# Smell of cat wee in tumble dryer



## Boperella (Aug 30, 2012)

Hi there,
I'm really hoping someone can help me. One of my cats is going through a stress head time and she wee'd on the bed. 
I've vax'd the matress and that doesn't smell now but when I washed the bedding it's left the smell of cat wee in the tumble dryer. The subsequent load of laundry (that was not the stuff wee'd on) now smells of cat wee and so does the timbale dryer when I stuck my head in to investigate. 

Does anyone know how to get the smell out of the machine?! I don't want to have to get a new one! 

Thanks for any advice,
Boperella


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## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

I had this problem before and easy to sort out.
Wash a towel in the washing machine, put 1 cup of white vinegar into the machine drum and wash.

Then dry in the tumble dryer to eliminate the odour.

This eliminates odours from both the washing machine and the tumble dryer.


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## Jiskefet (May 15, 2011)

That is one tip I will file for future reference!!
Simple but effective.

Worth a rep


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## buffie (May 31, 2010)

catcoonz said:


> I had this problem before and easy to sort out.
> Wash a towel in the washing machine, put 1 cup of white vinegar into the machine drum and wash.
> 
> Then dry in the tumble dryer to eliminate the odour.
> ...


As Jiskefet says,very useful tip,it is now bookmarked but I hope never to need it for cat pee smell


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## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

Its a tip i was given when i fostered for cp, stupidly i left the dryer door open and the kitten wee'd in it, luckily now i always have white vingear in the cupboard for any little accidents and alot cheaper than replacing tumble dryers.


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## Citrineblue (Sep 28, 2012)

Sorry I don't mean to be thick but can I ask is this White wine vinegar or distilled malt vinegar? , this is a really good suggestion, thank you.


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## sarahecp (Aug 22, 2011)

Great tip CC :thumbup:


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## catcoonz (Aug 4, 2012)

white distilled malt vinegar.


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## Jiskefet (May 15, 2011)

Any white vinegar will do, you can also use white cleaning vinegar


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## Firedog (Oct 19, 2011)

Boperella said:


> Hi there,
> I'm really hoping someone can help me. One of my cats is going through a stress head time and she wee'd on the bed.
> I've vax'd the matress and that doesn't smell now but when I washed the bedding it's left the smell of cat wee in the tumble dryer. The subsequent load of laundry (that was not the stuff wee'd on) now smells of cat wee and so does the timbale dryer when I stuck my head in to investigate.
> 
> ...


Sorry i am of no help just went into convulsive laughter at a vision of someone with their head in the tumble drier.

Just ignore me,i'm being silly.


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## Hannahmourneevans (Dec 16, 2012)

Jiskefet said:


> That is one tip I will file for future reference!!
> Simple but effective.
> 
> Worth a rep


seconded!!!!!


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## Boperella (Aug 30, 2012)

Thank you so much for your help! I'm glad the image of my sticking my head into the tumble dryer caused a giggle or two  off to buy white vinager in the morning. 

Thanks again I really appreciate it xx


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## Mister Watts (Dec 17, 2013)

Thanks for this handy tip. The thread looks old but done a quick search online and found this thread. Luckily had white vinegar in the cupboard so trying it now  Thanks alot.


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## Emmasian (Aug 22, 2015)

Sorry to bump a five year old thread but I'm a bit desperate. Freya has taken it upon herself to widdle in the dryer (probably because Mummy didn't get to empty the litter quite fast enough for fastidious Madam). Didn't realise for a week so she left a concentrated residue euw. I've tried antibacterial wipes, and scrubbing with washing up liquid in water, but it still smells of pee.

@catcoonz if you are around, please could I ask the following:

Do you just put the towel in the washing machine with the vinegar and wash it? Wouldn't that rinse the vinegar out? Or do you wash a towel and THEN put it in the dryer damp with the cup of vinegar?

I love vinegar, it's a panacea, and I'm hoping it can save the drier!

Thanks in advance.


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## Soozi (Jun 28, 2013)

Emmasian said:


> Sorry to bump a five year old thread but I'm a bit desperate. Freya has taken it upon herself to widdle in the dryer (probably because Mummy didn't get to empty the litter quite fast enough for fastidious Madam). Didn't realise for a week so she left a concentrated residue euw. I've tried antibacterial wipes, and scrubbing with washing up liquid in water, but it still smells of pee.
> 
> @catcoonz if you are around, please could I ask the following:
> 
> ...


You could try putting the vinegar in the fabric conditioner compartment? And use a slower spin speed? What about adding those perfume ball things too? Sorry forgotten the name of them! Lol


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

If it's the dryer then you probably need to take it apart as I imagine there is a puddle of stale wee tucked away below the drum. If it's the washing machine there shouldn't be a problem. The best thing to get rid of cat wee with is a solution of biological washing liquid - powder is OK but doesn't always dissolve easily.


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## Emmasian (Aug 22, 2015)

It's the dryer, and I can't see how the drum can come apart at all - have had my head in there with a torch! I might try the damp towel with vinegar on it as I've nothing to lose!


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## OrientalSlave (Jan 26, 2012)

Emmasian said:


> It's the dryer, and I can't see how the drum can come apart at all - have had my head in there with a torch! I might try the damp towel with vinegar on it as I've nothing to lose!


It's not the drum that comes apart, it's the case around it. Look online for how to do your particular model.


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## maisiecat (Jul 27, 2011)

I was recently given a dryer which had been affected by dryer sheets or something because everything I put in it reeked of a foul fake perfume. Those things are oily and hard to remove the stink but I managed it so wee would be a doddle.

Condenser dryer? Remove filter and water reservoir, all plastic bits that are removable. I soaked the plastic bottle thing and the air vent cover in the bath overnight in bleach, then scrubbed it with washing up liquid, followed by an overnight soak in white vinegar, a very strong solution, then a scrub. Put it back.
The filter I also cleaned with vinegar.

I soaked a small dampened towel in neat vinegar, enough for it not to drip, then dried it. I scrubbed out the inside of the drum with neat vinegar. I kept on drying towels in it until they stopped smelling. It took me 2 weeks to remove the pong but that was a chemical with an oily residue.

For wee, I would give it a good clean with some Simple Solution as well as the above.


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## huckybuck (Jan 17, 2014)

I tend to use biotex in solution if I need to get rid of wee smells but is white vinegar as effective to prevent the cat returning? 

Just out of interest? 

If Holly wees it will be on a mat by the back door which is on a tiled floor so would be useful to know if vinegar removes the odour for the cat?


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## Emmasian (Aug 22, 2015)

Not sure. I'm going to try a mix of everything everyone has suggested and YouTube for demos of how to get the filter out. Will also try the Simple Solution as have a vat of it. Really want to avoid buying a new dryer as it's such a faff.


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## maisiecat (Jul 27, 2011)

You should take out the filter and empty it every few uses, it is the thing that catches the fluff so if you haven't done it you could be facing a fire risk.

If I can remove the stink of dryer sheets you should be able to remove the pong of wee :Cat , it might take a while and I also left the door open to air it in between cleaning bouts, which might not be a good idea in your situation as it might get wee'd in again.


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## maisiecat (Jul 27, 2011)

Citrineblue said:


> Sorry I don't mean to be thick but can I ask is this White wine vinegar or distilled malt vinegar? , this is a really good suggestion, thank you.


It is usually the cheap white vinegar, which is distilled, however our current batch came in huge plastic containers and is spirit vinegar. I use it for cleaning the washing machine and as rinse aid in the dishwasher too. I have used white wine vinegar when I ran out and it was all I had, but only because it was going out of date. It is an expensive way to do it though.


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## cclewis2710 (2 mo ago)

catcoonz said:


> I had this problem before and easy to sort out. Wash a towel in the washing machine, put 1 cup of white vinegar into the machine drum and wash. Then dry in the tumble dryer to eliminate the odour. This eliminates odours from both the washing machine and the tumble dryer.


 Do you use normal laundry detergent too, or just the vinegar? Thank you!


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## TriTri (Oct 31, 2017)

cclewis2710 said:


> Do you use normal laundry detergent too, or just the vinegar? Thank you!


Hi, this thread is 5 years old, so you may not hear back from that person, but I happen to know NO laundry detergent in needed, and you can put in old towels too and a 90 degree wash is recommended for cleaning washing machines/washer dryers. You can buy Calgon from supermarkets to clean the machine with, but the vinegar is cheaper. 

I’ve heard you can clean most things using just white vinegar, bicarbonate of soda, a lemon (and a spray bottle, for surfaces etc).


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## cclewis2710 (2 mo ago)

TriTri said:


> Hi, this thread is 5 years old, so you may not hear back from that person, but I happen to know NO laundry detergent in needed, and you can put in old towels too and a 90 degree wash is recommended for cleaning washing machines/washer dryers. You can buy Calgon from supermarkets to clean the machine with, but the vinegar is cheaper.
> 
> I’ve heard you can clean most things using just white vinegar, bicarbonate of soda, a lemon (and a spray bottle, for surfaces etc).


Thanks so much! My washing machine is fine, it's the dryer I left open and during some fireworks one of the cats must have jumped in and went for a wee! I obviously re-washed everything and wiped out the dryer but when it was on drying everything again the stink of hot cat wee coming out of it was horrendous!! I'll try the towels being washed in vinegar and then into the dryer. Won't the washing machine cycle wash out all the vinegar though?? Sorry for all the questions! Could I just as easily use some old towels and make them damp with some vinegar and then dry straight away? Like I say, it's the dryer that's the problem, not the washing machine. Thanks so much!! Really appreciate you replying to my post!


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## maisiecat (Jul 27, 2011)

I use vinegar to clean the washing machine (empty of laundry) on a hot wash. I use it to remove unwanted pongs that people have left, cigarette smoke, perfume, curry, it is useful as a rinse aid in the dishwasher, on floors for cat wee.
I put it in the washing machine drawer when I have bought something that reeks of perfume and put it on a wash, with the conditioner dispenser also full of vinegar.

If you put it in the wash cycle it does remove most of the vinegar but not if you use a LOT in the way I did.

I removed the stink from our second hand dryer with towels that I had washed and drenched in vinegar. First I soaked a cloth and wiped every inch of the inside, drum etc. I removed filters and water reservoir and cleaned those with neat vinegar, then a rinsed and spun towel (rinsed in a lot of vinegar, which I put into the drawer as it was on the final rinse) into the dryer. You may need to add more neat vinegar when you put it in.

It took a lot of cleans but it removed the smell. It was that heavy stink that comes from fake perfume in dryer sheets and laundry products, should work for something natural like pee.


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## cclewis2710 (2 mo ago)

maisiecat said:


> I use vinegar to clean the washing machine (empty of laundry) on a hot wash. I use it to remove unwanted pongs that people have left, cigarette smoke, perfume, curry, it is useful as a rinse aid in the dishwasher, on floors for cat wee.
> I put it in the washing machine drawer when I have bought something that reeks of perfume and put it on a wash, with the conditioner dispenser also full of vinegar.
> 
> If you put it in the wash cycle it does remove most of the vinegar but not if you use a LOT in the way I did.
> ...


Thanks so much, really helpful!


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