How gross is it to keep something that a cat peed on?

Get rid of it….cats pee is pretty gross…and the smell is next to impossible to get out.

Get a new mattress. You will never totally get rid of the smell, and many mattresses need to be turned regularly to get the maximum life out of them.

I would toss it, but I can afford to. I wouldn’t go hungry and forgo my rent to buy a new mattress. So I suppose it depends on your finances. Times are hard now and I know some people are seriously struggling. If this is the case before tossing it out, at least try this. It sometimes works for me.

First clean it with a solution of half vinegar and half water. Let it soak in and then allow it to air dry a little while. Then pour some baking soda over the stain. take about ¼ cup of peroxide, and mix a few tablespoons or so of liquid dish detergent into it. Drizzle this solution onto the baking soda and let it soak in. Scrub it a little with a cleaning brush. Let it air dry thoroughly and vaccuum it with an attachment. I know it sounds a bit much but cat urine is very noxious.

Definitely toss it. It’s not likely to get better.. Perhaps you could try looking for a mattress on craigslist so it won’t be as spendy.

I don’t think it’s a big deal. If you have the money to spend, then sure, get a new mattress, of course.

If not, and you are comfortable sleeping with your mattress flipped over.. then who gives a shit what anyone else thinks?

I agree with the suggestion above for using vinegar and baking soda. Vinegar neutralizes urine… and baking soda helps with odors. Worth a shot.

If all else fails you can buy a plastic zip up mattress cover that completely seals the mattress in plastic, then add sheets. If the plastic texture under the sheets bothers you then you can add a mattress pad . That would be cheaper than a new mattress

Let me reiterate that I have really tried everything at this point to get the pee out. I have done the vinegar baking soda peroxide dish soap routine and I have tried probably half a dozen enzymatic commercial cleaners.

This is one of those retarded IKEA mattresses that doesn’t have a box spring, so unless I could find another one on CL I would probably have to buy it new from IKEA. Also, I’m not crazy about sleeping on a used mattress.

I still feel like if it isn’t bothering YOU, then, you should do whatever you want with your own mattress.

It’s no one else’s business, frankly.

I wouldn’t bother me. If flipping it over hides the smell I would just keep on using it. It isn’t like a cat pisses a gallon. I doubt it even came close to seeping through to the other side so it isn’t like you are sleeping on piss soaked fabric.

@johnpowell: Please come here and rebuild my bed and put my pee mattress back on it. I can’t figure out how this fucking thing goes back together. :(

who gives a flying fuck… if it dont bother you leave it.. when you get the money get a new mattress

@nikipedia :: I will be over as soon as The History Detectives is over.

@nikipedia, have you spent enough on cleansing solutions by now to have paid for a new mattress?

@Jeruba: If only mattresses were that cheap. We also had to replace our couch.

Also, I would like to state for the record that while it is my mattress and my decision, I hope not to be the only person ever to sleep on this mattress.

I would flip it over, get a good mattress pad and forget about it. Although did you try any of those bacteria killing cleaners, my addled brain can’t think of any specific brands but if you go to a pet shop or a hospital or nursing home, they use cleaners that don’t just mask, they actually destroy the odor.

I agree with TheOnlyNeffie, if it doesn’t bother you then don’t worry about it and who cares what everyone else says or thinks about it. There not the ones who has to go out and buy a new mattress.

Extremely gross. I had an expensive leather recliner that my cat urinated on when she had a bladder infection. I was just going to give it away but my sister said she wanted it and would clean it up. She worked on it with various professional products for four months and never got rid of that odor. She has now gotten rid of the chair.

My kitty also did it on an expensive rug right on the corner. I took the rug to a professional rug cleaning place and cleaned it and used something special on that spot and it didn’t any longer smell but the fringe on spot was yellow. My daughter is using that rug in her home now. My sister used the same product on the chair but it didn’t work.

Your body. Your mattress. Your call.

Others poking their nose into it with criticism are irrelevant.

If it were me, I would opt for the plastic cover + mattress pad if anyone else will be using it.

Do what is best for you and your finances.

edited because I was totally repeating myself.

turn it over, use it. it’s not like you’re sleeping on the pee side. by the way cat urine smell is very powerful, as you’re finding, and unless it’s something you can actually wash in the washing machine (like towels) you will never totally get that smell out. if you don’t like the thought of it, then get a mattress when you can spare the money. you can get a well priced mattress at costco or sam’s club. costco online does not require you to be a member to order stuff, which a lot of people do not know. the warehouse has cheaper stuff, the .com has a little higher priced stuff, i guess because there’s no delivery fee, they get it by putting the more expensive versions on the .com.

Well, i don’t think it’s THAT bad. I’m sitting with the same situation, my kitty is scared of thunderstorms, and when a really big one came by and we were not at home to comfort him, he got under our blankets and weed a huge puddle on there.
Anyway, so we took the mattress outside and let it stand in the sun just to help it dry out. Then of course it started raining and we forgot the mattress outside, so it got soaked as well, but that’s besides the point now.
Bottom line is, we flipped the mattress over too, no problem! We don’t smell it or anything. Sure, the mattress is stained and doesn’t look too appealing, but who cares?! I think letting it get soaked in the rain may have helped remove some of the strong smell though, because even when i sniff the other side now it’s not that bad anymore. This did happen a few months ago though.
So if it doesn’t bother you, forget about it. :)

Ewwwww! Get rid of that!

I have a good product in a very unornamented spray bottle, called FOLEX, that gets piss stink out of anything. It’s cheap. It’s enzymatic. I know it would work. But the liquid would have to
reach every molecule of ancient piss. For that to happen, you’d have to soak the pee side of the mattress with this stuff, and then “blot”. Drying this could take months. It would work, I can guarantee that, but jeez, a stupid-ass IKEA mattress? Get a nice new mattress and don’t let other people’s cats hang out on it. Just other people. : )