz and Odor Shield really is the ultimate cat urine smell remover for concrete surfaces… so check them out! You’ll be impressed with the results.
Or if you’re in the Boise area of Idaho you can hire us directly to help with this process. Sweet Concrete
