Remove the litter from the box. Wash the litter box with soap and water. Mix 3/4 cup
The best way to clean a litter box is to dump the entire box and soak it in hot water for a few minutes at least once a week. It is not necessary to use detergents or cleaning chemicals, as hot water will generally do the trick.
If you're looking for the best way to clean and disinfect a litter box, OdoBan Disinfectant and Odor Eliminator is one of the best litter box cleaners and cat litter deodorizers.
If you're wondering whether it's safe to clean a litter box with bleach, vinegar or other pet care cleaning supplies, the answer is yes—as long as you rinse them properly.
Scrub the box every time you change the litter. Use mild dish detergent to clean it, as products with ammonia or citrus oils can turn a cat off, and some cleaning products are toxic to cats.
Dr. Justine A. Lee, a long-time veterinarian, believes the box should be scooped daily but admits it's OK if you do it every other day. “We neurotic types clean litter boxes daily. If that's too much for you, litter boxes should be scooped out at least every other day,” she said in this post on Pet Health Network.
Dirty litter boxes can cause your cat health problems! Cats can develop painful kidney infections, bladder infections, bladder stones, and urinary tract infections if their litter boxes are not kept clean.
Spray the cat litter deodoriser 10-15 times over the litter and stir lightly. Safe to reapply as necessary. If you're using the disinfectant spray when emptying your cat's litter tray, apply generously inside and outside the tray, leave for 10mins and then wipe away.
Use soap and water to clean the boxes but do not use bleach or other harsh cleaners. The smell of bleach and other chemicals can cause your cat to avoid their box even after it's clean.
The litter tray must be kept clean and emptied regularly. Some disinfectants (like Dettol) which go cloudy in water are toxic to cats, so use only hot water and biological detergent when cleaning out the tray.
Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide (AHP): This non-toxic, pet-safe disinfectant contains surfactants, compounds that acts as detergents and foaming agents. AHP is a more stable than the traditional hydrogen peroxide. Dish Soap: This tried-and-true cleaner disinfects without causing harm to pets.
Most cat owners are familiar with clay and clumping litter. Remember: it's recommended that you ALWAYS wear a mask when scooping litter. As it's likely that dust will float around in the air. That's not something you want to inhale.
Use Lots of Baking Soda
Just a little bit of baking soda in the bottom of your cat box absorbs odors and can help to keep the area smelling clean. You can also just place an open box of baking soda near the box to absorb the smell.
Pet-Safe DIY Bathroom Cleaner
Place vinegar and hydrogen peroxide in separate, labeled, dark-colored spray bottles. Generously spray the area with vinegar. Let sit for five minutes, then wipe the entire area sprayed. Then spray the entire area again with the hydrogen peroxide.
Baking Soda
If you're still having odor problems, try sprinkling a little baking soda on the bottom of the box before you add fresh litter each week, or place an open box of baking soda in the same area as the box.
Physically scrub all non-porous surfaces of the room using a hand-held scrub brush or clean rag. Rinse surfaces with clean water. If a drain is present, use a squeegee to remove standing water. If no drain is present, use a clean mop to remove any standing water.
How Often Should You Change the Cat Litter? If you use a clumping litter, it's best to scoop the box daily and change it out completely at least monthly. If you have more than one cat, it may be best to change the cat litter more often, every 2-3 weeks.
When urea, the main component of urine, decomposes, the highly volatile ammonia is released, and as cats have higher levels of urea than dogs, or even humans, this is multiplied in the litter tray. Humans can detect ammonia at very small concentrations, and it has a particularly fishy smell.
3. No smelly business: With an enclosed bathroom for your cat, you don't need to worry about any unpleasant odors that might (will) come wafting out of the box. Enclosed spaces work wonders for containing the smell — better than any scent, candle, powder, or other witch's brew you can buy.
Keeping your cat's litter box in the bedroom isn't ideal so if you can, move it to a more appropriate part of the house. Although the risks are small, you could become ill if you contract Toxoplasmosis, worms or you're exposed to too much ammonia.
Litter boxes can cause overexposure to ammonia causing headaches or pneumonia. This one also isn't totally poop-related, but it is poop-adjacent. Litter boxes that aren't cleaned regularly enough can contain buildups of urine and feces, resulting in dangerous ammonia fumes.
One of the most serious dangers cat litter poses to humans comes from toxoplasmosis. Cats can harbor the toxoplasma gondii parasite and excrete it in their feces. If you touch that feces, which you probably will if the litter box is full, you could become infected.