Eliminating Urine Odours from Sand

[Puppeteer]

Here's a bit of a strange one...

Anyone successfully controlled odours of cat urine saturated dirt. I need to do some paving over an area that the neighbourhood cats have set aside as their communal toilet. It's in an area that doesn't get much sunlight, and hence doesn't tend to dry out, and as you can imagine, the stench is pretty overwhelming.

I'm thinking that mixing zeolite in with a shovel might reduce the odours significantly. I was wondering if anyone has tried this, and if they had any success (or other methods that may work). I'd rather not dig out the offending (pardon the pun) area, if I can help it, because it's an awful lot of dirt to move from a fairly inaccessible area.

Also, anyone know where I could buy zeolite in the Perth metro area?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Rixter]

Here's a bit of a strange one...

Anyone successfully controlled odours of cat urine saturated dirt. I need to do some paving over an area that the neighbourhood cats have set aside as their communal toilet. It's in an area that doesn't get much sunlight, and hence doesn't tend to dry out, and as you can imagine, the stench is pretty overwhelming.

I'm thinking that mixing zeolite in with a shovel might reduce the odours significantly. I was wondering if anyone has tried this, and if they had any success (or other methods that may work). I'd rather not dig out the offending (pardon the pun) area, if I can help it, because it's an awful lot of dirt to move from a fairly inaccessible area.

Also, anyone know where I could buy zeolite in the Perth metro area?

Thanks in advance.

Dont know about zeolite but im sure copper coated disprins would be more effective

 

[Puppeteer]

Well, I guess that would deal with the source of the problem, long term (I'm assuming that copper coated disprins is a cryptic way of helping me deal with the cat's - permanently).

Paving the area, will also do a good job, but there'll be the lingering smell, which isn't something that will be too appealing to potential tenants.

 

[ani]

Here's a bit of a strange one...

Anyone successfully controlled odours of cat urine saturated dirt. I need to do some paving over an area that the neighbourhood cats have set aside as their communal toilet. It's in an area that doesn't get much sunlight, and hence doesn't tend to dry out, and as you can imagine, the stench is pretty overwhelming.

I'm thinking that mixing zeolite in with a shovel might reduce the odours significantly. I was wondering if anyone has tried this, and if they had any success (or other methods that may work). I'd rather not dig out the offending (pardon the pun) area, if I can help it, because it's an awful lot of dirt to move from a fairly inaccessible area.

Also, anyone know where I could buy zeolite in the Perth metro area?

Thanks in advance.

Vinegar neutralises it. Not sure how big the area is but might be worth buying a few big plastic containers of home brand white and trying it

 

[Rixter]

Well, I guess that would deal with the source of the problem, long term (I'm assuming that copper coated disprins is a cryptic way of helping me deal with the cat's - permanently).

Paving the area, will also do a good job, but there'll be the lingering smell, which isn't something that will be too appealing to potential tenants.

Puppeteer,

Theres product I use for getting rid pet urine smells that works really well. In fact it worked when all other alternatives I tried
failed. Its call Odour Stop and its made by Bio Zapp. It highly concentrated and comes in a 50ml small bottle that makes up 10Litres. free call the manufacturer 1800 226 113

 

[Puppeteer]

Thanks for that Rixter. Do you know where I could buy some in Perth?

 

[Rixter]

Thanks for that Rixter. Do you know where I could buy some in Perth?

I bought it from a local hardware here abit far for you .Thats why I included the Manufacturers Toll free number on the bottle so you could ring to find your closest WA distributor.

 

[Puppeteer]

Never mind, I found one.

The Midland Paint Centre. A bit of a drive, but not too bad. I'm sure there's one closer, but I need postcodes, and there's none with my postcode.

 

[Rixter]

Never mind, I found one.

The Midland Paint Centre. A bit of a drive, but not too bad. I'm sure there's one closer, but I need postcodes, and there's none with my postcode.

Where did you find that?

 

[Puppeteer]

http://www.floodaustralia.net/postcode.php

They mainly do paint supplies. They have a paint additive that removes the paint odour when you are painting (which might also be useful).

I found a guy in Morley (Morley Paint and Paper) who can get me some in in a couple of days. Just waiting on a price.

Ani, thanks for the vinegar recommendation. I've read conflicting reports on the use of vinegar, and can't really work out what sort of reaction would take place with uric acid that would neutralize it. Possibly an oxidation reaction, but if I was going for that, I'd go hydrogen peroxide, which is far more efficient, and doesn't require the ground to be turned over to let oxygen in.

There could be a different reaction, but my brief literature search has turned up nothing on vinegar neutralization of urine. It would probably neutralize ammonia odours of older urine (after it starts naturally oxidising). It's sometimes recommended
to use baking soda first, to neutralize the uric acid, but again, this would leave a lot of organics behind, which are the real cause of the problem.

 

[ax6]

There is a product called urine-off which is available from most vets.
It works very well on urine odour. Priced at around $18-$20 for a 500ml bottle.
If it is a large area , the distributor is from melbourne where you can get it in 5 or 10 lt bottles. It will get rid of the smell if treated properly.Hope this helps...
see website urine-off.com.au

 

[Kristine..]

G'Day

I'd go with the Home Brand white vinegar. A couple of litres will cost about $1.50, just mix it up in a bucket with cold water and drench the area.

Aerate the soil with a garden fork, just push the tynes into the soil and wiggle a bit, enough to create drainage. The vinegar is bio-degradable so can't harm any plants or worms or whatever.

When I had the child care centre the carpet cleaning man suggested I keep a spray bottle with dilute white vinegar solution, and whenever the carpet got a dose of nappy training by-product to spray the area, then put clean nappies on the carpet and walk on them, changing the nappies with fresh ones until the carpet was blotted dry.

The vinegar and blotting treatment meant we didn't have stains or bleach marks in the carpet, and there was no odour, even the faint vinegar smell evaporated quite quickly.

I'm sure vinegar works well outside as well as inside and when you've finished your paving plant some lavendar bushes nearby, and all you will be able to smell is fresh air and lavendar.

Cheers

Kristine

 

[Lplate]

A house I bought from an old spinster had cat and dog urine on the timber floor of the garage and concrete under the house.

Regular applications of bicarbonate of soda and the smell lingered on. Deodorisers just added another pong.

Problem was eventually solved when the house was demolished.

If you will be doing earthworks anyhow why not get a dingo or bobcat and send the few cubic metres with the pong to the landfill?

 

[pulse]

Try this.....

You could try this to see if it works...

 

[Puppeteer]

Hi LPlate,

I wouldn't be able to get a dingo to the affected area at all easily. Even getting the wheelbarrow down there is pretty tricky, and swinging a shovel itself is a bit limited. Basically it's the worst area for access on the block. It's right at the back of the block behind the house and access from the side is just too darn tricky.

I have considered it though.

 

[MichaelW]

You could try this to see if it works...

Nah, just kill the cats. I hear a couple of panadol in a bowl of milk should do the trick...

Nasty vermin them.

Cheers,
Michael.

 

[Lplate]

Nah, just kill the cats. I hear a couple of panadol in a bowl of milk should do the trick...

Nasty vermin them.

Cheers,
Michael.

Michael
It is said that one of the differences between men and women is that women like cats whereas men only pretend to like them. That is, when she has gone in goes the boot.

You have made it all so much simpler. However (speaking hypothetically) if there is only skim milk in her fridge will that do? Ahem, would that he one tablet or two dear pussy, dear pussy?

LPlate

 

[Lplate]

Puppeteer

OK no problem, get a big bag of limestone and dig it in.

However if you take up MichaelWhyte's very diplomatic, environmentally sensitive and caring solution you should substitute quick lime and dig the hole a wee (a one Minty pun) bit deeper.

LPlate

 

[Programmer]

Hi Puppeteer, might be too late but I'd do exactly nothing.

If you get in there and pave it, this will really put the cats off. They'll stop their 'ways' and will find somewhere else (assuming you're pretty-much covering their toilet block).

OK, the stench is awful (maybe a mask while paving?), but the initial (see further down) smell really does not last that long after they stop. I'd forget trying to clear the smell, and place something that cats hate!

Some have mentioned vinegar, but that generally will not take the smell away for good. However, cats hate vinegar (actually they hate most strong smells - paints, turps, amonia etc) and this is a good way to make them leave.

If they've been using this loo for a while you have a problem, I quote this (edited) from another website;

"The 3 major parts of urine is urea- which the sticky tacky part, the urochrome - which is the pigment or colour part and the uric acid cyrstals and salts. Alot of products will work on the 1st two parts listed above which removes the odor - the odor part is not gone and the crystals dry and become dormant. When it rains, gets humid, or more urine is mixed, the odor comes back, it always comes back.... "

This is why I'd recommend the following:
a) Try to remove as much topsoil as you can (you'll prob need to excavate at least a small area anyway). If need be, replace the soil and bury (deep) the old.
b) Pave it.
c) Once paved keep cats away from the area for as long as you can. Scatter vinegar around (do a quick check that it won't eat the pavers...).
d) Place some tough plastic sheeting down over the area with little holes (so it breathes a bit). This will allow some air, but the cats will hate it.

Your handywork will be 'checked out' by the cats before trying any business (they can't help themselves). With the changed environment, vinegar around (you might think the vinegar smell has gone, they know different), plastic sheeting and maybe some luck they'll find somewhere else. If you can keep them away for a while, the rain,wind etc will get rid of those crystals/salts etc fairly quickly - the trick is STOPPING repeats. The crystals are the problem. 1st cat wees, sunny day, dries out. It rains, smell again, attracting other cats with their territorial markers. And dem pussies all go 'round again.

I had the exact same problem behind a shed. The smell was absolutely disgusting. I concreted it. No problem.

Cheers,

 

[willair]

Puppeteer,
i use lime and black pepper about 50/50 mix,then just cover the saturated areas, i have found salt will do the same but pepper seems to sort the
problem out.
good luck
willair..
i do like cats...