Got a customer who has had one of his cats crawl up into the ceiling of a room adjoining his garage. Says it smells. Ya think? As I remember the insulation goes on over into the space, but maybe I will be lucky and it will only go in a little so I can pull it out and clean.
Trying to figure what I can use to clean/de-smell the drywall ceiling. Depending on how far in it did it’s thing/things I might be able to get a mop in with some lysol or something. Told him to give me all his old aftershave, cologne, etc and I would mix up a French Wh*** concoction and spray it in. Thought about putting an ozone generator in and closing off the bay for a day or so. Unfortunately that would involve a second trip but I may need to do that anyway.
Any ideas/experience?
Replies
Big gamble of time and expense.
When all is tried and done be ready to rip out the old drywall and replace.
seeyou invented the shortest distance between two points...
A bird does not sing because it has an answer. A bird sings because it has a song.
Rut roh! That's trouble. Remove and replace all insulation contaminated with or adjacent to #1 or #2. If any of #1 has gotten on the drywall you need to use an enzyme type product that will chemically destroy the stuff. You won't be able to cover it up unless somehow your customer likes the mix of aftershave and cat urine together. Cat pee is unbelievably resistant, persistant and powerfully odorous. They use it for marking places in nature so it has to stand up. That's what you're up against. Maybe lightly soak the affected structure and drywall with bleach. Watch out for electrical boxes.
Not a smell that goes away on its own in any reasonable period of time. It doesn't even dry out. I've seen that stuff still in liquid form after literally years. It should be studied by science, it's properties are otherworldly.
When you're treating the surfaces keep in mind it could be pooled on a horizontal surface or sprayed on anything vertical.
IT'S NOT ME, I HAVE CATS.
Speaking as the mother cat to five...use a product like Febreze. Sometimes my cats poo in the sawdust around my machines and it penetrates the concrete, but a generous spraying or two of Febreze takes sign of it away. There are all kinds of such products expecially made for urine which you can buy at pet stores, too, but Febreze isn't very expensive and smells nice. I'm thinking if it takes the smell out of concrete, it will work for drywall. There is also a Febreze product for laundry in case the cats are prone to making their mark on clothing.
This stuff is pretty good for eliminating odors. http://www.atmosklear.net/ It doesn't have any scent of its own, so it doesn't mask the smell with perfume. I haven't used it on pet odors, but it will take care of cigarette smoke so it must be doing something right.
.22 caliber pills work best if/when that pussycat returns.
I had one customer with a dead rat somewhere in the basement. ( her husband spotted it one day and decided a good dose of cheap poison fom the local hardware store would do the trick) a couple of days later the stench was bad enough you wanted to cover your face with something the minute you entered the door.
I had recently hired a young fellow so sent him in to cut holes in the ceiling he could get his head into and look for the rat with a flashlight. After opening severzal holes, the odor became easier to locate and the kid found the rat, halfway down an interior wall on a piece of blocking. He was a great kid.
May neighbors respect You, and troubles neglect You.
Gord
Try an enzyme product - can find at pet stores - we have cats and accidents happen but when you put this stuff on it reacts with the urine and eliminates the odor. Try spraying it on or soak an old towel and lay it over the areas that have spots - could also spray on your drywall where it shows in the room?? When it's dry try Kilz or some other paint.
Thanks to all. We have four inside cats. One given to us by daughter, other three rescues. The latest one is a real trip. DW was taking her to vet for checkup/shots. In large kennel, putting her in to front seat of leather seated Tahoe. Felt warm on hand, poor scared girl squirted me and the front seat, shoulder harness, console. Strangely smelled more like people pee. Not the usual serious ammonia I am used to.
I had thought of the Febreeze, will get some of the enzyme stuff. Have not been down to check, it's about 25 mi away. Was waiting for him to pay a way past due bill. Paid in full today, will give him a good shot. A nice guy but kind of reminds me of the guy in Lil' Abner, Joe Blfstyck or whatever.
Thanks again for sharing ideas. My cable just came back up, I been Jones'in to get online.
Edited 9/1/2006 11:34 pm ET by rasconc
just as another vote for the enzyme stuff - get either nature's miracle or simple solution. they both work well. i can tell you from experience that this stuff will work if you use enough. my partner's uncle moved into an old farmhouse a few years back. the sellers gave him a great deal if he would rehab the place himself, which he did. the biggest obstacle was that the last inhabitant of the place was an old woman who had something like 25 cats, who all apparently lived in one room. the whole house had a bit of an odor but this room was absolutely uninhabitable for any amount of time. he had to live on the first floor of the house while he tore up floor boards and fixed things up. in that room (and possibly more, i don't know) he took the floors up down to the joists, including the subfloors. and there was still an odor. the stuff had soaked into the joists and framing members of that floor. he went and just bought gallons of that enzyme stuff and spent i don't know how long just soaking the boards with it. and it eventually worked. was it a lot of work? yes, but he got a great old house with a first floor for his antique gallery and a second floor to live in for a great price (and a lot of elbow grease and hard work). i guess i got off topic, but i just wanted to say that those enzymatic cleaners really do work. the trick is using enough.btw, i have three dogs and three cats and buy that stuff by the gallon. and no, i don't own stock in it. ;)
Thanks, will check it out. Did you get it fron vet or pet store?
Bob
you don't need to get this from a vet. petco or petsmart will have the best price on both of the brands i mentioned. ordering online might be a cheaper price but the shipping will eat up any savings, so i'd just go to my local pet supply house (i'd bet farm and fleet has it too). good luck.
Thanks, sounds like a plan.