Cat pee stains.

[Jan Smith]

Hello,
I hope this is the right place and if not please move it.
I am dealing with task of removing soaked cat urine from hardwood flooring,
so far I tried the hydrogen peroxide method over the last couple of days but very little success so far.
Any tips on how to tackle this before bringing out the sander?
Thank you.

[Paul F Franklin]

Is the problem color staining or odor or both? I assume the flooring is finished; do you know what type of finish is on it?

[Jan Smith]

The stains are the issue, the floor is finished red oak flooring but I am not sure what they used as a finish.
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[Mark Daily]

I’ve seen a number of online articles using vinegar instead of peroxide but that is for odor. I don’t know if it will remove the stains but it’s worth a try.

[Jan Smith]

I’ve seen a number of online articles using vinegar instead of peroxide but that is for odor. I don’t know if it will remove the stains but it’s worth a try.

That is worth a try, would bleach be also an option?

Thank you.

[Nathan Johnson]

That is worth a try, would bleach be also an option?

Thank you.

Do NOT use bleach. When the bleach mixes with the ammonia in the cat urine, it creates extremely toxic vapor.
I made this mistake trying to clean cat urine from a cement slab after removing carpet in our lower level and nearly ended up in the hospital. I’ve never been that sick or vomited that violently before or since.

I've had some success with vinegar on cat urine odor, but the very best I've found is called Anti Icky Poo.

[Rick Potter]

Way back in the 60's I worked as a carpet cleaner/installer. It was really common back then to put wall to wall carpet down on top of wood floors because of animal stains, and I both used, and talked to many owners who had used, everything trying to get the stains out.

Not gonna happen.

[Lee Schierer]

The stains resemble iron stains on oak. You might want to try https://www.finewoodworking.com/2018...on-stains-wood

Before you cut up the floor. You might need to remove the floor finish first to reach the staining.

[Tom M King]

It's much different than iron stain. Find pro floor finishing forums, and see what they have to say about pet stains. You can't get them out. You can't stain over them with the darkest stain known to man, and hide them.

[Jan Smith]

It's much different than iron stain. Find pro floor finishing forums, and see what they have to say about pet stains. You can't get them out. You can't stain over them with the darkest stain known to man, and hide them.

Maybe I should get a tape with hardwood flooring printed on it.

[Mark Daily]

Maybe I should get a tape with hardwood flooring printed on it.

Or maybe you can faux paint it to match! Lol

[Jan Smith]

Thanks for the replies, I will talk to the owner tomorrow and see if she wants to do the method Lee posted.

[Tom M King]

Please post the results, with pictures.

[Phil Rose]

My perwonal experience has been with floors under carpet, but in case it helps, here was the process. After removing the carpet, the floor was doused with at least two applications of Nature's Miracle. Expensive but did the trick. We then sealed it all with Polyurethane and recarpeted. I know you cant follow that with beautiful finished flooring, but i would try the Natures Miracle first. The concern is the urine that gets into wood - side and bottom of the nice wood on top, and into the subfloor.

[Jan Smith]

Good call Phil, that reminded me that I have Nature's Miracle leftover from another job somewhere hiding in the shop.
I will try that tomorrow.