Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 2: How to Identify a Urine Stain
• Part 2 of 2: How to Clean a Stained Area
• What do you need

The smell of cat urine is harsh and unpleasant, but sometimes urine stains can be difficult to detect! Fortunately, you don't have to rely solely on your nose to find the source of the smell. Instead, you can use an ultraviolet lamp. If you illuminate a space in a dark room with such a lamp, then the cat urine will begin to glow yellow-green, which will greatly facilitate the search for the spot. If you find the stain, neutralize the urine with an enzymatic cleaner.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: How to Identify a Urine Stain

1. 1 Buy or borrow a UV lamp with a wavelength of 365–385 nm (nanometers). For best results, look for a 9-12 LED handheld torch. The wavelength should be between 365–385 nm. A lower value will not be enough to highlight the cat urine, while a higher value will be too close to natural light and you will not notice the stain.
   • You can purchase an ultraviolet lamp at a hardware store or online.
   • You can also find UV flashlights with fluorescent bulbs. If they indicate a wavelength in the range of 365-385 nm, then they will also be effective, but LED flashlights are still more powerful.

   Did you know? Nanometers are used to measure the visible light spectrum, or the amount of light that the human eye can pick up.

   
   
2. 2 Wait until late in the evening so that the room is as dark as possible. While you can try curtains tightly around the windows, it will be easier to wait outside until dark to use the UV lamp. When you are ready to start work, turn off the lights in the room you are inspecting, as well as in the rooms and corridors adjacent to it.
   • If the room is not dark enough, your eyes will not be able to see the highlighted urine.
3. 3 Go to the area where you suspect urine may be and turn on the UV lamp. Usually the spot of cat urine is located near where the bad smell is coming from, but sometimes it takes a little looking around to determine the source of the smell. To find the spot more efficiently, start it in the place where the cat could supposedly go to the toilet, and then move further to the sides.
4. 4 Note the glowing yellow or neon green spot. When ultraviolet light comes into contact with cat urine, it will glow. Depending on the amount of urine and its actual location, it may be a stain, puddle, splash, or drip.
   • For example, if a cat has marked its territory on a wall, the stain might be a splash with multiple streaks. If the cat has just urinated on the floor, you will see a large, rounded spot.
   • Some cleaning products and other household materials (including wallpaper glue) can glow under UV light, so don't panic if the entire room suddenly starts glowing when you turn on the UV lamp.
   • Other substances, including bodily fluids and drinks such as tonic, can also glow. Look at the location, size, shape, and smell of the stain to determine if it is a cat urine stain.
5. 5 Move the lamp back and forth while checking various surfaces. Cats can use a wide variety of surfaces as a litter box, so don't just check the floor. Move the lamp slowly from side to side, checking along walls and doorframes, furniture tops and sides, and bedding.
   • If you don't spot the stains right away, slowly start moving away from the source of the odor.
6. 6 Mark the boundaries of the spot so you know where to look later. It will probably be difficult for you to remember exactly the position, size and shape of the spot when you turn on normal lighting. To accurately mark the spot you need to clean, use tape or chalk to outline the perimeter of the spot.
   • It is a good idea to clean a slightly larger surface area than what you notice in UV light, in case the stain has soaked in and spread out inside. For this reason, you should not worry about accurately determining the boundaries of the spot. Just put small marks on the top, bottom and sides of the stained area for yourself to know where it is.

Part 2 of 2: How to Clean a Stained Area

1. 1 Try to find and clean the stain As soon as possible. This is not always possible, but the sooner you clean the stain, the better the results will be. If you smell cat urine but can't find cat urine in daylight, try spotting it with an ultraviolet lamp in the evening of the same day.
   • Cat urine decomposes and begins to give off a pungent odor. The stain will also be more difficult to clean if it has time to eat in.
2. 2 If possible, soak the stain with soapy water. If the stain is on a material that can be safely wetted, such as a carpet, add a few drops of dish detergent to warm water, then dab the entire stain with the solution. Leave the stain like this for about an hour. This will help loosen the adhesion of the crystallized cat urine to the surface.
3. 3 Blot the stain with a damp cloth. After enough time has passed for the water to soak the stain, blot it with a clean, damp cloth. Work from the outer edges of the area towards the center to avoid enlarging the urine spot beyond the original boundaries.
   • If you're trying to clean something that can't be wet for a long time, such as leather or wood, skip the soak step and just try to blot it as well as possible with a damp cloth.Then let the affected area dry completely.
4. 4 Spray an enzymatic cleaner onto the stain and let it sit for 20 minutes. There are a number of different home cleaners available on the market, but you need an enzymatic cleaner to completely neutralize your cat urine. Saturate the area to be cleaned with the cleaner, remembering to apply it beyond the original stain line in case urine still spreads when soaked. Instructions for specific cleaning agents may vary, but usually such sprays do not require subsequent removal.
   • Enzyme cleaners can be purchased from pet or hardware stores, or even make your own if you wish.
   • Be sure to read the instructions for the product to make sure it is safe for the surface on which you intend to apply it. Test the effect of the spray on the surface in an inconspicuous area to make sure it will not damage the surface of the item you are cleaning. Enzymatic cleaners are usually quite gentle when compared to other cleaning agents.
   • If the item you intend to clean cannot be wetted, enzymatic cleaners can be found in powdered form.

   Advice: if you are cleaning material such as wood or leather, read the instructions for the cleaning agent to make sure it is safe for these surfaces.

   
   

What do you need

• UV lamp
• Wet wipe
• Dish detergent
• Water
• Bowl or bucket
• Enzymatic cleaner