How to Wash a Cat Carrier After Pee or Poop

You set the cat carrier down after the trip and catch the smell. Your cat wants out. The towel inside is wet, and you can't tell yet how far the mess has spread.

First, let your cat out in a quiet room with the door shut. Then lift out the bedding, remove any visible waste, and wash each part of the carrier as its care label allows. If pee or poop touched the carrier, check whether those surfaces can also be disinfected. Let every part dry before you put it back together.

Set the Carrier Up for Cleaning

Get your cat settled and work out what came into contact with the mess. Bring the carrier inside before you open it. Give your cat a clear route out so you can deal with the bag without trying to hold her at the same time.

Put on disposable gloves if you have them. Set out a bag for waste, paper towels, soap or detergent, and a brush or cloth you use for pet gear. Use a dedicated wash tub, a laundry sink, or a bathtub. Keep the soiled carrier away from places where you prepare food.

• If your cat pooped in the carrier: Pick up what you can with paper towels and bag it. Lift loose stool rather than rubbing it across the floor of the carrier.
• If your cat peed in the carrier: Blot up wet spots. Lift the pad and look at its underside, the floor of the carrier, and any seam the liquid could have reached.

Bag disposable liners and set washable bedding aside for laundry. Check the carrier's care label before you take it apart. If the door or base lifts out, note how it fits. A quick photo can help if the clips look the same from both sides.

Once you've removed the visible mess, follow the steps for each material below. A soft carrier can have a plastic tray and a fabric pad. Each part can need a different wash. Wash your hands with soap and water after handling the waste or taking off your gloves.

Wash a Hard-Sided Carrier

Scrub washable hard surfaces with soap and water, then rinse them well. A wipe across the bottom won't reach dirt in the door track or under the edge of a tray. If the maker allows it, remove the tray and separate the two halves before washing.

1. 1

   Wash the base

   Use warm water and soap. Start with the floor and work into the corners, the lip around the door, and the channels where the top clips in. A soft brush can reach grooves a cloth skips.

2. 2

   Wash the door and tray

   Clean the inward side of the door and the underside of the tray. Keep the latch in view. Follow the maker's directions for metal parts.

3. 3

   Rinse away the soap

   Tip the base so the corners drain. Check the channels for suds. If a cloth still picks up dirt, wash that spot again.

4. 4

   Set the parts out to dry

   Wipe up pooled water with a clean towel. Leave the shell open and the tray separate so air can get underneath it.

Check the tag on a plastic tray inside a soft bag. If you can wash the tray, use the same steps. Wash it on its own. This lets you see where the tray was in contact with the shell. If you find a crack that holds dirt or a broken latch that won't catch, set the carrier aside. Washing it won't fix those parts.

Check the spot where the carrier sat in the car, too. Check the tag before you wash a seat cover or mat. Put a clean carrier back on a clean surface.

Clean Fabric and Removable Inserts

Treat the liner, the shell, and the base insert as separate pieces. A tag that says the pad can go in the washing machine doesn't mean the shell can. Stiff panels, foam, and mesh may have different care instructions from the fabric you see on the outside.

Wash the removable pad

Unzip the cover if the pad has one. If the label allows machine washing, use detergent and the cycle and temperature on the tag. Follow the drying directions too. If you use a dryer on a cover that calls for air drying, you may find it won't go back over the pad.

Look at what was under the cover. Some pads have a washable insert. Others have a foam core that can't be soaked. If urine reached a part you can't wash or dry as directed, ask the maker about a replacement. A clean cover can't solve a wet core.

Clean the shell as directed

If the shell is wipe-only, use a cloth dampened with the cleaning solution allowed by the maker. Work on the dirty spot and check the seams around it. Wipe or rinse away residue as the instructions allow. Don't submerge a shell that has a rigid panel sewn inside.

Open the bag while it dries and pull the edges of the opening apart. Check the thick seam at the bottom and the fabric behind any pocket that got wet. The outside can feel dry first. Put a dry towel against the thick seam. If the towel picks up water, leave the bag open.

Check the base insert

Slide the insert out if the maker says it's removable. Some inserts are solid plastic. Others have a board inside a sleeve. Look at the edge as well as the top, since liquid can run down a seam and reach the board from below.

If the board is swollen, bent, or still smells after the care steps the maker allows, replace it if you can get the right part. Don't swap in a loose board that changes how the carrier sits. If the base won't sit flat, use a spare carrier.

Decide Whether to Disinfect

Clean first. Then check that the surface and disinfectant are a match. The CDC's guidance on cleaning pet supplies distinguishes washing away dirt from disinfecting a surface. The CDC advises this step for items that touch pee or poop. The same goes for items your pet uses while sick.

Read both the carrier instructions and the disinfectant label. A product meant for hard, nonporous surfaces may not be suitable for mesh, foam, or a cloth shell. Choose a product labeled for the surface and use it as directed. Check the amount to use, how long the surface must stay wet, and whether it needs rinsing afterward. Keep your cat out of the room while you work and until the carrier is ready to use again.

Don't mix cleaning products. In particular, don't pour bleach over urine or add it to another cleaner. If you can't confirm what has already been used or what the carrier can take, stop and check the instructions. An odor remover isn't a substitute for a disinfectant unless its label specifically says it can disinfect that surface.

If your cat is sick or your vet has told you she might have a contagious infection, call the clinic before relying on a usual home routine. Ask what to use on hard surfaces and whether a soiled pad or shell can be kept. The clinic can tell you if the type of illness changes the way you should clean the carrier.

The CDC's step-by-step cleaning sheet is useful if you want the hard-item and laundry steps side by side. For any disinfectant you choose, use that product's own label to get the contact time and handling directions.

Dry and Reassemble Before Reuse

Check the hidden spots before you close up the carrier. Run a dry towel along the bottom seam, under the insert, and around the latch. If it picks up moisture, leave the parts apart longer. Put the pad back only when both it and the surface below it are dry.

Reattach the door or the upper shell as the maker directs. Check each clip and work the latch before you put your cat in. With a soft bag, make sure the base lies flat and the zipper moves without catching the lining. If you spot a torn seam or a broken clip, switch carriers for the next trip.

When the carrier is ready, add clean bedding that fits flat. A spare washable liner in your travel bag can make the next cleanup easier. If this accident left you wondering whether a different shell would be easier to live with, see our soft-sided vs. hard cat carrier comparison.

Before you put the bag away, leave it open for one last check. Look at the spot where the mess started, then at whatever was underneath it. Those are the two places most likely to tell you if there's still work to do.

Related reading

• Cat travel sickness
• How long can a cat stay in a carrier?