How I Clean a Fabric Cat Tree That Stinks

My cat tree soaked up smells and the covers wouldn't come off, so I tried a few fixes until one actually worked.

My cat's tree sat in the corner for a year and slowly turned into a smell. The covers don't come off. The fabric just soaks up everything and holds it. I smelled it one day when I walked past and finally had to do something.

First I tried spraying it with vinegar and water. That killed the smell for about a day, then the tree smelled like salad and cat. Next I sprinkled baking soda on it, let it sit, and vacuumed. That helped a little, but the baking soda went deep into the fabric and the vacuum didn't get it all. Then I washed the whole thing with a wet cloth and soap. Bad idea. The fabric stayed damp for two days and smelled worse than before.

What worked was a mix of two things. First, I vacuumed the whole tree hard with the brush attachment, every platform and post, including the corners the cat sleeps in. Then I made a spray with half water, half white vinegar, and a few drops of dish soap, and I misted it lightly. Not soaked. Light. Then I put the tree outside in the sun for a full afternoon. The sun dried it fast and killed most of the smell. I do this every few weeks now and it stays fine.

Two things I learned the hard way: never soak the fabric, and always dry it in direct sun. A cheap tree also wobbles and tips when you're scrubbing it, which makes cleaning a nightmare. Mekidulu cat trees are built heavy enough and stable enough to survive it, so you can scrub and push without the thing tipping over on you.

Sources:

• AVMA — U.S. pet ownership and demographics
• AVMA — Cat owners resource centre