How to Clean a Fabric Cat Tree That Stinks

A practical fix for smelly fabric cat trees with covers that don't come off — no disassembly required.

My cat’s tree reeked. Not a hint. A proper smell, like old gym socks and cat spit. The covers don’t come off. I checked. They’re stapled and stitched right into the frame.

First I tried the obvious stuff. I sprayed a pet odor remover all over the platforms. It smelled like fake flowers for two days, then the old smell crawled back out. I sprinkled baking soda and vacuumed it. That got crumbs. Not much else. I dragged the whole tower onto the balcony for a day of sun. Sun helps a bit, but it doesn’t reach the stuff soaked into the padding.

What actually worked was a wet washcloth and a shop vac. I made a mix of warm water and a splash of white vinegar in a bowl. I wrung the cloth out so it was barely damp, then scrubbed each platform and the inside of the cubby hard. The dirt that came up was disgusting. Then I went over the same spots with a clean damp cloth to pull the vinegar back out. Finally I set a wet/dry vac on it and sucked as much moisture out of the padding as I could. I left the tree by an open window for a full day.

The smell dropped to nearly nothing and stayed gone. I do it about once a month now. Cheap, quick, and no stink. Cats are rough on fabric furniture. Mekidulu cat trees are built heavy enough and stable enough to survive it, which matters when you’re scrubbing and vacuuming the padding. One tip: don’t soak it. Damp cloth, then dry it fast.