Cat pee on leather

[Nick Allen]

I have been asked by a customer what can be done to get rid of a nasty smell from a leather sofa.
Apparently the item was bought on ebay and when it turned up stank of cat pee. She wants to keep the sofa and hopes the smell can be got rid of.
She thinks that the sofa was used by one or more cats as their toilet!!!!
The urine is confined to one end of the sofa. She says she has removed the foam insets and washed them and wants to know what to do next. She stresses the stench is eyewateringly horrendous.
If it was a fabric sofa I would wade in with a good extraction clean and follow it with something like solubac or another enzine digester. But leather?????
Short of a can of petrol and a match, has anyone any ideas, please. She really wants to keep the sofa and is on a tight budget.

Thanks, Nick.

 

[Elfyn Rees]

It sounds, by the description of the smell, that it could be tom cat pee. I've had several jobs in the past with this type of malodor (sorry, not on leather) and I have to say that I've failed in most cases. :sad:
There are no magical answers, just do all that you can and hope for the best.

 

[John Bolton]

Nick,

I have held back on answering, hoping that Judy would be available but would endorse Elfyns comment regarding the durability of cat urine odour - especially tom cat. It contains testosterones designed by nature to survive for months outside in all weathers.

Though there are deodorisers that can be used on some leathers, treating even mild odours may require several attempts and especially since whatever finish is on the leather is likely to have been damaged by the urine, and there is a likelihood of crystalline uric salts within the leather itself, any treatment applied may have unpredictable results.

Don't let the customers problem become YOUR problem.

 

[Nick Allen]

Thanks for that, Elfyn and John.
The customer certainly wont be a problem as she has stated she will bin the sofa if nothing can be done.
I see this as an opportunity to have the sofa to practise on, and if I cant solve the problem, she will have lost nothing, and it can then go to the skip.If the sofa can be salvaged, then she will be happy and I will have gained valuable experience.I will, of course, get an appropriate survey form signed.
My thanks to Roger Koh for his valued in depth response via PM. I will have a good look at your suggestions.
I am also booked into Judys course in Cardiff, so hopefully, she may be able to shed some light on the problem.
Any other advise is welcome please.
Nick.

 

[Elfyn Rees]

Hi Nick, I'm booked to go on Judy's Cardiff course. Hope to see you there.

 

[Nick Allen]

Elfyn,
I am on the morning one. 8.30 I believe.
Look forward to meeting you.

Nick.

 

[Mike Roper]

I'm just wondering if a black light would be useful in locating the affected areas as a start. If its pigment leather theres a fair chance urine would have run off the leather into the fillers etc.You only need one bad area and the whole thing stinks.
Mike

 

[Judy Bass]

I'm afraid I have to agree with John on this one. I have had very inconsistant results with removing cat odours and have not been able to establish anything conclusive from the results.
Once the odour has leached into the leather there is no way to extract using current methods for cleaning leather upholstery.
If the leather absorbs moisture easily then it will have soaked in the urine and its odour very rapidly. Even if the leather is the non-absorpant type the odour will still leach in but more slowly. but it is more likely to have seeped in via the seams and wicked into the fibres from the back.
I have been having some conversations with the dry cleaning industry recently and because they use a total emersion process there is a chance of sucess. That is if it is only a detachable cushion that is affected.!!!! I doubt if they will give you any guarantees but it maybe worth having a word if you know a good one.
We do have an enzyme cleaner that may work(haven't tried it on cat odour yet) but you would have to soak the leather back and front, blot out the residue and leave to dry. probably several times. If that made a significant reduction after leaving for several days then use a fabric deodoriser and maybe a leather scent (or something else that you like the smell of). The last two steps will only be of any use if you can reduce the odour to the merest hint.
Remember just because you are a cleaner (expert) does not mean you can solve every problem!

 

[Lonnie McDonald]

We have a rule of thumb on Urine odor in leather.

" If it smells bad it is bad , throw it away"

1. Urine doesn't smell bad and is actually very Sterile when it is new. They actually used to use urine to cleanse wounds in the USA Civil war.
2. When it sits a while it changes pH and becomes very agressive.
3. Once it shifts pH it starts breaking down the protein bonds of the leather and actually rotting it out. It has a very unique smell..urine and rotting leather.
4. If you get it wet it will slime on you, loose tensile strength and fall apart.

I can give you more information if you like, we have done several hundred urine jobs on leather.

 

[Nick Allen]

Thank you all for your help and information.

I think the best option is for me to walk away.

Nick.