Are you wondering how to get cat litter out of the carpet? If your cat has an accident and soils your carpet with litter, there’s a way to get it out. Owning a cat is a lot of fun but sometimes it can be quite annoying when it comes to cleaning up the mess he has made. Choosing a solution that easily removes cat litter and stains without damaging the carpet is very important. Keep on reading to learn more about our useful tips to deal with cat litter on the carpet while reminding your cat that you’re not messing around!
How to get cat litter out of the carpet? (Step by Step)
Summary
To get rid of cat litter stains, apply the cleaning solution to the stain and use a scrubbing brush to scrub the stain away. You can also use an old toothbrush or a sponge.
To remove cat litter from carpet fibers, use a cleaning solution such as enzyme cleaner. Dry cat litter will not be easy to remove from carpet fibers, but you can use a scrub brush to loosen it. You should brush in two directions to reduce all the litter.
Using a vacuum cleaner to pick up loose parts. It is also important to wait for the area to air out thoroughly before using a vacuum.
Another option is to clean the litter box daily to avoid clumping. Keeping the litter box on a hard surface such as a bathroom or a corner of the hallway will ensure that the kitty litter box is further away from the carpet. This way, if the kitty gets out of the box, it will fall to the hard surface, rather than onto the carpet.
Check out our 4-step guideline you need to complete to efficiently get the cat litter out of your carpet below:
Step 1: Collect with a Paper Towel
If the litter is still wet, grab a paper towel to collect the soiled litter that your feline has left. It’s better to dampen the towel so the litter can easily stick to it.
You can use a kitchen sponge or wipe as a substitute, but note that the smells might be very difficult to be removed later. Hence, we recommend using paper towels or tissues for easy disposing of.
Step 2: Allow to completely dry
After you’ve removed as much wet litter as you can, give it some time for the rest to get dry as dry litter is generally easier to manage. Never try to pour water or any other liquid to wipe off the cat litter on the carpet. This will only send the gluey, sticky mess deeper into your carpets which are super hard to clean.
Step 3: Loosen with a Brush
Use a carpet scrubbing brush to loosen the leftover cat litter. Be gentle to avoid damaging the carpet fibers. Collect the loose pieces with some more paper towels. Repeat this until you’ve removed most of the clumps.
Step 4: Treat the carpet
What about the stubborn remaining litter? How to get dry kitty litter out of the carpet? We recommend treating the carpet with enzyme cleaner whether the cat litter has feces or not. This special solution will remove and neutralize the odor arising from the remaining proteins that your Tom has deposited. Also, it helps to expel stains and residues from deep within your carpet’s fibers. It is safe to use for your little friends and it doesn’t have any chemical smells.
Spot-test on a hidden area of the carpet first to make sure that it will not affect the color of the fabric. This solution needs time to work, so soak the soiled area and let it sit for at least 15 minutes if you want a quick clean and one or two hours for a deeper clean. The good thing is that you don’t need to do anything else after applying the enzyme as it will gradually disintegrate by itself.
Also, you can use baking soda instead of enzyme cleaner to get rid of the annoying stains on the carpet. While baking soda does not help to remove the odor completely, it seems to be cheaper and more convenient. Simply sprinkle the baking soda over the stained portion of the carpet and leave it to sit overnight to absorb as much soil as possible. To discard the baking soda and make your carpet look better, run a vacuum over the area to collect any of the remaining pieces of litter.
When you have a purring feline running around, clumping cat litter might come in handy. But clumping cat litter tends to stick to your cat’s paws and tracks everywhere easily, especially on the carpet. If the unwanted soils of litter are left for too long, it can lead to disturbing stains.
So how to get clumping cat litter out of the carpet? Take a look at our tried and tested steps below:
How to get clumping cat litter out of the carpet?
- The first thing to keep in mind is that you need to act as soon as possible. Delaying might cause the spill to become a permanent stain.
- Use a dry, white absorbent cloth or white paper towels to blot the liquids on the spot.
- To lift away semi-solids, use a rounded spoon to gently scrape them up.
- Note that clumping cat litter, especially clay cat litter is likely to become so sticky once they get wet. Thus you shouldn’t add water or any other liquids, just let the litter dry for a few hours.
- Soak the affected area with a bit of diluted vinegar or hydrogen peroxide to loosen the litter.
- Then, agitate the litter trapped in the carpet; use a scrub brush or rough cloth to brush the litter up.
- You may want to pick up any pieces of removed litter with packaging tape or your hand.
- Give it some time to dry before vacuuming. Run a vacuum or a carpet sweeper over the carpet to pick up as much litter as possible.
Sometimes, while rearranging things in your house, you may find your little kitty leaves an old present on the walls, on the furniture, or on the carpeted areas. If you are stumbling on those unsightly stains on the carpet, check out our tips below to get them out.
How do you remove cat litter stains on the carpet?
It’s time to take out a scrub brush, a sponge, and a sturdy cleaning cloth and execute some home remedies to restore your carpet glory:
First and foremost, pretest the removal solution you chose on a small inconspicuous area of the carpet to make sure that it will not affect the color of the cloth or damage it. If there’s a change, consider another option.
After picking the suitable solution, apply a small amount of it to a white cloth. Gently blot on the spill beginning from the edges to the center to prevent spreading – do not rub. Leave it on for a few minutes. The spill will gradually transfer from the carpet fibers to the cloth. You may expect to repeat the same steps several times until the stains completely disappear, if it doesn’t work, move to the next solution.
When the stains are thoroughly removed, use cold water to rinse the affected area, then blot with a dry cloth until all moisture is removed.
In case you are in a rush and want to minimize drying time, we recommend using a dry, absorbent, cleaning compound instead. We’ve tried a wide range of cleaning solutions and found some of the most effective ones as follows:
Solvent – Many cat owners prefer a non-flammable spot removal solution or dry cleaning type solvent. You should be careful when using a solvent. Since it can cause damage to the latex that holds the primary and secondary backings of the carpet, never pour it directly onto the spot or allow it to reach the backing. Some acceptable options include Carbona®, Energine®, K2R®, Goof-Off®, etc.
Detergent Solution – Mix ¼ teaspoon of a liquid dishwashing detergent with 1 cup of lukewarm water. You may need to thoroughly rinse the carpet with warm water to remove any detergent residues that may cause rapid soiling. To completely remove residues, it’s necessary to rinse several times.
Note that you should be careful when choosing a detergent. Don’t select a laundry detergent of any type as they may have optical brighteners (fluorescent dyes) that dye the fibers. Also, avoid automatic dishwashing detergents because they can contain bleaching agents that destroy dyes and some fibers.
Vinegar Solution – Mix 1 cup of white vinegar with 2 cups of water. White vinegar contains 5% acetic acid. It is mostly used to lower the alkalinity caused by detergent solutions or alkaline spills.
Warm Water – We use lukewarm water to rinse the cleaning solutions off the carpet fibers. In case you fail to thoroughly rinse the solutions from the fiber, it can cause accelerated soiling, which is even worse.
Call a Professional – If the spills are so stubborn that you can remove them on your own, hire professional cleaners to do the job. Because they have professional-grade equipment and techniques, they can help you remove deep-down grime and set-in stains efficiently. Consult a professional cleaner with any spot removal questions if necessary.
Residue Precautions
Spot removal solutions may leave residues on the carpet. It’s essential to thoroughly rinse the affected spot several times with lukewarm tap water. We recommend using a mist-type sprayer to prevent overwetting. Blot with paper towels and pat dry after each rinse.
Tips for preventing your cat from tracking litter everywhere
Cat litter tracking is one of the most troublesome problems that many cat parents are struggling with. Luckily, there are some tips that can help how to stop cat litter tracking around your house. Here are some helpful hacks that we have tried and gathered for you.
Purchase a larger litter box
Cats instinctively bury their waste after they do their business, so they are more likely to kick the litter out of the litter pan if it is too small. To reduce the amount of litter kicked out of the box, provide your cat with a larger one.
Trim the hair between your cat’s toes
Litters can easily stick to your cat’s paws. Hence, they track a lot around the house. Trimming the hair helps to cut down on the amount of litter stuck between the toes and reduces litter tracking!
Switch to a different type of litter
Non-clumping cat litter is a great choice because it doesn’t stick to the cat’s paws. Besides, cat litter with large pieces will also help to prevent tracking.
Use a tall-sided, covered, or top-entry litter box
When cats bury their urine and feces after relieving themselves, they may accidentally toss the litter out of the box. Switching to a covered, high-sided, or top-entry litter box will prevent the litter from getting scattered around the box and keep your house clean.
Place your cat’s litter box inside of another litter box
Simply put your cat’s litter box inside a larger one so that when your little friends jump out of the box, most of the litter particles sticking to their paws will fall into the larger tray.
Place the litter box on top of a wide cut-out cardboard piece or place an anti-tracking mat in front of the box
Putting a DIY wide-cut-out cardboard piece under the litter box is also a great idea. It will collect the litter that your cats kick out. Or you can place an anti-tracking mat in front of the litter box to catch the litter easily every time your cats get out of the box.
FAQs:
Can you vacuum cat litter from the carpet?
The quick answer is: yes, as long as your vacuum cleaner has a specific feature for this task or is recommended by the manufacturers. Note that some cat litters are sharp which can ruin the hose, especially the filters of the regular vacuum, and even worse, the litter might get clogged.
So in case, you have to resort to vacuum cleaners to remove litter from the carpet, do some research to opt for the best vacuum for cat litter, making cleaning such a breeze.
Interesting
- Best Cat Litter
- Best Cat Litter Mat
- Best Vacuum For Cat Litter
- How To Stop Cat Litter Tracking
Conclusion
Have you found the answer to the question: How to get cat litter out of carpet? I hope that this post has given you something valuable to work with, but here is a quick recap for you:
- Start off with a paper towel
- Allow the spot to completely dry
- Use a brush to loosen the litter
- Treat the carpet with enzyme cleaner or baking soda