What is the fastest and frugal way to get rid of cat urine smell?

 The Question:

My son and his partner have put their condo up for sale but haven't recieved offers yet. Several viewers have offered feedback that the smell of cat urine is a concern. They have cleaned and used some solution that supposedly removes the smell but obviously not enough. Does anyone have some frugal suggestions as to how to remove this smell?

TIA

What did people say?

⇒ Missy: If there's a Habitat for Humanity ReStore in your area, have them look for new flooring. And before they lay anything down, use Kilz.

⇒ Helen: Have they used a black light to identify where the urine is? Such as whether it’s been sprayed on walls or floors? Identify the areas first.

⇒ Susan: They may only be able to sell to another cat owner. I would not buy a house etc that a cat had lived in. It was actually on my list with my realtor not to show me houses from cat owners. Not to be negative, but just it is.

⇒ Del: Set out bowls with a teaspoon of vinegar in the middle of each room overnight. They can also put a pot on the stove on low with water and cinnamon sticks or a few drops of essential oil for an hour before the viewings.

⇒ Barbara: I bought a condo with dog urine odor we couldn’t get rid of even after removing all the carpet & linoleum. We bought an ozone machine (look for the lowest priced one with highest reviews on Amazon) Maybe you could even borrow one if someone you know has one. I think we had to run it several times until the smell was gone, but nothing else worked. It leaves an odd bleach like smell in the air but that goes away quickly. You need to remove plants pets & yourselves from the apartment while you run it on a timer.

⇒ Krisha: There are a ton of urine removers out there but if it was that simple then property managers would not be charging huge pet deposits. The way property managers handle this is by removing the carpet and then if the sub-floor is plywood or solid boards seal the odor into the wood with KILZ Complete or Zinsser B-I-N, mildew-resistant, oil-based primer. After the subfloor is dry you can paint over it or carpet over it.

⇒ Linda D: We had a 21 year old cat that was blind and deaf when he died. When a pet gets to that age, sometimes they’re older than your kids and definitely part of the family.

He could find his food dish, but toward the end, he couldn’t find a litter box. Unfortunately, our 19 year old cat started taking after him or I should say peeing after him.

To those who say, “how could you live like that?”, it just was. It would’ve been like putting an elderly parent in a nursing home, when he or she became incontinent.

When we moved out, we had to rip up all the carpeting. I don’t know the name of it but I would contact a contractor to find out more information. There was a product that we either painted on or sprayed on all the floors and the walls up about 3 feet in order to get rid of the urine smell.

⇒ Kim: I have cleaned homes for 25 years… do try the black light. You can buy a cheap light bulb style… then use something for skunks… for real…google. It has a live enzyme that kills the bacteria that’s causing the smell… and also if in rugs get a professional to steam clean with a Oder enzyme.