How to get rid of smell..

[BC_MoM]

Our living room smells like urine, too, Jordan. The people who lived here before us had cats and let them pee all over.

When we were nursing our grandparents dog and she was having troubles going to the bathroom, we let her go in the living room because she wouldn't with us holding her up (she needed to be supported) outside. Molly ruined the living room carpet when we were house training her.

We've tried EVERYTHING. We're just going to have to rip up the carpet and put laminate down. *sigh*

I can't believe your friend would say something like that! I sure as heck wouldn't say that to a friend.

[shais_mom]

I don't have any solution other then what you are already doing. I think it was incredibly rude of her to say to you what she did and I am not particulary a rattie fan. But is it possible she just is trying to find a way to NOT come to your house?
In my house the guy I bought it from - his daughter lived here and was a drug addict (she has since cleaned herself up) and had a cat that used the floor as a litter box. When he decided to sell the house - he ripped up the carpet and painted KILZ all over the floor http://www.kilz.com/ and there is no smell. Course this is a bit drastic.
When I was potty training Keegan she kept going to a spot in the floor where a floor furnace had been. We ripped it out and my dad put plywood there.
I kept a rug over it and she just kept peeing on that spot. Finally I asked my parents when they came over to paint Kilz on it and they painted like 2-3 coats. Then we put some carpet over it. She never peed there after that!
My mom has a super sensitive nose and usually when she comes to my house she doesn't smell anything. The last time she was here she said she smelled cat pee. I of course didn't smell anything. I changed the litter in the box but I didn't smell it. One of my friends when she feeds my cats she always asks me how come my house doesn't smell like cat pee - even in the closet where the box is. I said I dunno. It isn't pee that I smell usually its the poo.

[AbbyMom]

For a while I kept foster cats in our spare bedroom. When a pair showed up with ringworm, I bought an large ionic air filter from Sears on sale.

This was to capture the ringworm spores, but I was very impressed by how much cleaner the room smelled. It was quiet, too.

I also used Nature's Miracle on those "accidents" and it works.

I'm sorry your friend said those things to you. I had a coworker with a super sensitive nose and she was just like that. She always said she couldn't help herself.

Good luck to you.

[Pawsitive Thinking]

Arrange to meet your friend somewhere other than your house - her nose may be super-sensitive but the rest of her certainly isn't!!

[areias]

If the cats and the rats aren't in the living room-are you sure she's smelling that, and not the cleaners that you use? I find I dislike some of the carpet cleaners and such because they have a smell that is similar to urine (maybe it's just me but...). Also, heat tends to bring out smells, so if it was warmer in the house when she was there she might have picked up on that.

The only time I ever told a friend that her place smelled, was when she had 2 guinea pigs and 2 rabbits in her small bedroom. She asked for my opinion, and I told her it might be a bit much, so she rearranged her animals.

[mina'smomma]

Let me start by saying that I'm sorry your friend was so mean to you.

When the girls expressed their thoughts on Pawpaw and I going on our honeymoon (they peed in our bags) we tried to get everything to get the smell out of my trunk, our clothes and the duffle bags. I finally started using Gain as a last resort, and that did the trick.

I also took about a tablespoon and diluted it in hot water and sprayed my trunk and let it air dry and that took that smell out too.

[mruffruff]

I'm sorry your friend wasn't at least more subtle.

I don't have anyone coming to my house to tell me that it smells---except me!

When I walk in the house, I know if it stinks. Sometimes it smells of urine. That means I get out my black light and my spray bottle of Simple Solution. I spray anything that glows even a little bit, and some stuff "just 'cuz". I add some Arm & Hammer litter deodorant to freshly-scooped litter boxes and sprinkle some on the carpets. By morning, the smells are gone.

But there are times when it smells like an unbathed old person. (And it isn't ME!) My sister thinks my dead dad has come to visit; smells just like him. I can't figure out how to get rid of this smell.

Finding the cause is the hardest part. When my sister smells the cats at my house, I just figure it's because she expects it to smell since she doesn't like cats at all.

[Lori Jordan]

If the cats and the rats aren't in the living room-are you sure she's smelling that, and not the cleaners that you use? I find I dislike some of the carpet cleaners and such because they have a smell that is similar to urine (maybe it's just me but...). Also, heat tends to bring out smells, so if it was warmer in the house when she was there she might have picked up on that.

The only time I ever told a friend that her place smelled, was when she had 2 guinea pigs and 2 rabbits in her small bedroom. She asked for my opinion, and I told her it might be a bit much, so she rearranged her animals.

I'm sorry you are going through this,As Aries has said"Some cleaners smell like urine,i have the same kind of idea,I have always thought that some cleaners bring the smell out more than others,I had the same problem when i moved into my home,But it was all from my dogs there was no other animals in this house till i came,Mind you the girls were about 6 months old and Bandit was just a baby,This hole house was carpet,even the kitchen i ripped it all out,put laminate down,Honestly i hate carpet expecially when you have pets it always sucks the smell,odour in i used to use the carpet powder.everything nothing worked,and i myself are big on smells,So all carpet is gone.
I went out and bought all those glade air freshners i have one in all rooms (Apple Cinnamon)best smell ever.....and i do not have a problem You have to do something when you have as many animals as i do,it dont matter if you house sparkles you are always going to know that there is animals in my house,and i do not give a crap if people like it or not,I have many friends that hate animals,great people but are never in my home my babies come first,I wish you luck with the carpets!!!

[momoffuzzyfaces]

I hope your friend never comes across a kid with a dirty diaper; she'd never survive having to change one!!!

Personally, I'd get a new friend!!!

[Pembroke_Corgi]

Arrange to meet your friend somewhere other than your house - her nose may be super-sensitive but the rest of her certainly isn't!!

Agreed. Maybe go for coffee with her instead. I have a cousin who is the same way. Whenever she visits my mom's house (who has only 1 cat) she makes a big deal about it. She always manages to hurt my mom's feelings, too. Some people just don't have any tact.

ETA: I don't invite anyone over to my house that doesn't like pets enough to have dinner while 3 dogs and 1 cat beg.

[wolfsoul]

Thanks everyone for the advice.

The problem with meeting her other places is that she says I smell like my house (as everyone smells like their houses). We hang out all the time, but mostly because we work together and go to the same functions -- as far as doing things socially, she avoids it. She really isn't trying to be mean -- she says she wants to help. Today she said she was sorry and that she didn't want to mention my rats because she knows it makes me sad, but she wanted to know if she thought I'd have to put them down before she went out of town next month -- that way she'd know if she had to spare some time to help me clean. My other friend said she will give me her couich. My couch came with the house and the people who lived here smoked ALOT so it does smell kind of smokey.

I went out today and bought two air purifiers and a bunch of cleaning stuff. My mom came with me and I got her to smell my house. She says she doesn't smell a thing. She said my bathroom (which has the rats) smells like a public bathroom...She can't smell anything near the litterbox (in the kitchen)...And she said the livingroom does have something kinda funny that she can't quite put her finger on, but it isn't cat pee or rat. She thinks she mostly just smells "old house" smell.

[CathyBogart]

I'm glad you posted this, as I have noticed a urine smell in my bedroom for the last few days. (thank you Jasper!) I found a company near me from which I could rent a steam cleaner for a day for $75. Maybe something like that would work for you too? Good luck, and please keep us posted if you find something that works well!

ETA: It doesn't seem to me that a mild animal smell could be THAT unpleasant. The rats would perhaps be a little musky, but if your place is that clean, I don't see how it could be SUCH a big deal. I think she's way overreacting.

[areias]

Thanks everyone for the advice.

The problem with meeting her other places is that she says I smell like my house (as everyone smells like their houses). We hang out all the time, but mostly because we work together and go to the same functions -- as far as doing things socially, she avoids it. She really isn't trying to be mean -- she says she wants to help. Today she said she was sorry and that she didn't want to mention my rats because she knows it makes me sad, but she wanted to know if she thought I'd have to put them down before she went out of town next month -- that way she'd know if she had to spare some time to help me clean.

It sounds like there is more issue to this than the smell of your house. It sounds like there is something mentally wrong with her. That kind of astonished me...I wouldn't ever expect someone to ask me when I was going to put my animal down, so they could have a convenience.