vas25tl

We just bought a condo and the old lady that lived there before had 4 cats

How do I get rid of this smell?! I'm painting now and have washed the floors where the cats primarily lived (basement). I've heard some stuff from people talking about washing the floor with vinegar and something and something. Do any of you have some "special" formulas to get rid of that disgusting smell? I'm also in the process of removing all the carpet in the place and will get all new carpet; I'd definitely like to get rid of the smell before fresh carpet is put in.

I'll be posting pics of this project later, just left the camera at the condo.

Thanks!

LuvMyTSX

I don't know how to go about cleaning concrete floors, but regarding the carpet upstairs....removing the carpet may not be enough. If the cats peed a lot on the carpet, it may have seeped through to the sub floor, in which case I think the only way to get the smell out would be to replace the sub floor as well as the carpet.

vas25tl

90% of the smell is in the basement, which is where the litter boxes were. I'm going to be febreezing all the insulation while it's open during the remodel.

It's already gotten MUCH MUCH MUCH better after painting the walls and washing the concrete floor with just a basic cleaner.

svtmike

You have to either (a) seal the odor in or (b) remove the permeated materials.

If the insulation is really holding some of the stank, I'd replace it. The floor you should be able to seal up with an epoxy paint.

tony4311

I had a similar problem.

People before me had two cats, litter in the mech. room. Cement floor and when we checked the house a trashbag full of crap. They'd wait until it was full to throw the bag out. Also they blocked most of the basement off so after the cat was done they HAD to walk on the same 1 square foot of carpet.

We washed that concrete floor with bleach. Replaced that section of carpet and replaced the drywall from where the liter was. That and a lot of airing out.

csmeance

ozone machine

pmptx

Enzyme cleaner designed for pet urine on the basement floor and any other solid subflooring between the carpet replacement

gatrhumpy

iTrader: (1)

If you have carpet and this is a concrete floor that was sealed, the stains/smell should come off/out pretty easily. If it is unsealed concrete and the wetness seeped into the concrete, you will have to smell where it is, and then seal it using an epoxy paint or something along those lines. As others have mentioned, you either have to seal it in with paint or clean it out. I would add another coat of paint to the place, seal the floor, and then add new carpet. That should cure it.

timmahh

I went on vacation just after buying a cat genie and one of the cats rejected it.. She decided to pee in the den downstairs, we had to toss the carpet, the pad, the tack strips, and the baseboard.. Replaced it w/ bamboo.

Try some primer/sealant, replace what you can that has a catass smell to it.

vas25tl

It's a concrete floor in the basement, I'll more than likely end up painting the floor and the blocks in the unfinished part of the basement.

Great, more stuff to do that I didn't think about.

vas25tl

Well, last night we washed the floors in the basement with a water/vinegar/soap mix. It smelled good last night when we were leaving, I have a dehumidifier running and a fan running right now. I'll check it out tonight when I go after work to do some more painting

svtmike

So you basically douched your basement floor?

vas25tl

I suppose....I prefer to use other terminology

gatrhumpy

iTrader: (1)

Sounds like you're on the right path.

vas25tl

It's getting much better. Going to wash the floors again tonight and then letting it dry for a few days before painting the walls and floor.

litesout

Vinegar does wonders on odors. That said, because its cat pee, you may have to go to Petsmart of something like that and get an enzyme cleaner to get the last of it out. The last people who owned my house smoked. Apparently pretty heavily too. But, after painting, steam cleaning the carpets with a heavy vinegar solution and a gallon of febreeze the smell is pretty much gone. I think the tiny bit of residual is coming from the vertical blinds. They're badly discolored too, so they'll be going anyway. The ceiling fans held a surprising amount of smell too. I replaced all of them but 1. And the 1 I kept I stripped down to the motor and cleaned all the parts with soap and water. Only reason I kept it was because it was super tacky and looks great in my game room