How To Clean Cat Urine Out Of Comforters & Bedding

As cute as cats can be, they can also do annoying things like urinating on your comforter or other bedding. Cats release some pretty foul-smelling urine that you’re going to want to deal with straight away. So how should you go about cleaning your bedding?

First, use a paper towel to blot out the stain, then coat the area with a vinegar solution and leave it for some time. After that, wash the bedding on a gentle cycle with an enzyme-based detergent and leave it to air dry. 

Cat urine is quite potent because it contains uric acid that can remain in fabrics, carpets, and wood for a while. That’s why you should only use suitable cleansing agents and go about the cleaning procedure in a careful manner. If you don’t address the issue properly, the odor might return. Let’s look at how you can permanently get rid of cat urine in your bedding.

Why Did Your Cat Pee On Your Bed?

Little kid lying in bed under the white blanket with cat

Before we get to how to clean your bed, a more important question might be why your cat peed there in the first place. Cats don’t normally pee in such places, so there may be a medical issue behind the action. Schedule a veterinary checkup for your pet to make sure there’s nothing serious going on.

Stress could also be the root of the problem. Cats are emotional creatures, which means they can have strong reactions when they don’t feel secure or comfortable in their space.

Stress can be caused by many factors, including insecurity and discomfort. It could be that you changed your activity schedule, brought a baby home, relocated, or brought another animal into their space.

If you can identify the stressor, you can help reduce the stress in the following ways.

How to Help Your Cat De-Stress

First off, you can help your cat by increasing their confidence. You can go about this by giving them high spots to claim as theirs.

It could be a cat tree or a cat condo. Elevated areas enable cats to develop confidence as they get a more comprehensive view of their world.

Next, play with your cat more often to help build a bond and utilize some of their energy. You can even try taking them outdoors a few hours per day using a cat leash.

This activity could stimulate their mind; they may be tired of being cooped up indoors. Come up with different play ideas that will keep them looking forward to spending time with you, thus strengthening your bond.

Other Possible Causes

Beyond stress, here are some other possible reasons why your cat peed on the bed:

  1. They feel uncomfortable in their litter box, so they trot over to your bed instead. Some cats may prefer larger-sized boxes, while some feel better in smaller ones. Note that the materials used to create the boxes also play a hand in the level of comfort provided.
  2. They want to combine their scent with yours — in a good way. They might consider urinating on your bed to be a way of showing you are in the same group. It also shows their need for extra bonding or assurance, especially if you’ve been away for a while or someone else has been sleeping in your bed.
  3. There may be triggers in your actions or something lying around your home that provokes the peeing. Triggers could be specific blankets or you not allowing them to sleep in your bedroom.

How Do You Get Cat Pee Out of a Comforter?

The tools you need to help get a cat pee out of a comforter include paper towels, oxygen bleach, white vinegar, baking soda, and an enzyme-based detergent. Never put any urine-stained fabric into a washing machine without pre-cleaning it, as the odor could affect your other laundry.  

You can follow these simple steps:

  1. Spread the comforter on a flat surface and rinse the urine stain with clean water. Then, blot the area with paper towels without scrubbing — doing so could drive the stain deeper into the material.
  2. Soak the stained comforter in a mixture of water and a half-cup of oxygen bleach (on Amazon). Don’t use chlorine bleach — it could damage the comforter.
  3. Use an equal mix of water and white vinegar on the stains and leave it to sit for some minutes. Coat the area with baking soda to help soak up and nullify the odor.
  4. Place the item in the washing machine using cold or lukewarm water without laundry detergent. Or you could traditionally wash the item with an enzyme-based detergent (on Amazon) that has proven to work wonders on organic-based stains. If you choose to go with a washing machine in this step, ensure you use the ‘gentle’ cycle.
  5. Rewash the comforter using the same cycle and add more detergent. You may add one to two cups of liquid chlorine bleach for white comforters, but it is not usually advisable.
  6. After washing, remove the piece from the machine and hang it to air dry. Don’t use a clothes dryer as the heat will attach the comforter’s fibers to the urine’s proteins, thereby setting the odor in permanently.
  7. When dry, smell the comforter and repeat the wash process if you still smell urine. If the odor remains after the second wash, take the comforter to a dry cleaner.

Does the Cat Urine Smell Ever Go Away?

Cat sitting near wet

As you read earlier, the smell of cat urine is quite potent, but it can be removed, provided you follow the above steps when cleaning stained surfaces and remember to avoid using heat.

The amount of time the odor remains on stained surfaces varies. It may be easier to remove from comforters and bedding but more difficult with rugs and mattresses.

You can easily avoid all these issues by keeping your cat’s litter box clean and adding baking soda to help absorb the smell. You can also remove cat hair from furnishings with damp rubber gloves after spraying the spot with a mixture of water and fabric softener.

Lastly, air fresheners can work wonders, but ensure to use pet-safe options like the Fresh Wave Odor Eliminator (on Amazon) that will leave your space smelling heavenly.

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