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SFR: cat piss on goretex waders

13K views 66 replies 25 participants last post by  ribka 
#1 ·
So, one night I accidentally left my garage door open. I had my waders laying across the back of my boat drying. Some f'ing neighborhood cat came in and marked his territory on my Simms G3 waders, right on the belly of em. When I discovered it in the morning I immediately (cussing) got em into the sink, rinsed, and let em soak all day in the sink with mild dish soap in the water... fishing last weekend I could frickin' smell 'em while I was on the river. So, I just washed them in cold water in the front-load washer, per Simms care instructions, with bleach-free detergent. Can still smell it. I have them in the washer again, round two, this time with a healthy amount of baking soda mixed in with the detergent... I have a bad feeling they are still gonna smell.

Anyone ever have a stupid cat piss on their goretex waders? If so, ya ever get the smell out, and how?

I've had these waders for, idk, about 7 years and I love them... a few little aquaseal blobs to patch minor leaks, but they have overall been the best, most leak free waders I've ever owned. They fit perfect, and the articulated knees are awesome. And, man, I don't want to have to drop another $500+ for quality waders, and can't bring myself to go back to a lesser brand. Dan Bailey's bummed me out after I blew out three pairs way quicker than should have happened - got tired of returning them.
 
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#8 ·
'Stupid cat?'

Who left the garage door open?!

K
SOOOO not funny!

I mean wth, did the little bastard have expensive taste or what? Why the hell would it perch precariously on the edge of the boat and piss THERE???
 
#9 ·
I'm drying them now, hang-dry ofc - inside first. Yeah I was concerned with vinegar. I did read a bunch of articles prior to posting this... couldn't find any re goretex specifically though. I think the baking soda helped... odor seemed greatly diminished. Will know more when dry.

Next step will be calling Simms if not ok.
 
#7 ·
I had a cat piss issue after an evicted tennant in an apt. I ripped out the carpet, pad and baseboard. I used 6 coats of KILLZ on the floor and walls and i could still smell it when i got down in the corner and huffed away. The new pad, carpet, and fresh paint did help get the new renter in. ;) I feel for ya.
 
#13 ·
Ok... after the second washing I can't smell it any more. Maybe it was the big dose of baking soda. They smell like Gain detergent now.

Boy, the Mosquitos are gonna LOVE me on the Sky tribs this weekend! Opposite of when they were ignoring my stinky ass at Lake Crescent...
 
#20 ·
Ok... after the second washing I can't smell it any more. Maybe it was the big dose of baking soda. They smell like Gain detergent now.

Boy, the Mosquitos are gonna LOVE me on the Sky tribs this weekend! Opposite of when they were ignoring my stinky ass at Lake Crescent...
That will be a great test...85-87 degrees, direct sunlight........then that smell, ewh! gets worse as the sun rises higher, quickly the nostrils start to burn, eyes stinging..... Did you check to make sure there were no other sprayings in the garage?
 
#14 ·
My washer has a 'heavy duty' cycle that rinses multiple times. It worked for me with a sweatshirt that the same thing happened to and regular detergent. Although I'd use Nikwax Tech Wash for the waders instead of regular detergent. Or just rub a bunch more fish on them and maybe that'll overpower the piss...
 
#16 ·
Hm. The Simms care instructions didn't specify powder vs liquid, just bleach-free. I used liquid gain. I'll sure find out this weekend if any damage was done. There's gonna be a whole lot of wading Saturday and Sunday.
 
#17 ·
If the fabric seems to be absorbing more water than usual, try rinsing once or twice more in the washer.
Waterproof/breathable fabrics need to be washed and dried WITH heat a lot more often than people think. I was scared at first but now I wash all my tech clothing as soon as I see water stop beading up or absorbing into the fabric (Patahoochie waders, GTex ski and hunting gear, etc). The dirt and oils allow water in, the heat rejuvenates the fabric. I also use Nikwax Tech Wash instead of detergent and their TX Direct to retreat the DWR coating (its a wash in like detergent). Looks like you're on the right path if the smell seems to be gone!
 
G
#18 ·
I accidentally piss on my chest pocket all the times where I hold my chaa. Never once has stopped me from putting a dip in, I could see how cat piss might wired u out tho

I even crapped on my wader strap once. The only real remedy is river water seems to clean it out thoroughly in my expiriences
 
#25 ·
It looks like my earlier post didn't take. I have a deskunker kit put together for when my dog tangles with a skunk. It's supposed to work fast. It's a bottle of H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide), some baking soda and some mild liquid dishwashing soap. The dishwashing soap is a wetting agent to allow the other stuff to sink in good and neutralize the smell.

You might give that a try. I found this on the Spokane outdoors blog as the writer's dog has a problem with skunks. He said he's used it and it works fast.
 
#33 ·
It looks like my earlier post didn't take. I have a deskunker kit put together for when my dog tangles with a skunk. It's supposed to work fast. It's a bottle of H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide), some baking soda and some mild liquid dishwashing soap. The dishwashing soap is a wetting agent to allow the other stuff to sink in good and neutralize the smell.

You might give that a try. I found this on the Spokane outdoors blog as the writer's dog has a problem with skunks. He said he's used it and it works fast.
Here's a link to the article I was talking about.

http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/outdoors/2013/may/15/every-bird-dog-owner-needs-skunk-kit/
 
#26 ·
Now that you have become his territory your best bet is to enact the final solution. Borrow or rent a live trap and relocate him. Try to put a large river between his new home and yours.

TC
 
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#28 ·
When I was in college we were abusively forced to purchase insanely expensive mediocre text books. I just got home from shelling out $700 for a new semesters worth of book. The next morning I wake up to see a cat, which I already disliked, snarling at me while cursive scribbing f$&? Y&@ on my back pack in radioactive piss.

After that day, every time I see a cat I pull it apart.

They are utterly worthless creatures. Their signs of "affection" are merely marking you with their stank glands and they'll eat your body within 10m of your departure from this world. (Source: 15yr EMT)
 
#30 ·
To keep it from happening again, you should mark your territory around the garage similar to what the researcher did in Never Cry Wolf. Drink a few beers and dammit, mark your territory so the cat understands you can mark as well as it can.

You may want to do the marking of your territory at night... just in case the neighbors get the wrong idea.
 
#34 ·
I actually have a couple cats that I got for my son. I know it wasn't them, they were indoors when it happened. Pretty sure I know which neighbor cat did it. Not about to do anything in retribution to the cat, though, that's not right. Yes, yes I'm familiar with what it pissing on my waders meant - I am just really pissed off about it and thus was venting... and yep I figured it was probly because the waders smelled like me ... But again: pissed off and venting.

Thanks all for the links and suggestions.

Actually, I think I'll keep my air soft mp5 or pistol in the garage so if its snooping around I can show it it is not welcome, without doing any real damage to it.
 
#38 ·
Yeah. Not so much. :mad:

Wash them in apple cider vinegar. It works great against cat piss.
Think I'm going to be avoiding vinegar. If I need to call Simms, and they say it's okay, then yep, otherwise nope, nothing acidic.
 
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