I've inherited a house from my late mom, who had a serious hoarding issue, especially with cats. One cat never used the litter box, which led to problems with other cats following suit. I'm trying to keep the house and restore it, but I primarily visit every few months. A contractor suggested that to eliminate the cat smell, sealing the floors with an odor-killing primer and laying laminate flooring is ideal, but that's out of my budget for now. I'm considering painting the floors and walls with a similar odor-killing primer. The walls are cheap, painted wood paneling. I need a solution that lasts a year or two until I can afford the renovations. What do you all think about my plan? Any recommendations on products to use?
3 Answers
KILZ is a recommended brand for sealing in odors. It's pretty effective and should help you cover up the cat smell as part of your restoration plan.
If there's any carpeting, I'd recommend ripping that out and throwing it away to avoid lingering smells. For flooring, wash with a pet odor remover, and in my area, we've had good luck with products like Odarid. Sanding floors can be tough, especially if you're new to it, so consider laminate as an easier option. For the walls, strip any wallpaper and give them a wash before repainting or re-papering.
I suggest using enzyme cleaners. I had a roommate once who kept her cat's litter box in our shared space, and when she moved out, I spent hours soaking the area with enzyme cleaner followed by steam cleaning the floors. It worked wonders, and you couldn't tell there were any odors left!