How to Get 'Cat Pee' Smell Out of Clothes in 4 Simple Steps

Start by blotting the urine stained area with paper towels. Do not rub, as that spreads the cat pee further into the fabric.

Rinse the clothing in cold or lukewarm water to dilute the cat urine. Avoid warm or hot water at this stage, which can set the stain.

In a bucket or sink, mix 1 cup (235 mL) of white vinegar with 3 cups (710 mL) of cool water. Submerge the urine stained item and soak for one to four hours.

This vinegar wash helps neutralize odor and break down uric acid, a key component of cat urine smell.

Use a washing machine set to cold water and add laundry detergent along with an enzyme cleaner or enzyme-based detergent. Enzyme cleaners break down the organic compounds in pet urine, making them essential for odor removal.

Avoid using chlorine bleach, as it can react with the ammonia in cat urine to create toxic chloramine gas.

Air drying is crucial. Do not use the clothes dryer until the cat urine odor is completely gone. Heat can lock in any lingering odor.

Hang the clothing in a well-ventilated area and reassess after it dries. If the smell persists, repeat the soak and wash steps.

If lingering odors remain, try a second wash using 0.5 cups (120 mL) of baking soda or oxygen bleach along with regular detergent. These can help neutralize odors and lift stubborn stains without damaging clothing.

Learning how to get cat pee out of clothes takes a little effort, but with the right tools — like enzymatic cleaner, white vinegar, and baking soda — you can get rid of even strong odors.

We created this article in conjunction with AI technology, then made sure it was fact-checked and edited by a HowStuffWorks editor.