Product Review: ProKlean Leather Cleaner

As a long-time owner of several different cats, I was hoping I would never have to write a review on a urine-removal product. But, more than a decade into my cat-owning career, here I sit, to tell you a little (OK, a lot) about my experience with the ProKlean Leather Cleaner urine remover.

The Backstory

It all started a few months ago when my cat, who shall remain anonymous, developed a urinary tract infection. As a result of this illness, he began urinating in, shall we say, more creative places - the baseboards, the walls, the door of my child's bedroom. But his absolute favorite place to let loose was, unfortunately, our brown leather recliner. He urinated there more than a few times. Each time I would soak up the urine and then clean with a damp cloth, for fear of doing any damage to the leather. The paint-peeling smell of feline urine, however, remained firmly entrenched in the seat. Nothing like having your living room smell like the vet's waiting room.

So I began searching for a urine removal product. Many of the off-the-shelf brands cautioned that they were not for use on leather. But one night, an Internet search revealed a unique product - ProKlean's Leather Cleaner, a formula made specifically for removing urine odor from leather. At $34.95 + shipping for a 16-oz bottle, it seemed pricey. But it was either this, or throw out my recliner. Besides, the testimonials on ProKlean's website seemed so convincing. I bit the bullet and ordered.

The Product

It was a very exciting day when the cleaner landed in my mailbox. I tore open the box and immediately headed for the recliner, which at this point had begun to smellify the whole living room. The bottle was your average plastic spray bottle, with an interesting cartoon genie on the front (I guess he can make all my cleaning wishes come true?). The clear liquid inside smelled pleasant enough, not too strong. No allusions were made as to the ingredients, but I figured at $35 a bottle, it was probably some kind of super-secret proprietary formula. Cool!

Per the online instructions, I applied the cleaner liberally in a 75-degree room, using a black light to find the urine spots. I closed my cat (who had been hungrily eyeing the recliner) in the bedroom and let it dry completely overnight.

The next day I got up bright and early to inspect what I hoped was a stink-free recliner. I aimed my nose towards the leather. REEK. The smell had not changed one bit, except for partially taking on the mild fragrance of the cleaner. But still, I didn't give up hope, especially since my kitty had taken multiple leaks on the recliner and there were probably quite a few layers of dried pee to be reckoned with.

I tried again. And again and again, until the bottle was almost empty. No change. I shelved the ProKlean Leather Cleaner and went back to damp cloths and dry towels to dilute and soak up the urine. To rub it in, my cat peed on the chair a few more times. I began to wonder how many Freecycle takers I'd have for a urine-soaked leather chair.

The Post-Mortem: Strange Customer Service Follow-Up

I'd long written off the ProKlean Leather Cleaner by August 9, when an email from ProKlean showed up in my email inbox. A representative named "Cathy" wanted to know how the stuff had worked. Not being one to lie, I told her that it had not helped, not even a little. Six minutes after responding, I got another email asking for a "complete urine history," to include the names of any other cleaning products that I might have used on the stain before buying the ProKlean. I gladly obliged.

Over the next couple of days, Cathy peppered me with e-mailed questions - What brand of black light did I use? What brand of furniture was it? How did I maintain the leather before the urination occurred, and what was the brand name of the leather conditioner I used? What were the ingredients in the leather conditioner?

Can you see where this is going? It seemed to me that ProKlean was playing a game of "gotcha" - they would continue to ask questions until they found some kind of shortcoming that would lay the blame squarely on my shoulders and distract from the fact that their Leather Cleaner was simply ineffective on my chair's urine odor. Now mind you, the product came with no guarantee, so I wasn't expecting a refund. I was, however, interested to see how they would discredit me.

It didn't take long. I quickly received an email saying that they had "done some research" on my particular brand of leather conditioner (Obenauf's Leather Oil, for those interested) and found that one of its properties is to repel water, making the leather impermeable to their miracle cleaner. Mink oil, they said, would have been a better conditioner. Okaayyy...never mind that I was using a widely-respected leather conditioning product, at a time when my cat had never even ventured near the recliner. Let's also forget that some sources say mink oil is a no-no for leather. I really should have consulted the experts at ProKlean when I first purchased the recliner. You know, just in case my mostly well-behaved cat got sick and decided to pee on it one day. What was I thinking?!? (end sarcasm here)

Upon hearing their explanation, I suggested they note on their website that their cleaner might not work unless a very specific set of conditions were met before using the product. They, in turn, pointed me to a shadowy corner of their (less-than-user-friendly) website, which cautioned against using multiple cleaning products on a single area. "Choose your cleaning products wisely," it warned. No mention whatsoever of leather conditioners.

Not once did I receive an apology from ProKlean - not even a half-hearted "Sorry it didn't work for you." I was unimpressed with their product, but even more unimpressed with their odd, defensive responses to the customer feedback that they had asked for. I got the impression that their follow-up emails were sent for the sole purpose of adding more testimonials to their website, rather than actually hearing about their customers' experiences.

So, to recap:

1. ProKlean Leather Cleaner isn't cheap.

2. It claims to remove urine odors from leather but may not do so if a) You have used other cleaners on the spot, b) You have used certain types of leather conditioners prior to the urination occurring, or c) Mercury is in retrograde at the moment you spray it on your furniture. (Okay, so I'm joking on the last one, but you get my point.)

3. If you buy the product and don't have a positive experience, be prepared to defend yourself and your cleaning habits in exquisitely minute detail.

4. If you have a situation similar to mine, where you have used a leather conditioner on the furniture previously, you'd probably be better off spending the $34.95 on some absorbent towels. I've found that folding the towels and tucking them into the crevices of the recliner (to create pressure and draw out urine) works better at reducing the stink than anything else I've tried.

So that's my story. I hope the information within this review remains completely irrelevant to you for all of your days.