We believe it’s important for every pet owner to know about the power of a good enzyme cleaner. That’s because enzymes provide an “intelligent” way to neutralize odor, compared to using harsh chemicals.
You can think of it like this: a harsh chemical like bleach or peroxide is like a giant sledgehammer. They can destroy offensive pet urine molecules, but many other kinds of molecules too (like the ones that give color to carpet fabric!)
In contrast, enzymes are like keys to molecular locks: they target and destroy very specific molecules. An enzyme cleaner contains enzymes that target offensive chemicals in pet urine (such as urea).
If you want to safely neutralize cat urine smell, we recommend:
How to find and choose Enzyme Cleaners for Pet Urine
- Enzyme cleaners will advertise they “contain enzymes”, but they never say what kind of enzyme. Don’t assume an enzyme cleaner for bathtubs will work on pet urine. Enzyme cleaners are not “multi-purpose”, so get one made for your job.
- Enzymes take time to work on pet stains, so follow the instructions and expect to keep the area moist for several hours or reapply the product.
- Note that enzymes are complex molecules, and can degrade with time and temperature. That means enzyme cleaners typically have limited shelf lives, so beware if it looks like it’s been sitting around for awhile.
- Enzymes cleaners are sometimes referred to as Biological Detergents, especially in the UK.
- We should mention that Pee-Off is an enzyme cleaner for pet stains, and we happen to recommend it! It’s produced in small batches and shipped direct to customers, so it never loses power sitting on shelves.