How to remove Urine Smell When You can't find it?

I have a male cat who's been spraying(about to be nuetered) but he has sprayed my basement laundry room somewhere and I cannot decipher where. I have put Nature's Miracle all over the floor and wiped down what I can but I think he has done it in an area I cannot reach. What can I do as it STINKS! Thanks.

Sorry, but you have to find the spot and clean it with the Nature's Miracle. Have you tried a black light? Check the walls, not just the floor. Male cats spray up on the walls to mark their territory. If he can get behind things, like a washer and dryer, then you may need to pull them out to clean behind them.

You can pick up a hand-held black light pet stores like Petsmart - the urine should glow in the dark under the black light. Hope that helps, it works for me!

Go on a cleaning frenzy. Clean everything down there. Move stuff out away from the walls (if there's a washer and dryer down there). That's pretty much all you can do. Replace any cardboard boxes if you're using any with plastic storage containers (easier to clean).

The bright side is at least you'll have a clean basement when you're done. Maybe you can make a bit of a project out of and reorganize too? Consider it early spring cleaning.

Thanks but I have tried the blacklight. We have rafters in our ceiling that the cats can reach but I cannot and I'm wondering if they're peeing in there? I did use the black light with nature's miracle all over the floor and checked behind the washer/dryer. I'm cluekless

Just top update I have cleaned everything with nature's miracle but still the smell persists in the basement. It's coming from the rafters and I cannot get to them, as they are deep in the ceiling. Cats no longer have access to them but how do I mask or get rid of the horrible odor?

Try activated charcoal - the kind that you use in fish tank filtration systems. Get a large container, open it up, and put it up in the rafters where the smell is strongest. I had a mouse die in the walls of my house once and I used charcoal to absorb the smell. Realize that this is a temporary solution only. You have to find the source of the smell and either clean the spot, replace the materials, or seal in the smell with something like polyurethane (if they did it on wood).

Thank you. Stupid question, where do I buy activated charcoal, grocery store?

Try Walmart or a petstore?

Thanks. and how much/how do I use it? Do I just place it in the rafters?

I don't know if this will help any. When I needed to spray in an area I could not reach, I used a clean garden sprayer and a tall ladder.

If the smell is coming from the attic, is it possible to get close enough to spray?

I had much better luck with www.weecleaner.com and have heard great things about www.antiickypoo.com

These products are sprayed on and must be left to dry.

I hope you can get to the source.

Thanks. Appreciate that but unfortunately no garden hose with reach, as its in my laundry room. Hopefully I can get some activated charcoal or just mask it for now?

I think what Skimble is recomending is a pump sprayer. The kind used for spraying pesticides. Buy a new one for this though. A small gallon size should work for this. It's small enough to hand carry up the ladder or step stool (whatever helps you reach to spot.) It has a wand on a tube so you can spray back into the area.

Like this:

THanks but I've also read vinegar and water mixed might help? I'll try that. Also, I used amonia to saturate and try and rid koolaide stains on my carpets. Will the amonia make the cats pee on it now?

I have read about, but never used something called fluoroscein capsules which can be given by the vet. This is useful if you're actually not sure which cat is responsible, or if you just want to find everything there is to clean. When you use these for your cat, you still use the black light, but it makes the stains stand out much stronger. Like I said, I have no personal experience with this, but maybe someone else has a response. Your vet may also have an idea what this is about.

FYI: the capsules are for the cat to take, not you.

Originally Posted by momof3furbabies

THanks but I've also read vinegar and water mixed might help? I'll try that. Also, I used amonia to saturate and try and rid koolaide stains on my carpets. Will the amonia make the cats pee on it now?

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Apparently ammonia is not the best cleaning solution as it confuses the cat into thinking it's allowed to go there again (as cat urine is ammonia-based).

Sorry, but didn't see your questions until now.

You can get activated charcoal from any pet store that sells fish tank supplies. Buy a jar of it with a screw top lid and just open the lid and leave it up there.

Vinegar and water won't take the smell out. Ammonia will make them want to pee there. Avoid both.