Best cleaning supplies

[bshcatlover]

I'm just wondering, what are some of the cleaning supplies you cannot live without when owning a cat? 

Having three cats now, I'm finding the shedding situation quite unruly.  I'm looking into buy a good rubber broom which I have heard is really good at grabbing cat hair.

I'm also quite concerned about cleaning sprays and things being toxic to cats, what pet-friendly brands do you like?

What are your favourite cleaning products and what is your regular cleaning routine?  Any suggestions of really good vacuum cleaners, brooms, cleaning/deodorising sprays, etc.?

 

[emilymaywilcha]

Are you brushing or combing your furballs? That would cut down on the amount of fur you need to sweep.

What kind of cleaning sprays do you want?

 

[aeevr]

for spray cleaner: water+vinegar+dish soap

scrubbing powder: borax

hoover steam vac

enzymatic pet stain cleaner (whatever is cheapest)

 

[orientalslave]

Microfibre cloths are wonderful, and with just a little water will get rid of all sorts of things that otherwise need some sort of chemical cleaner.  They wash well though eventually lose their magic.  However these days they are quite cheap to buy.

A good vacuum cleaner to pick up bits of litter - I don't have a shedding problem as my cats have very short fine coats.  I have two as I used to live in a house with two floors and carrying one up & down stairs felt dangerous.

A garden hose, for when I take the litter trays out for a big clean.

Biological washing powder or liquid for cleaning up cat pee - one of my cats stands in the litter tray and some always escapes.

A pump spray of general kitchen cleaner - I usually spray it on some cheap kitchen paper rather than on what I want to clean.

 

[bshcatlover]

Are you brushing or combing your furballs? That would cut down on the amount of fur you need to sweep.

What kind of cleaning sprays do you want?

Yeah, I brush them almost every other day, either with the Zoom Groom or Furminator and sometimes even both.  My British shorthairs particularly, shed a lot.  There are constantly just clumps of fur that floats around the floors like tumbleweed.

I have enzymatic cleaners that I use, but just general cleaners around the house.  I know some things can be quite toxic, so I was just wondering what people use.

 

[tx_kat]

Here are some of my favorites:

My favorite vacuum is the Bissell Pet Hair Eraser Canister Vacuum.  Even with regular brushing, we still had lots of black hair on our light beige living room carpet (the only room with wall-to-wall carpet).  I had tried two different "pet" vacuums, but they just didn't get the hair off of the carpet.  I was having to use a rubber brush to get the fur off of the carpet, and it took me an hour to clean one room!  I vacuumed the living room with this vacuum right after I the other vacuum, and the amount of fur I vacuumed up was amazing!  I also like that the head swivels flat so I can vacuum all the way under our king size bed.  Now I use this vacuum once a week or so and our carpet looks great!

I can use the vacuum above on all of the hard surfaces in our home (tile in the kitchen/dining room, hardwood in the bedrooms/hallway), but I usually use the Bissell PowerEdge Pet for daily vacuuming of litter and fur-bunnies because it's a lighter and gets into corners better.  I also use the Steam Mop Deluxe since the steam cleans without chemicals.

For general cleaning, I use vinegar/water, baking soda (for scrubbing) and microfiber cloths.

 

[toebeans]

I am glad I found this thread. I already use pet safe and non-toxic, natural cleaners - baking soda, microfiber for dusting, etc. but I really am curious about what kind of vacuum cleaners fellow cat people have.I am using at HEAVY, old Hoover and I can't stand it. I am so sore after cleaning! Getting a good vacuum has moved to the top of the priority list now that the war on fleas has begun and I vacuum daily. I know vacuuming is very effective, but only if you have an effective vacuum. I wish I could afford a Dyson or Miehle or others, but that is just out of my reach right now.

Also, what do you use to clean out your litterboxes? I am using an enzyme cleaner, waiting, rinsing that out, washing it down it with Dawn, rinsing & drying before refilling the litter. I do this once a week. I would love find something safe and effective that can clean it out in one step. I have great experiences with Bac-Out, but I can't find it in the stores. Not cheap, either. I have found great product called Orange Guard for dealing with ants and other bugs, too. Non-toxic and safe around pets.

 

[princessesme]

Many months ago, we had a Consumer Reports subscription and used it for the hunt for a new vacuum. Surprisingly, for the canister vacuums, a Hoover was rated #1, even over a Dyson, so we bought it! It only cost $99 (but you may want to check Hoover's website as they sometimes do promotions for rebates). Amazon has it here: http://amzn.com/B002HFDLCK

I've had it well over 6 months and I absolutely LOVE it! Even the hose attachment is powerful. I was actually pretty shocked how powerful it was for the stairs (you could actually feel a very strong suction). For my hardwoods though, I just use a regular Bissell stick vacuum which gets everything up nicely.

For cleaning the litter boxes, I only do a full cleaning once per month. Otherwise, their boxes are scoop 2x daily (or more, if needed) and they are wiped out with litter box wipes about 2x/week. I know you are looking for non-toxic ways, but when I do the major box cleaning, I usually use very hot water, a teenie bit of bleach and let them soak for 20 min, then rinse like crazy (until I can't smell bleach anymore)! Then I let them fully air dry outside. If it's rainy or something, I just use dishwasher detergent (no bleach soak) and towel wipe them out.