North Face Cat Toilet

November 25, 2005 6:45 PM

CatPeeFilter: my landlord's cat peed all over my slightly expensive North Face Duffel Bag. Not having a cat myself and being unfamiliar with the world of feline urine, I just soaked the bag in hot water with Wisk. It still stank, so my GF gave me some Nature's Miracle, which I drenched the bag in, but it still smells. And I noticed on the instructions that you should *not* wash the bag regularly before using Nature's Miracle. Anyway, that damage is done, the bag still smells, so is there anything else I can do to save the bag?
posted by forallmankind to Pets & Animals (22 answers total)

Man, good luck. Cat pee odour is for life.
posted by brautigan at 7:03 PM on November 25, 2005

See here: Urine-off. $20 for a spray bottle, but this stuff is crazy... Bacteria specifically engineered to feed on everything you find in the pee.
posted by dsword at 7:06 PM on November 25, 2005

You could try Urine Gone -- it worked wonders when my cat peed on my roommate's comforter (I didn't exactly tell her about it and she still has no idea).
posted by awegz at 7:07 PM on November 25, 2005

A local vet or pet store probably has some good stuff for this, but all of them seem to work best if used prior to washing. Soaking in enzyme detergents (most laundry detergents have enzymes), time and sunlight also help.
posted by caddis at 7:25 PM on November 25, 2005

Wash it in the washer with laundry soap and a liter or two of Coke. I've never tried it on catpee but it removes just about all odors.

~Warning~ if it's a waterproof duffel that might not be a good idea and if it's a small or front load washer don't get carried away with the Coke, it makes foam.
posted by fshgrl at 7:29 PM on November 25, 2005

drench it again, and set it somewhere it will dry thoroughly, and then dry some more (in front of a heater, say, where it won't burn of course) Leave it for a week. It should be nearly undetectable by then. If you still smell something, do it again. Nature's miracle is one of the better of these products, but it really needs to dry to smell its magic.
posted by dness2 at 7:31 PM on November 25, 2005

1-2-3 Odor Free worked on my backpack, duffel bag and the favourite clothes packed in the (stupidly unzipped) duffel bag. Multiple attempts with Nature's Miracle had proved completely useless.

123 Odor Free works via genetically engineered bacteria. Don't know how it compares with Urine Off.
posted by cybercoitus interruptus at 7:36 PM on November 25, 2005

We had a very bad cat pee incident, and the only thing that worked was baking soda. We basically covered the carpet with a very thick coat of the stuff, covered it with a towel, and forgot about it for two weeks. When we vacuumed it up, the smell was gone. I haven't done this with a bag, though, but it's probably worth a shot.
posted by Medieval Maven at 8:09 PM on November 25, 2005

Try pure cabonated water it leaves no residue the co2 neutralizes the smell, I have only used it on carpets though.
posted by hortense at 8:12 PM on November 25, 2005

Has your landlord offered to replace your bag for you?
posted by mr_crash_davis at 8:17 PM on November 25, 2005

Nature's Miracle works really well, but it does need multiple applications sometimes. Drench it with the liquid, let it dry, then drench it again. And keep it away from the cat in the meantime: it actually seems to make the smell worse while it's working, and that's more attractive to a passing cat...
posted by baggers at 8:28 PM on November 25, 2005

I literally scared the piss out of my cat while he was sleeping on my bed when I was vacuuming. I thought I was going to have to throw the entire thing out. Until I used this recipe:

Mix 1 quart of Hydrogen Peroxide, with 1/4 cup of Baking Soda, and one tablespoon of liquid dishwashing soap. Saturate the affected area, rinse thoroughly with clean water, and the smell is gone.

I was surprised how well it worked, the smell disappeared.
posted by phox at 8:29 PM on November 25, 2005

My friend the carpet cleaner recommended Odorcide after my cousin's cat peed all over my cousin's carpet. FWIW, my cousin's living room doesn't stink anymore.
posted by Fat Guy at 8:46 PM on November 25, 2005

Anti Icky Poo.
I had a kitty incident on my couch, and I tried everything. Nature's Miracle did not even work for me.
This worked in one application.
posted by oflinkey at 9:10 PM on November 25, 2005

Soak the bag in some vinegar, wash in the washer and let it dry for a few days in the sun. The vinegar smell will dissipate and neutralize after a short while.

This method worked after my cat peed on my messenger bag.
posted by asterisk at 10:22 PM on November 25, 2005

err... and by soak, I mean overnight.
posted by asterisk at 10:22 PM on November 25, 2005

mr_crash_davis: Has your landlord offered to replace your bag for you?

I'm with m_c_d here: I believe you may be solving the completely wrong problem. Your landlord's property ruined your property, although you don't make it clear how your landlord's cat was in a position to pee on your bag, or why. It's almost certainly irrelevant anyway, unless the explanation involves you illegally B&E into your landlord's space, at which time the cat peed on your bag. :)

I should think he or she is (legally, yes?) obliged to compensate you in some fashion. Have them replace it, or at the very least- since (s)/he's a cat owner and should know of such things- have him help you in repairing the bag. It sounds like you might also be out additional money if you need to buy products to repair the stain- that should be coming out of your landlord's pocket.

I guess I'm saying: don't be such a pussy about this pussy problem you have. If you're on friendly terms with your landlord, they should have already offered to replace/fix your bag. If you're on more formal terms, then you should be more forthright in asking for financial assistance.
posted by hincandenza at 2:54 AM on November 26, 2005

ExStink works perfectly well for this kind of thing. I've tried a handful of the other products suggested in this thread, and of those I found none to be as effective.

I really wish you people would listen what I've been saying about every funk-related question since the beginning of time: ExStink, used properly, absolutely demolishes odor problems like these.
posted by majick at 8:17 AM on November 26, 2005

Response by poster: hincandenza: yes, I guess you are saying I'm a pussy. But you're responding to a question I did not ask. Your answer is as relevant as if I asked you for directions and you told me how to make a good bechamel sauce because you didn't know the way but you'd happened to make a good lasagna recently. If I had a problem asking my landlord to pay for the bag (which he will do, I just don't want to waste it if it's recoverable), that would have been I the question I would have asked.

Thank you all for your (relevant) answers :-)
posted by forallmankind at 9:34 AM on November 26, 2005

I've had good luck washing the afflicted article in the washing machine with a goodly amount (pint or so) of vinegar.
posted by adamrice at 11:21 AM on November 26, 2005

I have a vengeful cat. The product I use is BP. For cordura nylon and goretex material you must spray a great deal of it and then let it sit, soaking overnight. Rinse in cold water and let it dry naturally. You may have to repeat depending on material of the item. As an example, my cat peed on my chaco sandal which needed a week of soaking in BP to be functional again. As an extra caution, I used baking soda afterwards. Good luck.
posted by jadepearl at 8:50 PM on November 26, 2005

I've had more success in removing the stench of cat urine using standard human laundry products such as Persil than using any of the products designed specifically for pet urine. Just fling the pee'd on item in the washing machine with a good enzyme based washing tab and wash it on a delicate/ wool cycle. Let it dry naturally. When it's dry you can use Scotchguard on it to regain it's waterproof qualities if needed. If the bag isn't washing machine proof, try soaking it in a bowl of the washing solution for a couple of days.
posted by Arqa at 4:27 AM on December 7, 2005