×

How to Get Cat Urine Out of a Leather Purse

Susan Paretts

A cat will urinate outside of its litter box due to medical or behavioral reasons or dissatisfaction with the condition of its litter box, notes Best Friends Animals Society. Unfortunately, this means that at some point, your cat may end up urinating on your possessions, perhaps even your leather purse.

Kittens in a purse are cute, but kitty waste in your purse is not.

If you find cat urine on or in your purse, you do not need to toss it out. Instead, clean the purse, as soon as you notice the mess, using natural cleaners and deodorizers.

Tip

Neutralize urine odors by sprinkling baking soda inside the purse and allowing it to sit inside overnight. Shake out the baking soda and wipe the interior with a damp cloth. A tip from "Haley's Hints Green Edition" suggests that you seal the outside of your purse to protect it from future damage. Rub petroleum jelly on it then buff it off with a soft cloth.

Warning

Assess the color-fastness of your purse, before using any cleaning products on it, by testing a tiny bit of the product on an inconspicuous area of the purse.

Use soft, white cloths while cleaning your purse so that you do not transfer the any dye from a colored cloth onto your purse.

A dry cleaner or a leather restoration service may have to treat older, tougher stains for you.

  1. Absorb as much of the urine from the purse as possible with paper towels. Empty the purse's contents and wipe the interior with a damp cloth. If the cat urinated inside, sop up as much liquid as you can from the lining of the purse and from any soiled contents. Empty the contents on a dry paper towel and use a damp cloth to clean the interior. Discard the soiled paper towels.

  2. Spray the stained areas with an enzymatic pet-odor neutralizer, which will break down the chemicals in the urine and prevent them from changing the leather's texture. Remove the neutralizer with a soft, white cloth, using a circular motion. To treat urine inside the purse, spray the interior with the neutralizer and blot up any excess. After cleaning, allow the purse to dry naturally so that the microorganisms in the neutralizer can digest the urine's odor-causing components.

  3. Dampen a soft, white cloth with warm water and add a bit of saddle soap. Using a white cloth will prevent the transfer of any dye from a colored cloth onto your purse. Wipe down the outside of the purse with the cloth using a circular motion. Clean the entire outside surface -- not just the stained areas -- to avoid creating moisture stains. Allow the purse to dry.

  4. Mix 1 cup of boiled linseed oil with 1/2 cup of white vinegar to make a leather conditioner. Lightly dampen a clean cloth with the conditioner and rub it on the purse in a circular motion.

  5. Soften the purse's leather exterior, after it has dried completely. Place two or three drops of olive oil onto a clean cloth, rub the surface in a circular motion, then buff the exterior with a new, dry cloth.

The Drip Cap

  • A cat will urinate outside of its litter box due to medical or behavioral reasons or dissatisfaction with the condition of its litter box, notes Best Friends Animals Society.
  • Empty the purse's contents and wipe the interior with a damp cloth.
  • If the cat urinated inside, sop up as much liquid as you can from the lining of the purse and from any soiled contents.
  • Spray the stained areas with an enzymatic pet-odor neutralizer, which will break down the chemicals in the urine and prevent them from changing the leather's texture.
  • Place two or three drops of olive oil onto a clean cloth, rub the surface in a circular motion, then buff the exterior with a new, dry cloth.