How to Get Cat Urine Out of Rubber Mats

By Jacqueline Lerche

Instructions

Things You’ll Need:

Paper towels (or mop)
Enzymatic cleaner
1 cup of white vinegar
Detergent
Carpet cleaner
Washing machine

Step 1:
Keep the cat away from the rubber mat while you are cleaning the urine. This will avoid a second stain from being created before you clean the first.
Step 2:
Use paper towels or a mop to soak up as much of the cat urine as possible. If the rubber mat is not covered by any other fabric, clean the mat with an enzymatic cleaner. Follow the directions on the bottle. If the rubber mat is covered in fabric, machine-wash it with a cup of white vinegar. After you have washed it once with vinegar, wash it again with detergent.
Step 3:
Use carpet cleaner if you are not able to machine-wash a fabric-covered mat. Saturate the fabric with the cleaner and let it sit for an hour. Blot the spot with paper towels. If necessary, pad the fabric with paper towels that are weighed down with a book and leave for several hours in order to soak up the excess liquid. Use an enzymatic cleaner to neutralize the odor.
Step 4:
Air-dry rubber mats outdoors, if possible. Removing all traces of the odor of urine is the best way to discourage a cat from urinating on the mat again.
Step 5:
Avoid rubber mats. Cats associate certain odors with their own urine. These odors encourage them to urinate over that area. One of these odors actually comes from rubber mats. Bath or kitchen mats that are lined with rubber to prevent slipping are often the victims of cat urine. Since the smell of the rubber is what attracts the cat to urinate on the mat, it may be best to use a vinyl-lined mat instead.
Step 6:
Do not use ammonia products to clean cat urine odors. Ammonia, like rubber mats, contains an odor similar to a cat's urine. This will only encourage more inappropriate urinating.
Step 7:
Do not use products that mask odors. These will not work against a cat's sensitive nose. A cat's sense of smell will find any trace of remaining urine.

Tips & Warnings

Placing a texture that the cat dislikes, like aluminum foil or the underside of a computer mat, over the mat, can discourage the cat from walking or urinating on it.
Never scrub a fabric surface to clean urine. It will only set the odor in deeper.

More Puppy Pages

How to Get Cat Urine Out of Paint

Your cat has sprayed the wall again, or perhaps you've purchased a house whose former occupants have cats. The house stinks of cat urine and you suspect the cat has sprayed the wall. Cats urinate outside of the litter box for various reasons, including...

How to Neutralize the Smell of Cat Urine in Carpets

Cat urine can be one of the most onerous smells in a household. Urine on a hard surface may be simple to clean, but urine stains in carpet can be difficult to eliminate. Common commercial cleaners, including bleach, can often make the odor worse instead...

How to Remove Pet Odor From a Sofa With Non-Removable Cushions

When you have non-removable cushions on your sofa, it can be difficult to get odor out of them, especially when a pet has soiled the area. It may not be possible to get all of the odor and stain, depending on how deep the moisture has gone into the...

Bleach can be a good cleaning chemical for getting rid of pesky cat urine stains. It is most effective when used on clothing, some upholstery and other fabrics, such as bedsheets. If the item you are bleaching is pure white, you can use chlorine bleach...

How to Remove a Cat Urine Smell From the Laundry

Cats, like dogs, can be pretty territorial. As part of this behavior, cats are inclined to mark their territory with their urine. Sometimes in the process of marking their territory, they will urinate in unexpected places, including the laundry...