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Litterbox cleaner

post #1 of 17
11/11/05 at 10:20am
Thread Starter 
Okay, since I got Marlee I had been using litter liners up until very recently so I havent' actually had to do more than rinse out the box. But last time I was emptying old and putting in new litter I didn't use the liner, and I don't think i'm going to from now on. My question is, what can I use besides plain water to wash the box out? I live in an apartment, so I don't have a hose that I can go outside and rinse it out. I'll just be using a cup/washcloth to clean it out and rinse it. I figure to really get it clean and get rid of any bacteria, I need to use something besides water. What can i use that won't hurt Marlee? I have the Orange house cleaner, but since I've heard citrus can be use as a deterrent to keep kits away, don't want to use that. I've got windex, bleach, some floor cleaner, dish soap and most normal household cleaners, but didn't know if any would be safe to use. Any opinions?
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post #2 of 17
11/11/05 at 10:30am
I would use bleach water. If you use ammonia, the cats might reject the box.

I line my boxes with paper grocery bags, so they don't need cleaning as often and they're much easier to clean.
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post #3 of 17
11/11/05 at 10:35am
I really don't have to clean the litter box completely out anymore (using WBCL) but when I did I used just a basic orange cleaner. It never seemed to be a problem as long as you mop it up real good. I think that goes for any product...just make sure once its washed with the cleaner you go over it wtih water adn make sure its all up.
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post #4 of 17
11/11/05 at 10:36am
Thread Starter 
Thanks to you both! I never thought about using paper bags. Only problem is I do most of my shopping at WalMart, and I haven't seen paper bags there. Oh well! I quit using the plastic liners b/c Marlee seemed to have too much fun trying to rip them, so they really didn't their job all that well!
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post #5 of 17
11/11/05 at 10:39am
I always would try plastic liners too but its no use with a cat. I have a bad enough time keeping them from tearing up the wallpaper in teh bathroom! They go to town when it comes to burying their stuff.
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post #6 of 17
11/11/05 at 1:45pm
I use viniger and water to clean my litter boxes
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post #7 of 17
11/14/05 at 7:57am
You can also line litterboxes with newspapers. I prefer to line them because it makes keeping the box itself clean, so much easier.
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post #8 of 17
11/14/05 at 11:12am
I use liners but every so often i clean out the box with dishsoap (dawn) and water...pretty simple....and it smells fresh afterwards!
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post #9 of 17
11/14/05 at 11:56am
I spray it with a 10% bleach/90% water solution, let it sit for a while (in the bathroom with the door closed, out of reach of the cats), then rinse thoroughly.
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post #10 of 17
11/14/05 at 11:59am
I clean Dori's box with Dawn dishwashing soap, the type with Bleach alternative init, and hot water. Once it is dry I spray a light layer of PAM (cooking spray) in the box and dry it lightly with a paper towel. The PAM keeps the mess from sticking to the bottom of the litter box and it is much easier to scoop. (I think I learned that trick from Hissy a long time ago )
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post #11 of 17
11/14/05 at 4:31pm
I just use very hot water. Occasionally bleach and then rinse, but I am not sure if that is really necessary, since I use the clumping litter. I guess dish-soap (is that the same as dishwashing liquid?) is good as well. I tried the litter box liners, but they just moved around and made it easier for my cat to dump the litterbox contents on the floor, so I gave up. I have noticed that WBCL doesn't scratch the litter box so much, just a shame that I have to drive so far to get it....
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post #12 of 17
11/14/05 at 5:43pm
I use bleach instead of anthing else for a number of reasons. The first is that ammonia stinks when hot and I heard it was a bad idea, I think on this site. I don't use dishwashing detergent b/c I think it takes to long to rinse! I also heard Lysol was bad for cats due to chemicals. I don't use orange cleaner b/c I read cats don't like citrus. I also use bleach b/c it kills germs, not that I think my guys are incredibly germy, but hey, it's their toilet. I soak the box with hot water and just a spash of bleach for less than 5 minutes. I then rinse it out thoroughly and make sure there is nothing stinking to the box- such as litter or poo. I tried the pam once- it didn't make a huge difference.
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post #13 of 17
11/14/05 at 8:48pm
dr bonners soap and h2o mostly

vinager and h2o about every two months


ammonia and h20 about twice a year...

this is with the other litters havent changed a box since changing to worlds best
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post #14 of 17
11/15/05 at 7:52am
Pam didn't work for me either, perhaps because I use a corncob litter instead of clay. I use this (click here) litterbox spray instead. I spray the box before filling it up. When the box is in use, if any areas on the sides/corners of the box need spot cleaning, I clean them with a very dilute (1:30) bleach/water solution on a paper towel, and then respray with the Stink Free spray.
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post #15 of 17
11/15/05 at 8:24am
My cats tear through the plastic liner the minute I put it in so I decided to go linerless. I also devised a good way of sifting the litter. I got myself a 5 liter round bucket and a plastic sive (the big ones used for pasta) put the sive in the top of the bucket, (the sive actually sits in the bucket resting on the edge) pour the litter in and tap the sive a couple of times. I use a damp paper towel to whipe out any remaining in the litter pan. I then toss the "gucky" stuff that is in the sive (it works like a giant pooper scooper) and pour the good litter from the bucket back into the litter pan and top off the litter pan with some fresh litter if needed. This works best with Clumping cat litter. I do this 2 times a day as I have 2 cats. It works like a charm!
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post #16 of 17
11/15/05 at 9:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by squirtle
The PAM keeps the mess from sticking to the bottom of the litter box and it is much easier to scoop. (I think I learned that trick from Hissy a long time ago )
Good idea! I'll try that next time!
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post #17 of 17
11/17/05 at 1:51pm
I use a steam cleaner. There are small, favorably priced ones that do the job quickly, and you don't have to worry about scents or residue.
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