Cleaning Hardwood Floors - Levittown,PA

I bought one of those hardwood floor cleaners by hoover that lets you spray out the water and then switch it to suck right back up. You need to get the floors spotless as soon as possible. The one that I bought is really small and would take forever in a whole house. I use mine for spot cleaning. You probably want to get the one by Shark. Also, there are some wipes in the pet store that are designed to break down the protiens in saliva. They are designed for cleaning a cats hair when they live with someone that's allergic. I wonder if it would help you to get these and wipe down the walls, counters, door knobs etc.

Why isn't your landlord cleaning the apartment before you move in? I understand wanting to clean to your standards, but if there is still feces in the apartment he's probably violating rental laws in your state. Security deposits are partly to allow the landlord to clean the apartment for the next tenants if necessary. I would check with your state's renter's rights group, because if he's already violating, it's only going to get worse!
http://www.hud.gov/local/pa/renting/tenantrights.cfm

I'd also get an air purifier. U can find a fairly inexpensive one from honeywell for $100 w a permanent filter u clean so u don't pay an arm and leg on filters.

Hi C.,

Cat urine is hard but usually there is not an allergic reaction to it, it just stinks. Mama R is right though you have to sand past it (Praise God it's not cat spray!!!) We actually removed sheetrock when we moved into our house. The cat had sprayed all around the baseboards.

Go to Petsmart and buy a blacklight. Get in the dark and hold up the light to the floors and walls and you can see exactly where it is so you can deal with it more efficiently. We also removed all floor coverings to the slab and cleaned the concrete slab with steel wool.

Cat hair and cat dander can be vacuumed and wiped down with a wet rag. A neutral enzyme should be used, not just water. Don't forget the ceiling either. Cat hair floats and can get caught on the stipling on a ceiling.

We were able to get rid of it but it took weeks. After the removal, the replacing, and the cleaning, we covered everything with a coat of KILZ. No one would even think that there had been any type of animal in my home.

Been there, done that, sorry you're going through it!

M.

I have a Shark steam floor cleaner. It sterilizes the floor, so it should help. You have to make sure that the floor is sealed and there can't be any wax on the floor. It would be worth the investment though. Good luck!

I used to date a man that was a hardwood floor expert (installed, refirbished, refinished, etc.) and he HATED cat smell because the ONLY way to remove the cat urine was to sand it down past the saturation point, then reseal the floor. Power sanding was a big, smelly mess (think cat urine smelling cloud of sawdust covering everything!).

IF your floor was sealed well to begin with, vinegar is safe for hardwoods.

A Dyson seems to have great suction to pick up the fine dander.

use an enzyme cleaner to remove cat urine smell. Vacuum every inch of that apartment.

one more thought.......what type of wood are the floors made of. Your husband could be allergic to them, or if there is mold in the apartment.

Did the landlord not insepct the place before the previous tenant left? It sounds like your husband is very allergic to cats. There is no way the landlord did not smell the cat smell from pee and poop. Did he not look at the apartment after the other tenants left. I would make him have it professionally cleaned. If he does not want to do that i would not move in there. If your husbands health is at stake then I would not move in either.

Does your husband take an antihistamine such as Clariton, Zyrtec, etc? That might help.

I also suggest that he stay somewhere else until you've been able to thoroughly clean the apartment. If he's not able to do that I suggest using air purifiers in every room. And he should not be in the apt when you are vacuuming. Do not dust. Wash with a solution that kills the allergens. You'll need to wash the walls, the window treatments and the floor. If you've brought your furniture into the apartment cat dander may have settled on that too.

Use a high powered vacuum, with a good allergenic filter. Clean hard surfaces with a solution made to break down protein in saliva as Suzi recommended.