Help! How remove cat urine odors from wood furniture?

Just came back from neighbors and they have asked for help. They decided to move their library from house to the guest house. Couple weeks ago they bought from auction a big 4 piece sectional wood furniture set will work for library very well. Furniture is about 30 years old. Well... when moving company delivered set home they found furniture is slightly smell with cat urine, and they decided maybe it was from delivery company track... They came back to guest house only next morning and found that all house is smell of cat urine! The auction was in big workhouse and they didn't smell it there. Well... they clean it with different cleaning supplies; used candles several days; spray room and more.... Looked like the problem was resolved, but they were out of the town 3 days and when they open guest house today - it was impossible breathe there. Strong odor of ammonia from cat urine. They clean with hot water, with cold water, with soap, with chlorine.... Maybe there is some other stuff they could try. They couldn't find anything. Wood furniture is not a sofa you can wash the fabric.... Also, does anybody know how long this odor can be sitting in the wood? Maybe just use air-condition and it will be gone some day..... Thank you.

 

EEWWW! Male cat urine from them "marking" their territory. Problem is it soaks INTO the wood and hard to get rid of - All I got is this:

http://www.allergystore.com/news/getting-rid-of-cat-urine-odors.html

 

Thank you. Though it looks will work for carpet and fabric furniture, not for wooden surface.
I was just searthing with my friend online and watched some videos and.... OMG! Some people just live with this all life long! Their animals are doing this marking day by day and it is fine for people. Brrrrrrr I had Percian cat which was living 18 years with us! Every time when was some accident we were cleaning ASAP and never ever had a problems. Well.. We found some stuff and special lamp to be able to find spots and she went home to order it. I was asking here, because was sure, that people who are working with antique or old furniture maybe had same problem and know how to fix it. After my neighbors will be done with new tries, I will post the result here and maybe it will help for other people later. Thank again.

 

From personal experience Ive never had much luck getting that smell out other than refinishing it and varnishing the heck out of it . Pet smell and cigarette smoke are the two main reasons I rarely buy furniture anymore .

 

Wow! Well, I won't tell them now.... They are still exciding that found this set and still hope they will be able to clean it.

 

Professional with a professional ozone machine placed for a day...plus hotel visit.

 

There are enzyme products made particularly for pet odors that work fairly well. They are water based so not the best for wood but you can get wood wet for short periods without a problem. After cleaning and completely dry, I would seal the areas inside and out with a new coat of varnish. Dilute it with mineral spirits for good penetration and let it soak in to the wood and crevices. It will probably take more than one coat.

 

@KingofThings Oh cool! Will let them know. I just was reading about this machine and it is good idea. My Mam lives in the condo 35 years old and there is some "vintage" odor in the building. Maybe I will rent it and use in her condo.
@verybrad Thank you! Also will let them know.
This story with their furniture scared me. Now if I will be going to buy some old wood item, I will sniff it. "Woof-woof!"

 

@johnnycb09 You are right! We quitted smoking 6-7 years ago, but when we come back home after couple weeks vacation I still smell it in the house. I can't smell it every day, because used, but after several days - yes..... @KingofThings .... Eureka! Ozone Machine!

 

Hi,
I agree with Kot. An ozone machine is wonderful EXCEPT you must be careful not to be in the same room. It will give you the worst flu like systems you ever had. I have one and I seal the stuff up in a cardboard box and make sure the seams are taped. If doing furniture I seal the room and make sure that you cover the heating and air conditioning vents.
greg

 

NO NO NO!!!!
THIS IS A DANGEROUS THING TO DO!
TO DO IT INDOORS HAS TO BE DONE BY PROFESSIONALS!!
Ozone will kill you in this quantity and anything alive in the house, birds plants, bugs, whatever!!!
Small things can be done outdoors in a large box or special room.

 

Such companies as ServPro and ServiceMaster often have ozone rooms at their sites to do such things due to fire or flood. Call them.

 

"Nature's Miracle" at the pet store works for me....it's a liquid......I put in a spray bottle when I don't want to soak the wood.......once usually works for me, but from what you're talking about might take more times......besides, the professional ozone thing sounds like it might be the way to go.......pets WILL be pets.....like it or not

 

Hi KoT,
When the church had a fire we used 6 ozone machines in 4 rooms of the rectory. They ran for 3 days with out sealing the rooms. I was in and out of those rooms several times a day. Two other people were in and out also. They both came down with flu like symptoms. I have used my machine in the house with a SEALED room and nothing happened to my cats, fish and members of my family. I usually have smaller things that I seal up in a cardboard box with an exhaust tube going out a window.
greg

 

Anything else covers or masks the issue. It will likely return in time due to moisture, etc.
Ozone KILLS the issues which are bacteria, spores or dying organic compounds and the like.
I did this professionally and have had much training.

 

I was trained otherwise for indoor work.
Maybe to cover liabilities.
I won't do it that way.

 

Hi Milt,
You are the processional, I was dumb and learned the hard way. When we rented the darn machines, they told us nothing, no paper work no warning or anything. We just set them up in the rooms and turned them on. After a few days the two ladies got sick and I did not. I looked up the machines on line and almost had a heart attack. They did an incredible job. We had thousands of books, linens, fancy vestments, curtains, rugs and choir robes. The smell was gone in a couple of days.
Some of the vestments had to cleaned since there was smoke damage as well as smell. We took them to a dry cleaning school in Manhattan where they were taken apart and cleaned and put back together. The best set was the gold set. 12 pieces including a floor length cope with a 12" oval citrine clasp. The gold threaded pieces had hundreds of 1" red circles depicting martyr's heads, names and how they died. It was sewn by a group of nuns taking two years to complete. It was lined with red silk which had ripped in sections over 100 yrs. The Met sent women over to discuss what we should do. It would cost us 30K just to have them replace the lining. We could not afford that so we had a few people just "tack" new lining to the old. Since the set of vestments were only used twice a year. I digress again, sorry.
greg

 

Wow! Interesting though!