How Do You Clean The Actual Litter Box?

[saleri]

I have a small 19 week kitten, and I give her two giant litter boxes.

And I use smartcat grass clumping litter, which I fill up 3-4 inches. I scoop the litter twice a day, and plan to empty it soon, but I'm wondering how I should wipe the empty litter box?

Some people say to use bleach, but others say bleach is too strong and the cat won't like it anymore?

Thoughts?

Edit: here's the cat's litter box: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Y0pVXKXZ7KZN9MEb2

 

[Willowy]

The way I do it is: dump the litter (if the litter is still good but you want to clean the box, you can dump it into the other box or an empty kitty litter bucket), then get a paper towel and get all the litter residue off. Then I take it to the bathtub and use the handheld shower head to wash it out. I normally use plain dish soap and a scrubby sponge (not the same one used for dishes!). If it's still smelly I'll use some white vinegar. If it's really smelly you can soak it in a diluted bleach solution, but then you have to let it air for a day or so to get the bleach smell out, so I only do that once a year or so. Let it dry naturally or wipe it dry, either way is fine.

 

[Neo_23]

I do a thorough clean once a month. Similar to Willowy I dump all the litter first and do a quick wipe with a wet paper towel. Then I use dish soap and an old sponge to scrub the box thoroughly. I don't take it into the shower. I just wipe off the dish soap with a couple clean paper towels afterwards.

 

[LTS3]

A diluted bleach solution is fine. Just be sure to rinse the box thorougly to remove any bleach smell and residue. If you can, let the litter box sit outside in the sun for a day so any lingering bleach smell disapates in the fresh air.

 

[huxleysmom]

I clean it out and wash it with soap first, then I spray a mixture of 50% white vinegar and 50% water on it to get rid of any smell. I let it evaporate a little and then towel dry it.

 

[weebeasties]

I read somewhere that bleach will eat into plastic causing little microscopic holes that collect dirt/odors/bacteria. Not sure how accurate the article was, but just to be safe I only clean the boxes with Dawn dish detergent and spray it with the waterhose.

 

[rubysmama]

I use clumping litter, so I remove the waste clumps twice a day. And once a week, I dump the litter remaining in the litter box into an empty litter container, then wipe down the litter box using litter box wipes. Once dry, I refill with the old litter, and top up with some fresh litter. I buy the wipes at Walmart. They're a little pricey, but worth it for the convenience.

 

[Kat0121]

I take them out to the driveway and use the hose and all purpose cleaner. My favorite is Mrs. Meyers Clean Day in honeysuckle! Cleans great and smells amazing. I dump all the litter out into trash bags, scrub them out and rinse them good before drying them with paper towels. The cats love supervising my work when I bring them all back in to set them back up and refill them. Once they are all refilled and back (in their rightful places thank you very much! ), Sophie will inspect each one thoroughly before deciding which one to use first. Lilith watches all of this from the cat tree that's in their room with great amusement.

 

[Neo_23]

Anyone else have a cat who enjoys taking a big dump in the litter box right after it's freshly cleaned?

 

[Alejandra Rico]

Anyone else have a cat who enjoys taking a big dump in the litter box right after it's freshly cleaned?

Well, Freya just pees

 

[Kitty Mommy]

Anyone else have a cat who enjoys taking a big dump in the litter box right after it's freshly cleaned?

Yep! JC watches me whenever I change the litter and she will go in each box right after I'm done.

 

[Kat0121]

Well, Freya just pees

Same with Sophie. I always know when she's had a good poo though. She gets a big bout of the zoomies after. It starts in the living room after she leaves the cat room with all the boxes in it and takes her into my room usually ending on top of the bookshelf.

 

[JamesCalifornia]

~ I use dishwash detergent and Pine-Sol with the garden hose. I let it sit for an hour with about 2 inches of water to soften any hardened litter. A nylon brush for the sides. Rinse with clean water and let dry .
Happy cats soon to follow

 

[fleur4]

I use the jumbo litter box liners. I just started using them and wish I'd known about them years ago. They're great, I just pick up the liner with the dirty litter inside and put it in a double garbage bag. I thought the cats might not like it but they don't even know it's there.

 

[Neo_23]

Same with Sophie. I always know when she's had a good poo though. She gets a big bout of the zoomies after. It starts in the living room after she leaves the cat room with all the boxes in it and takes her into my room usually ending on top of the bookshelf.

Same with my boy!

 

[tabbytom]

My boy uses clumping litter and I scoop his litter box twice a day. If he poops, scooping is is immediately after he’s done. Each time after I scooped, I’ll wipe that pee spot with a non perfumed and non soapy wet disposal wipe and also wipe off the scoops.

His box is filled with 3-4 ins of litter and he has a very big box. I top up his litter as it runs low and once the litter are very fine at the bottom of the box, which is around 4 - 6 months time, I’ll clear out the box, throw away the litter, soak the litter box with a little detergent and later scrub off those that are stuck as plastic litter boxes are prone to scratches, I pay more attention to those areas and give a good wash to the litter box and wipe dry then air dry.

While it is drying, I fill up his spare box with new litter. He use only one box but I have 3 spare boxes standby for him

 

[vince]

I put the boxes in a large (garbage can-sized) plastic bag and knock the clods off into the bag, which gets disposed of. Then I wash them out with a hose and throw the clay and water in the shrubs (usually takes two washes to get everything soft and loose). I clean them with paper towels and chlorinated kitchen spray cleaner then put in the fresh litter. In the winter, I wash them out by putting them in the shower after dumping them and flush the water and residue down the toilet. I finish up as above.

Sir Eats-A-Lot usually waits for me to finish and does his business as soon as I fill the boxes. Chesterfield doesn't seem to care either way.

 

[jcat]

At home, I dump all the clumping litter every 3 - 4 weeks and steamclean the box. In between I wipe the sides with a paper towel drenched in a water & enzymatic cleaner solution.

We use a vinegar-based all-purpose cleaner to scrub the litter boxes at the shelter, rinse well, air dry and spray with a 30-second disinfectant. Bleach does seem to weaken the plastic over time. For ill cats, a disinfectant used to clean surgical instruments is used, thoroughly rinsed off, the box is allowed to air dry, is sprayed with a 30-second disinfectant, and then steamcleaned.

 

[artiemom]

I change out Artie's litter and wash the box every 3-4 weeks. Since I am in an apartment, I do not have the luxury of a cellar or outside hose.

I dump the litter in a couple of plastic bags~~ Artie likes a deep litter, since he digs like crazy-- one bag is too heavy for me.. and it could break.

I use the bathtub to wash out his box and scoop. After I am done with the litter box, I wash down, disinfect the tub with regular cleaning stuff.

For the box, I use the regular Blue Dawn dish detergent. I figure, if it is good enough for wildlife, then it is good enough for Artie..

I fill the box with some Dawn and hot water, letting it soak for a few minutes. I dump that water, if needed, I have an old vegetable brush I use for the stubborn stuff.
I then refill the box with a small amount of water and Dawn, take "Handi-Wipe" get that wet with hot water and Dawn.. Then I just wash, as if you were washing dishes...
I rinse really well. I throw the "Handi-Wipe" away, after I am done.

I do the same with the scoop, and the bin I keep it it.

If it is warm, sunny, I let them air dry on the balcony. If not, I take an old large towel and wipe then down. I wash this towel in bleach, in the washing machine.

I have an extra litter box, so Artie does not have to worry about not having one, although he never uses it, only when he really feels his box is stinky...

I am always scooping. I really do not leave waste in the box.

It is really a chore to wash out the box.. but it is only once a month, so it is not bad. I make sure I wash down the tub really well, after I am done.

 

[Kat0121]

It is really a chore to wash out the box.. but it is only once a month, so it is not bad. I make sure I wash down the tub really well, after I am done.

We have five large boxes. Box cleaning is a project in my house.