Hello,
I am in the process of selling a rental house. The previous tenant had two cats. There is a distinct pet odor. What is the best way to get rid of it quickly. I open the windows when I am in the place but March in upstate NY isn't exactly conducive to that. Any thoughts??
Thanks...
Been there, done that.
Rip out all carpets. Wet mop all floors and wash all baseboards with a product called Odor Ban. That might be one word or hyphenated I just used all mine and threw away the empty so I can't go look.. I bought it at Sam's Club. I am sure it is sold elsewhere.
This will get rid of most of the smell. If it is soaked into the wood you will never really get rid of it unless you paint the floors with a product called BINS.
A fresh coat of paint on the walls also helps reduce the odor that has been absorbed into the walls.
Don't you love careless pet owners.
Colbyt
-> Hello,
->
-> I am in the process of selling a rental house. The previous tenant had two
-> cats. There is a distinct pet odor. What is the best way to get rid of it
-> quickly. I open the windows when I am in the place but March in upstate NY
-> isn't exactly conducive to that. Any thoughts??
I agree with Colbyt that you will probably have to rip out all the carpet to completely get rid of the smell. Problem is, if you don't know the exact location of the urine, you can't do much about it.
Before you rip out the carpet you could get one of those professional carpet cleaner companies to come out and steam clean your carpet. Ask them about the pet odors. I wouldn't get a do-it-yourself carpet cleaner because they don't really use steam -- they just dribble some cleaner on the surface and then suck it up. You need a deep down cleaner.
Also, if the cats were spraying there will be urine on the walls -- it could go as high as 14 inches. Get a bottle of Clorox CleanUp and a rag and wash all the walls from 14 inches to the floor.
You can, theoretically, see urine using a black light, but I have found that the light has to practically be on the urine to see it. So if you try that, hold the black light very close to the wall (or whatever). I honestly don't believe this will work with the carpet.
Another suggestion that won't help you unless someone is living in the house is to bake something (chocolate chip cookies) as your perspective buyer is visiting the house. This will mask the odor and give the buyer a warm-fuzzy feeling! (or so I've heard)
Some people swear by using a blacklight to locate the spot where cats pee. WHen I tried it with my cat .... Nada (not even in the liter box). My experience says you will never get it out of the carpet regardless of how much you spray and clean. THere are enzyme products (sold in pet stores) that supposedly get the odor out by breaking down the pee but you have to know where to spray first. If you can pull the carpet up (and dispose of it), the stains on the floor can be treated with the enzyme stuff. Be aware that any furniture will also soak up the smell but can be aired out in the garage for a few weeks.
IF no one is in the house you might also try a ozone generator (hotels use them to get rid of room odors) but the source of the odor has to be removed first.
Bring a dog into the house. The first five places he sniffs probably have cat unine.
At least the cats didn't smoke too :)/ Smoke oder is just as hard to get rid of maybe more so.
I too had a rental unit that two male cats had a party in. Rip out all the carpets. The cleaning company will tell you they treat from both sides. But by the time they are done and the cost, you might as well get new carpeting. And it won't work.
Next get some bleach and with a mop cover the floor and the walls. Make sure you have plenty of ventilation or your nostrils will fry. Once the floors dry get some polyurethane. Pour it on the floor and mop it in, up the walls too. The bleach will kill the smell and the poly will seal whatever is left. You may have to replace some woodwork if it is a particularly nasty area.
I then rented to a couple where one was allergic to cats. No complaints and they stayed there for a few years, so I guess it worked.
Get rid of the carpets, paint or shellac everything, then ne carpeting? To
-- tomeshew
Go to a pet store and get a product specifically designed to attack the urine. These products contain an enzymes that will actively attack and remove the urine. Most other products just mask it the smell.. Masking the smell is not permanent. Hot humid conditions may bring the problem back.
Several bottles of Febreze? My sunroom has tile floor, cat got in and sprayed it for me. My son got to it before I did, and sprayed a bottle of the stuff all over the room. Surprisingly, the odor went away very quickly. Carpets? that might be another story, but if you're gonna rip them out anyway, why not give it a try?
RJ
"Backlash" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@portbridge.com:
I don't like the smell of Febreze. To me is smells stinky. Is it only me? Marina
: > I am in the process of selling a rental house. The previous tenant had : > two cats. There is a distinct pet odor. What is the best way to get rid : > of it quickly. I open the windows when I am in the place but March in : > upstate NY isn't exactly conducive to that. Any thoughts?? : >
: > Thanks... : >
: :
rent a black light from your local pet store and in the dark, check out all the floors in the house so you know EXACTLY what you have to tackle!
The problem is mostly in the unfinished basement. Fortunately no carpets to deal with.
HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.