How to Get Cat Urine Smell Out of a Car and Keep It Out

Why is cat urine smell so hard to get out of a car?

Cat pee is very strong. When it dries, it leaves uric acid crystals behind. These tiny crystals don't wash away with plain water.

The crystals sink into seat foam, the carpet pad and the seams. Damp air wakes them up, and the sharp smell comes back.

Soap cleans the stain you can see, but it doesn't break the crystals down. An enzyme cleaner does. Enzymes are natural helpers that break urine into bits that no longer smell.

How do you find cat pee in a car?

You can't clean what you can't find. Cat pee often runs down a seam or soaks in where you can't see it.

A UV flashlight makes the hunt easy. Here is how.

• Wait until dark, or park in a dim garage.
• Move a UV flashlight (a small blacklight) slowly over the seats, carpet and mats. Dried urine often glows dull yellow or green.
• Check the carrier spot, the seat seams, the carpet under the seats and the trunk or cargo mat.
• Mark each spot with painter's tape so you can find it in daylight.
• Some old spills glow too, so check each spot. Press a damp white paper towel on it. If the towel turns yellow or smells like pee, urine is still in there.

How do you get cat pee out of a car seat?

These steps work on cloth seats, carpet and floor mats. Open all the doors and put on gloves first. Use cool or lukewarm water, since heat can stop enzymes from working.

• Blot fresh pee with paper towels. Press hard. Don't rub, or you push it deeper.
• Once it's blotted, vacuum around the spot to lift hair and grit. Use a wet vac if the spot is still wet.
• Spray an enzyme cleaner whose label says it breaks down urine or uric acid. Use enough to reach as deep as the pee went. Old, dry stains need a full soak too. A light mist only treats the top.
• Let it sit as long as the label says, often several hours. Lay plastic wrap on top so it stays wet. Enzymes stop working once they dry out.
• Pull the liquid out with a wet vac or a carpet extractor. That machine sprays water and sucks it back up.
• Rinse with a little clean water and pull it out again, so no cleaner stays behind.
• Dry it fast. Crack the windows and run a fan. Damp foam can grow mildew.
• Sniff the spot the next day. If the smell is still there, do it again. Deep spots often need two or three rounds.
• If pee hit a seat belt, pull it all the way out and wash it with mild soap and water. Let it dry pulled out. Never use bleach on a belt.

What should you never use on cat urine in a car?

Most home tricks only hide the smell for a day. A few can make things worse.

Bleach is the big one to skip. Urine has ammonia in it, and bleach can react with ammonia to make harmful fumes. In a small, closed car, that is a real risk.

Never mix cleaners, either. Use one product, rinse it out, and only then try the next.

What if cat pee soaked into the seat foam under the carrier?

A lot of cat pee in cars happens in a carrier. A scared cat on the way to the vet may pee, and it runs right through the carrier floor.

Seat foam acts like a sponge. It can hold pee far below the fabric. If the seat smells when you press it, or feels damp days later, the foam is wet.

Go easy on front seats. Many hide heater wires, airbag sensors or side airbags. Work in light rounds and extract well. Leave cover removal and foam replacement to a pro or an upholstery shop.

Here is how to treat wet foam.

• Work the enzyme down into the foam, not just the cover.
• Give it a long wait and keep it covered so it stays wet.
• Extract hard, from a few angles, until the water comes out clear.

Why does my car smell like cat pee when it rains?

Old urine you missed is the usual cause. Dry crystals stay quiet. When water or damp air reaches them, the smell comes back.

Heat can do it too. After a foggy morning, a closed car can warm up fast in the sun. That warm, damp air pulls the smell out of the seats.

In the Bay Area, this happens a lot. Fog and the marine layer roll in on many summer mornings. The winter rain season brings wet shoes and soggy floor mats. A car parked on the street in the Sunset or the Richmond can stay damp inside for days.

Street parking and shared garages add a second problem. Outdoor cats like to spray tires and wheel wells. Here is how to keep cat pee smell out for good.

• Check again with the UV light after the first rainy or foggy week. Treat any spot you missed.
• Dry wet floor mats indoors, so old spots in the carpet don't wake up.
• Line the carrier with a pet pad or an old towel. Set it on a waterproof seat cover, or on the floor behind a front seat.
• Wash sprayed tires and wheel wells with car soap. Then apply an enzyme cleaner, let it sit, and rinse.
• Park in a closed garage when you can, or use a car cover.
• Skip ammonia cleaners. To a cat, ammonia smells like pee and can draw it back.

Why does my car smell like cat pee if I don't have a cat?

No cat? These are the usual causes.

• Mice or rats. Their nests and droppings can smell a lot like cat pee. Wear gloves, and don't sweep or vacuum droppings dry. Read our mouse smell guide first.
• An outdoor cat. One can slip in through an open window, sunroof or soft top, or spray your tires.
• A past owner's pet. Used cars can hide old urine in the carpet pad or seat foam. A UV flashlight will show you.
• Something under the hood. If the smell comes from the vents or the engine bay, have a mechanic look first. Cleaning won't fix a problem that needs a repair.

When should you call a pro for cat urine smell?

DIY works well on a fresh spot you caught fast. Call a pro when any of these are true.

• The smell comes back after two good rounds of enzyme.
• Pee reached the seat foam, the carpet pad or perforated leather.
• The spot is on a front seat with heater wires or airbag parts.
• You found many spots, or you can't find the source at all.
• You bought a used car and don't know its history.
• The car smells worse every foggy or rainy day.

How does Golden Bay Detailing remove cat urine smell?

Our technicians use our Deep Interior clean (steam and enzyme). It starts at $249 for a sedan and $299 for an SUV. We add odor treatment when needed, and the final quote depends on how bad it is.

We treat the urine at the source. Enzymes go on first and get time to work. After they finish, we use steam and deep extraction to lift out what is left.

When ozone helps, we run it with nobody in the car, pets included, and then air the car out. Pee that sat in foam for months can take more than one round. We tell you what to expect before we start.

We come to you in San Francisco, the Peninsula and Marin, at home, at work or in your apartment garage.

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