Whether it’s winning our affection or destroying the house, everything seems to come naturally to our cats. It only takes a few quick swipes of their claws to wreck your favorite leather chair, and even the tiniest accident on the carpet is enough to fill your house with an unrelenting urine stink.
It can take a lot of patience on some days but living with cats gets so much easier when you know how to clean up after them. Removing cat urine is one job that causes major headaches for pet owners, as most DIY methods that work on other stains don’t stand a chance on a pee spot. If you’re done struggling with old stains and funky odors that just won’t quit, check out our reviews and top picks for the best carpet cleaner for cat urine to try today.
The 9 Best Carpet Cleaners for Cat Urine in 2022
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Best Overall
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Nature’s Miracle Cat Enzymatic Urine Destroyer Plus |
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| Best Value
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Simple Solution Pet Urine Destroyer |
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| Premium Choice
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Urine Off Cat & Kitten Formula |
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Skout’s Honor Professional Strength Urine & Odor Destroyer |
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Hoover Paws & Claws Pet Stain Remover |
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1. Nature’s Miracle Cat Enzymatic Urine Destroyer Plus – Best Overall
Nature’s Miracle is a leader in all things related to managing pet behaviors, and its Urine Destroyer Plus may be the crowning achievement. There are some more versatile and user-friendly products out there, but when you only need to remove hard-to-clean cat urine odor and lingering residue, this is the best overall carpet cleaner to accomplish just that.
Urine Destroyer Plus is a bio-enzymatic spray, a targeted cleaner that is arguably the best solution for organic pet stains. Helpful bacteria in the solution produce enzymes that break down the odor-causing proteins and uric acid in cat pee, turning them into water and harmless gasses that dissipate into the air.
As with most enzyme cleaners, you spray the stain with Urine Destroyer Plus, wait 15 minutes, and blot the liquid up. After blotting up the damp spot, bio-agents from the cleaner remain in your carpet and continue to consume any urine they meet for ongoing performance. It removes any trace of cat pee to prevent future marks, while essential oils in the formula impart a crisp, pine scent to help refresh the room.
- Uses targeted cat urine bio-enzymes
- Continues working after cleaning
- Effective on carpet, furniture, fabric, and hard surfaces
- Strong fragrance can be irritating
2. Simple Solution Pet Urine Destroyer – Best Value
The aptly-named Simple Solution offers a no-frills but ultra-effective and all-natural approach to clean cat urine from carpet in its Pet Urine Destroyer spray. The “2x Pro Bacteria” formula works like Nature’s Miracle’s bio-enzyme spray, with bacteria and enzymes dissolving urea and other waste products. Spray the cleaner and blot up after 10 minutes. The solution will leave a fragrant scent for a few hours as it evaporates and takes the urine odor with it.
Thanks to its basic formula, the Pet Urine Destroyer is handy on an array of water-safe materials around the home, from hard surfaces to bedding and children’s toys. It’s an excellent value and powerful multi-purpose solution for cats and dogs that have frequent accidents, and is the best carpet cleaner for cat urine for the money.
- Leaves a pleasant, mild aroma
- Works fast
- Safe to use on a variety of materials
- Great for cat and dog urine
- May take multiple cleanings to remove old stains
3. Urine Off Cat & Kitten Formula – Premium Choice
If you’re dealing with not only irritating cat odor but also an unsightly stain that won’t come out, you may need to upgrade your efforts to Urine Off Cat & Kitten Formula. The liquid cleaner combines the odor-eliminating power of bacteria and enzymes with a dirt-lifting surfactant, a strong 1-2 punch that gets rid of any evidence of a past accident.
Urine Off is a USDA-certified bio-based product and is 100% safe for use around people and pets. It can pick up and destroy fresh pee in a matter of minutes, but old set-in stains may need more time to soak. Give the cleaner a few hours to sit, and it will eliminate even the most challenging stains.
- Effective odor-remover and stain-lifter
- Eco-friendly
- Safe for a variety of surfaces
- Pricier than other options
- Can leave a waxy residue
4. Skout’s Honor Professional Strength Urine & Odor Destroyer
For pet owners who prefer environmentally friendly, sustainable solutions around the home, Skout’s Honor Professional Strength Urine & Odor Destroyer is the product to have on hand for tough cat stains. Instead of using enzymes, Skout’s Honor integrates alternative bio-based solutions to eliminate pet smells and lift stains.
The Professional Strength Urine & Odor Destroyer uses BioKore technology, a plant-derived surfactant, to remove dirt and destroy odor-causing molecules. That means that it’s safe to use around your family and pets, and it’s effective on more than just cat urine. Whether it is pee, feces, hairballs, or vomit, Skout’s Honor’s innovative formula can tackle anything your kitty can dole out. Use it for your carpet, floor, bedding, car, laundry, or any water-safe material where an unfortunate accident occurred.
- Effective on a variety of pet stains
- Usable on numerous water-safe materials
- Bio-based, eco-friendly formula
- Safe to use around people and pets
- Not compromised by extreme heat or cold
- Removes feline pheromones, odor molecules, and stains
- Product smell may linger long after use
- May not be effective on old urine stains
5. Hoover Paws & Claws Pet Stain Remover
Hoover makes its Paws & Claws Pet Stain Remover for use with the rest of their carpet-care solutions, but it works perfectly fine on its own. The enzymatic formula is an all-purpose solution for random pet stains whether they came from your cat, dog, or any other four-legged housemate.
Paws & Claws uses an array of enzymes that dig deep into carpeting, removing odors and remaining active to continue fighting smells long after you finish cleaning. Use it to effectively remove urine stains as well as any other organic waste your furry friends leave behind. It’s excellent as a standalone option, or you can pretreat your carpet before shampooing for an enzyme-cleaning boost.
- Effective on a variety of stains
- Continues working after cleaning
- Usable on carpet, area rugs, car interiors, and upholstery
- Not a multi-surface option
- May be ineffective on deep set-in stains
6. Urine Gone Pet Stain & Odor Eliminator
Urine Gone Pet Stain & Odor Eliminator is a savvy cocktail of odor fighters including enzymes and baking soda, making it a non-toxic and multi-functional cat urine cleaner for mindful pet parents. It’s an incredibly versatile formula, useful on the widest range of pet stains and soiled surfaces you could imagine.
For carpet cleaning, spray Urine Gone to saturate the stain and let it sit until it dries completely, giving the enzymes time to reach deep into the fibers and extract any odor. Then, blot the area with a damp towel to remove traces of cleaner. Feel free to use Urine Gone on nearly any material, including wood, porcelain, vinyl, and bedding, or use it as a laundry pre-treatment to get rid of urine in your clothes.
- Effective on a wide variety of surfaces
- Useful for many different pet stains
- Non-toxic, safe around humans and pets
- Long overall cleaning time
- Not the most effective on old urine stains
7. Nature’s Miracle Pet Stain and Odor Remover Foam Aerosol Spray
There’s something satisfying about watching a foaming carpet cleaner go to work, and without a doubt, Nature’s Miracle Pet Stain and Odor Remover Foam works. When you’ve tried everything on a stinky cat urine stain, try this simple-to-use cleaner to get the smell out for good. The foam penetrates carpet fibers, carrying active enzymes deep down to release the toughest marks and prevent re-soiling.
Like spray solution, Nature’s Miracle foam solutions work in a simple 3-step process—spray, wait 15 minutes, and blot up the cleaner. The formula is convenient to use, safe around the family, quick-drying, and workable on several different hard and soft surfaces.
- Powerful enzymatic formula for an array of stains
- Safe for multiple surfaces
- Easy to use
- Scent can be overpowering
- Not as effective on old cat urine as bio-enzymatic formulas
8. Resolve Urine Destroyer
Resolve is the odor-elimination brand, and you can always count on it to take a unique approach to cleaning pet messes. Its Urine Destroyer spray is another addition to a long lineup of powerful carpet cleaning products. The solution works for cat urine and other pet stains, including vomit and dirt marks.
If your cat just had an accident on the carpet, reach for Urine Destroyer to eliminate the odor on contact. The bio-based polymer solution lifts stains and immediately neutralizes smells, taking no time to clean fresh pee. Use it anywhere your pets have accidents, from carpet to car interiors and beyond.
- Eliminates odor fast
- Suitable for several different surfaces
- Effective on human and pet urine
- Can be ineffective on dried cat pee
9. Arm & Hammer Pet Stain & Odor Eliminator
You know what you’re going to get with any Arm & Hammer product, and its baking soda-based pet stain remover and deodorizer is an appropriate representative for the brand. Rather than use enzymes, the Pet Stain & Odor Eliminator mixes odor-killing baking soda with stain-lifting OxiClean to safely and effectively remove cat urine from carpeting.
It may be a different blend, but you use Arm & Hammer’s cleaner just like an enzyme cleaner. Liberally spray a urine stain and let it sit for 10 minutes before blotting it up. It’s a worry-free way to remove fresh urine from carpets and more, but it may struggle with old stains.
- Safe to use around people and pets
- Fast-acting formula kills odors
- Useful on a variety of pet stains
- Not ideal for dried urine stains
- Can be hard to clean suds from carpet
Buyer’s Guide – Choosing the Best Carpet Cleaner for Cat Urine
What Works Best on Cat Urine?
Bio-enzymatic cleaners are the best solutions for removing cat urine, especially when you have to clean old dry pee stains.
The cat urine smell is so persistent because uric acid crystals form a strong hold on carpet fibers, a bond that normal detergents and cleaners can’t break. You can mask the smell with perfumes temporarily, and you may think you got rid of it after your initial cleaning attempts. But uric acid reactivates when it gets moist, so you may find the odor returning on a humid day or even after you steam clean your carpet!
Instead of masking the smell, bio-enzymatic cleaners remove the root cause of it. These solutions work by using targeted enzymes to break down specific organic waste (cat urine, in this case) so that helpful bacteria can consume it and remove it as harmless byproducts. The smell won’t return and you’ll stand a better chance of avoiding repeat accidents in the same spots.
Enzymatic and Oxygen-Based Cleaners
Choosing a cat urine cleaner is often a tradeoff of power and versatility. Bio-enzymatic cleaners are powerful, but they’re usually limited to a specific type of stain.
Broader enzyme cleaners can break down a variety of organic waste materials, so you can often use them not only on urine but also vomit, blood, saliva, and feces. Oxygen-based cleaners, like Arm & Hammer’s pet stain remover, go a step further by working on pet waste as well as a variety of other everyday stains, such as dirt and wine spills.
While general enzyme and oxygen-based cleaners are versatile, they’re mainly effective on cat urine if it’s fresh. Once the stain is dry, you will be better off trying a bio-enzyme cleaner the first time.
Related Read: 10 Best Carpet Cleaner for Dog Urine: Reviews & Top Picks
Final Thoughts
Our cats can be a comfort, but they can quickly turn into a pain when they decide to stray from the litter box. Fortunately, with the right approach, you won’t have to hold the occasional bathroom break on the rug against them for too long.
The best step to take is to blot up cat urine as soon as possible, and you may even be able to use DIY household solutions for minor spots if you get to them fast. But when you need an extra boost to get rid of those tough stains, follow our reviews for the best carpet cleaners for cat urine. Our top choice overall is the Urine Destroyer Plus from Nature’s Miracle, followed by Simple Solution for the best value for money.
With our recommendations, you’ll be sure to get the odor out in no time and keep your pet from having repeat accidents.
Featured Image Credit: Syda Productions, Shutterstock