Some say that you can never completely get rid of a cat urine stain unless you remove the affected area. However, there are effective ways to cover up the smell if you are having guests over. Whatever you end up doing, do not let the spot on the carpet dry, it will only make it harder for future removal.

If the mess is on a hardwood floor, it may seem easy to get out If you don't remove it immediately then you will have rotting problems later in the future. Clean up the urine then use a cleaner with 3% hydrogen peroxide and no ammonia. This will kill the bacteria and discourage the cat from going there again.

If the mess was just on the hardwood floors then you don't have to go too extensively into the cleaning process. But to cover up the smell you might want to light a few candles, or cover the area with a towel.

However, if your problem is on the carpet then you have a little more work in store for you:

a. A simple mix to make is one using 15 ounces of hydrogen peroxide (to kill the bacteria) a couple tablespoons of baking soda and finally 2 squirts of your favorite hand soap. Spray this mixture on the urine infected area, scrub well and rinse with warm water. Do that as many times as it takes to clean the spot out

b. Another mixture you can use is a water/white vinegar mix. Use a half cup of vinegar and a quart of water. Saturate the area and pat as much as you can out, rinse and perform again until all the urine is removed.

c. Take a towel and get up as much of the mess as you can, then take baking soda and sprinkle over the affected area. Vacuum up after a couple hours. Other cleaning powders are also good.

d. Purchase a specialized pet cleaner and spray it on the area, read the directions on the bottle and follow them to clean up the mess.

Use any combination, if not all of the listed measures. If the stain is on a piece of furniture it is recommended that you remove the affected furniture if you can. Whether you can or can't, use as many of the measures listed above that time permits. Try and clean it up as fast as possible.

Since we have covered the most effective ways to clean up the mess, let's ask ourselves why the cat made the mess in the first place. Is this a regular occurrence? Is their litter box dirty, or not private enough? If this is a first time for a litter box trained cat take them to a vet. Check all your measures and make sure you know how to clean it up as fast as possible.