Best Black Light for Finding Cat Urine – 3 Powerful Options
Cat Urine Black Light
Many a cat owner will know how it feels when you can smell cat urine in your home, but you can’t see it. It dries clear but leaves a scent, so you’ll want the best black light to find cat urine to properly clean it and keep your home smelling fresh.
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Can You See Cat Urine With a Black Light?
Yes – cat urine will normally show up as a slightly yellow or green glow in a dark room when a UV black light urine detector is shone on it. It’s best to wait until the evening to check, as darkness helps make the UV light more effective. Close the drapes, switch off the light and do a sweep of the room, including the floor, furniture, and walls. It’s a good idea to carry something with you like tape or chalk to mark the stain. That way, when you switch the lights back on, you’ll still know where you need to clean.
Does Cat Vomit Show Under Black Light?
While urine will give a strong glow under a UV blacklight, it’s not as simple as vomit. Cat saliva can glow when a UV light is shone onto it, but vomit is usually a mix of saliva and other stomach contents, usually materials that don’t glow. You might see trace patches of glowing when you scan cat vomit with a UV black light, but it may not show up at all due to the weakness of the saliva in the mix.
Do All Black Lights Detect Urine?
Not every black light is optimized for cat urine. You need to check the wavelength of the UV light emitted. Some black lights use LEDs with a wavelength of 390nm or 400nm, which you should avoid. The wavelengths that are best for a pet urine detector lie between 365nm and 385nm.
The Best Blacklights for Cat Urine
Here are three options for black lights that will help you detect any stains and get them cleaned up quickly. Some are better than others, but this is a good range to suit any budget.
1. DARKBEAM Blacklight Flashlight
Buy it on Amazon. This is a good option if you want to balance price and comfort. It isn’t the strongest or most effective light and is best for finding recent urine rather than dried-in stains.
Pros:
- Requires just one AA battery
- Compact and lightweight – easy to use around the home
Cons:
- Low-powered – works best in very dark rooms/on recent stains
- Small size means
2. Alonefire X901UV UV Flashlight
Buy it on Amazon. The Alonefire is rechargeable and powerful, offering fantastic performance at this price. Most importantly, its 365NM light is extremely effective at spotting urine.
Pros:
- 365NM light source offers effective detection of cat urine
- Rechargeable battery and safety glasses included
Cons:
- Some customers have complained about build quality
3. uvMonster Blacklight Flashlight
Buy it on Amazon. Customer reviews are generally very positive about the uvMonster, and with 128 LEDs offering 385-395NM wavelengths they should be. Of those designed for casual use at home, it’s a solid option, although it needs a lot of battery power.
Pros:
- 128 LEDs help to deliver a powerful beam even in lighter rooms
- 385-395NM wavelength range is more suited to urine than cheaper models
Cons:
- Customers have reported inconsistent performance
- Requires 6 x AA batteries to work
Cleaning Cat Urine From the Carpet
Once you’ve found a black light that you’re happy with, you’ll then start finding the cat urine…which you’ll need to clean. Cat urine can be stubborn – simply scrubbing with warm water might help to dilute the smell, but it won’t completely clean and disinfect the area. And if you leave a trace, then your cat may revisit the same spot again.
How Do You Get Dried Cat Urine Out of the Carpet?
There are a number of ways to remove dried-in urine. Some of them involve some products you might already have around your home, while others are dedicated cleaning products that some of you have recommended.
Do Vinegar and Baking Soda Remove Cat Urine From the Carpet?
If you have vinegar and baking soda, you can mix them to help deodorize the stain and give your carpets or furniture a deeper clean. But only mix them on the site of the stain itself, as it’s not the resulting product but the reaction that does the work. So, sprinkle some baking soda onto the stain, then ideally spray vinegar over it, or pour a small amount if you don’t have a spray bottle. The fizzing reaction will help loosen the urine stain, and it can then be washed away to clear the smell.
Does Hydrogen Peroxide Get Rid of Cat Urine Odor?
If you don’t have any baking soda or vinegar, or it doesn’t quite remove the smell, hydrogen peroxide can work wonders. This antiseptic can be mixed with liquid soap and scrubbed into the carpet to completely neutralize the odor of the urine. Hydrogen peroxide shouldn’t stain your carpet itself but I can’t guarantee anything, so if you’re concerned, test it on a hidden area first. If you do use it, make sure you let it seep into the fibers of your carpet – if it sits on the top of the pile then the odor will return.
Will Cat Urine Smell Ever Go Away?
Cat urine odor will eventually fade a little, but if left untreated it’ll never completely go away. If you have a more humid day then the uric acid in the urine can recrystallize, which will cause the odor to return. It’s best to make sure you use a black light and identify every urine stain, and then clean them thoroughly.
The Best Products To Clean Cat Urine
As well as these home remedies, I’ve written before on cats peeing outside of the litter box and some of you gave suggestions on the best products to clean cat urine. Fizzion was recommended by Sharon in AZ, while another reader recommended Planet Urine as another reliable option for cleaning urine and completely neutralizing any odor.
Other recommendations include Simple Solution Extreme Stain and Odor Remover – which you can also buy with a black light or on its own if you’ve chosen one of the black lights above – while another reader swears by Eco88.
Check that article to see more of what you said about these products.
You could also look at the Purrified Air Litter Box Air Filter – a natural purifier that helps to remove the odor from the air in your home, so even if the stain isn’t completely cleaned, the pollutants are broken down.
Read the article on a natural purifier.
AirDoctor 5000
My friend So told me about the AirDoctor. She got an AirDoctor 5000 ultra HEPA air purifier after discovering a mold problem in her home. She is really pleased with it so far. I was looking for an air purifier for our upcoming bathroom renovation. I am glad it arrived early, so I can try it out.
You may purchase the AirDoctor 5000 here.
How Does a Black Light Find Pet Urine?
As you may have guessed, the answer relies on science. Urine is rich in phosphorus and proteins, which glow when exposed to the wavelengths in a backlight. This makes finding the urine very easy so you can clean the area and get rid of the foul smells in your home. In fact, black light is also efficient for finding improperly-cleaned urine stains.
Without such a tool, it’s very difficult to figure out whether or not you’ve managed to get all the urine out of a carpet or couch. So this old stain might still emit some bad smells, but you’re not likely to consider it the source since you know you’ve cleaned it. With a black light, you’ll know when it’s time to clean something again.
How Do You Find Pet Urine Using a Black Light?
Finding urine stains with a black light is quite simple, at least if you know the technique. All you need is a bit of patience. Essentially, you have to scan your house with the black light looking for those bright spots that signal urine. Go through each room and scan the carpets, couches, armchairs, and whichever upholstered furniture you have because those are the usual suspects.
Finding pet urine stains using a black light depends on whether the stain is old or new. For instance, new urine stains might be difficult to spot because the urine needs to dry out to become properly visible in the UV light. On the other hand, urine stains that are very old might also be hard to find, but we have a useful tip to help you with that.
Remember to scan the carpets on both sides. The upper part of the carpet is exposed to air all the time, so old urine stains might not show up easily on this side. These old urine stains might have been exposed to different bacteria, some of which might have diminished the phosphorus levels, making the stains less visible. However, on the back of the carpet, which is rarely exposed, even old stains are easy to spot.
When you’ve found urine, you’ll see it right away, and it’s time to bring in your cleaning heavy artillery. You can even use the black light as quality control to check if you’ve gotten the urine out of the carpet.
FAQs about the Black Light for Finding Cat Urine
What type of black light devices should you use to find pet urine?
Cat urine is only visible if you use the right UV flashlight. It all depends on the wavelength of the UV light, which has to be 365 nm to 385 nm for you to be able to detect cat urine using it.
This is the feature that you need to check before purchasing one. Keep in mind that many black light devices emit a wavelength of 390 nm to 400 nm, which is useful for spotting dog urine and most household stains, but not cat urine.
Can you find cat pee with a black light?
Yes, you absolutely can provide that you have the proper device and know a few things about the technique. Remember that you need a black light that emits UV light at a wavelength of 365 nm to 385 nm and not 390 nm to 400 nm, which most black light devices emit.
You also need to take your time scanning the house and going through the places that your cat frequents or might spray. Keep in mind that new urine stains, as well as very old ones, will be difficult to find.
Is a UV light the same as a black light?
Almost. The term “black light” refers to a certain type of lamp that has a phosphorescent coating that emits UV radiation or ultraviolet light, so they are definitely connected. Considering that there are other applications (and even three types) of UV light, saying that it’s the same thing as a black light would not be correct.
Will any black light detect urine?
It depends. While most black light devices will detect a type of urine, not all of them will detect cat urine or dog urine. Dog urine is detected by UV light with a wavelength of 390 nm to 400 nm, while cat urine can only be detected at a wavelength of 365 nm to 385 nm. So, if you are looking for a black light with the purpose of detecting pet urine, you will have to check this feature first and foremost.
Is there a device to detect cat urine?
The best device you can use to detect cat urine is a UV flashlight with a wavelength of 365 nm to 385 nm. If you’re looking for specific black light device recommendations, you will find some in the first part of our article.
Still, have questions about finding cat urine with a black light? Then take a look as we go through the most frequently asked ones.
Do you have your own Black Light for Finding Cat Urine that you’d recommend? What do you find works best for preventing urine odors? Let me know your suggestions in the comments below.
Hi, I’m Jenny Dean, creator of Floppycats! Ever since my Aunt got the first Ragdoll cat in our family, I have loved the breed. Inspired by my childhood Ragdoll cat, Rags, I created Floppycats to connect, share and inspire other Ragdoll cat lovers around the world,
We have 8 cats – 2 families, 3 came first, then a young mama had 4 beauties. Trust me – you can most definitely see vomit under uv, both a cheap flashlight for urine or our Beast for minerals. The problem I created on our carpet was the carpet cleaning solution I was using. I found it online, using Tide laundry detergent. It contains Phosphate!!! Makes your clothes brighter and resist soiling – well, it also makes your carpet brighter where you sprayed to clean. Even after using a carpet cleaning machine with like Bissell cleaner, the glowing spots are back when the carpet dries! If I go over and over &&&& and suck up any last little drop, the glow is less glaring. I’ve been trying to find what neutralizes the phosphate and have seen baking soda and vinegar seems to be best. I’ll give it a try! I absolutely know my carpets are clean but when I have to do a check of the carpets for barf that blends right into the carpet – and you see so many glowing spots – I hate that. The other remedy is to make a strong cleaning mixture with the Tide, and just do the whole carpet – let it all shine!!!!!
WOW! SUPER PAWESOME & FABULOUS POST, Jenny honey! TYSVM for all this great info! I truly learned A LOT! I don’t have a fave black light product (didn’t know much about them for detecting cat urine, etc., prior to reading your amazeballs post today) to recommend as we don’t have a urine issue with Miss PSB yet (and I hope we never do but you never know what could happen as she gets older and older…). She does vomit now and then (cats!) but finding THAT has yet to be a problem. 😉 <3
Big hugs & lots of love & purrs!
Patti & Miss Pink Sugarbelle 🙂 <3 <3 <3
yes, i hope i never have a urine problem with my cats!