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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / May 2004Question about household cleaners
So I'm changing the litterbox again. I just changed it about a week ago, and that's way too soon for clumping litter. I scoop it daily, but I should expect to have to change it completely only once every two or three weeks. The problem is, after I put the new litter in last week, it started to smell again within a couple of days. Scooping daily doesn't help. I've never had this problem before, and I've been using this litter for several months. I'm thinking that maybe it's the cleaning stuff I soak the box in after dumping out the old litter. I use this stuff called "Simple Green", an environmentally friendly solution that's not hazardous to humans or pets. Unfortunately, I think it's also not hazardous to bacteria. :) So I'd like to find something that's more effective, but still safe for the mammals in the house. I know not to use Lysol, or any pine-based cleaner. 409 also has a warning about being unsafe for kids and pets. And I don't want to use ammonia, because then the cats might think some unknown cat has peed there recently. :) (I also can't stand the smell of ammonia myself.) What else is there? Or would it be OK to use one of the harmful ones, as long as I rinse the box well and dry it thoroughly? I always put the box in the bathtub and fill it with water and cleaning stuff, and let it soak a while before scrubbing it. The tub has hard plastic doors, which I can close so kitties can't get near it while it's soaking. So is there any harm in using Lysol to clean it, as long as none of it remains on the box when I refill it with new litter? Joyce in article %ieoc.10803$Fo4.142381@typhoon.sonic.net, jXwXeXrXmXoXnXt@sonic.net at jXwXeXrXmXoXnXt@sonic.net wrote on 5/11/04 7:35 PM: > So I'm changing the litterbox again. I just changed it about a week > ago, and that's way too soon for clumping litter. I scoop it daily, [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > > Joyce I'm thinking it's the microscopic scratches in the plastic that are making it stink so fast. I think I'd skip the cleaner and get a new box. Otherwise, why not try natures antibiotic and use vinegar water. Karen > I'm thinking it's the microscopic scratches in the plastic that are > making it stink so fast. I think I'd skip the cleaner and get a new > box. Otherwise, why not try natures antibiotic and use vinegar water. Both of these are excellent solutions, thank you! It's true that this is not a new litterbox, and probably it is time for a new one. Forgot about vinegar! Joyce > > I'm thinking it's the microscopic scratches in the plastic that are > > making it stink so fast. I think I'd skip the cleaner and get a new [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Joyce Once the box is clean, the addition of baking soda or litter deodorizer to the litter helps it stay odor-free longer. Joy I can't stand the smell of Simple Green, but it is a good cleaner. I just clean the litter box with whatever is handy out in the driveway. Dish soap or 409 usually. But mostly rinse thoroughly and let it dry in the sun. (Natures best disinfectant) I use the type of litter box that has two trays and a sifting tray plus a shield, and it was a problem to get it clean and dry after a complete changeout. I finally bought a second set so that won't be a problem. Jo > So I'm changing the litterbox again. I just changed it about a week > ago, and that's way too soon for clumping litter. I scoop it daily, [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > > Joyce >I can't stand the smell of Simple Green, but it is a good cleaner. I love the smell of Simple Green! All the guys at the bowling alley always cleaned their balls with it. I finally asked someone what it was he was using on his ball. That's the first time I ever heard of the sutff. Sherry > I love the smell of Simple Green! All the guys at the bowling alley > always cleaned their balls with it. Gee, I had no idea Simple Green had that kind of, um, function... ;) Joyce > >I can't stand the smell of Simple Green, but it is a good cleaner. > > I love the smell of Simple Green! All the guys at the bowling alley always > cleaned their balls with it. Sherry, you're just *asking* for a Dave to step in here with a comment ;-))) Deb.  Signaturehttp://www.scientific-art.com "He looked a fierce and quarrelsome cat, but claw he never would; He only bit the ones he loved, because they tasted good." S. Greenfield >Sherry, you're just *asking* for a Dave to step in here with a comment >;-))) > >Deb. Gotcha. Wasn't it me who *just said* yesterday how carefully I re-read posts before hitting "send"? I had no idea how that would read, until you cropped the sentence out by itself. And, no, I didn't walk up to a strange man and say, "How do you keep your balls smelling springtime fresh?" LOL Sherry ROFL!! > >Sherry, you're just *asking* for a Dave to step in here with a comment > >;-))) [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Sherry > Gotcha. Wasn't it me who *just said* yesterday how carefully I re-read posts > before hitting "send"? I had no idea how that would read, until you cropped the > sentence out by itself. > And, no, I didn't walk up to a strange man and say, "How do you keep your balls > smelling springtime fresh?" LOL That thought crossed my mind when I read your post. ;o) Glad you didn't. SignatureMarina, Frank and Nikki Email marina (dot) kurten (at) pp (dot) inet (dot) fi Pics at http://uk.f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/frankiennikki > Gotcha. Wasn't it me who *just said* yesterday how carefully I re-read > posts before hitting "send"? I had no idea how that would read, until you > cropped the sentence out by itself. Tee hee, apologies - I have a bad sense of humour ;-)) > And, no, I didn't walk up to a strange man and say, "How do you keep your > balls smelling springtime fresh?" LOL ROFLOL!!! Deb. Signaturehttp://www.scientific-art.com "He looked a fierce and quarrelsome cat, but claw he never would; He only bit the ones he loved, because they tasted good." S. Greenfield > And, no, I didn't walk up to a strange man and say, "How do you keep your > balls smelling springtime fresh?" LOL After looking all over the market for some walnuts to complete a chocolate chip cookie recipe, DH walked up to the Asst. Manager and asked in frustration, "All right, where do you hide your nuts?" Regards and Purrs, O J >>I can't stand the smell of Simple Green, but it is a good cleaner. > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >Sherry I like the smell, also. Simple Green is an excellent degreaser. I use it for cleaning walls, top of cabinets, etc. in the kitchen. Jeff takes a bath in it diluted, when he has been working on a motor and gotten black grease all over him. My sister has used it many times as a carpet cleaner in her shampooer. When I clean litter pans, I soak them in a dilute bleach solution. Then I clean them out with Simple Green and a Scotchbrite pad and then dry in the sun. As soon as the fresh litter goes in, a cat materializes inside the pan! ;-)) -- CATherine >I use the type of litter box that has two trays and a sifting tray plus a >shield, and it was a problem to get it clean and dry after a complete >changeout. I finally bought a second set so that won't be a problem. While washing pan parts a little while a go, I was thinking about the misleading advertisements and forced purchase of an unneeded base pan. The truth is that the sieve and anti-kick ring are usually the dirtiest pieces - the notion that you can snap the ring off, lift the sieve and empty it, then put it back in the other pan without any cleaning is simply nonsense. True, I don't clean all the pieces every time I remove the waste, but one complete set and up to as many other pieces as needed get thoroughly cleaned in the utility sink with very hot water and cloudy ammonia, and a brush (I use five pans and have almost five complete spare sets. And a lot of useless pans, several of which were eventually eaten by the dogs. T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu - e-mail must contain "T.E.D." or my .sig in the body) Joyce, as far as being both effective and economical, you just can't beat plain old bleach. A 50% mix with water will kill just about any bacteria, even parvo. That's why most shelters use it. It sounds like you're very careful to make sure the box is dry, so it's not going to be harmful at all to your cats. I take my boxes outside, soak them in bleach and sun-dry them about once a week. Sherry > Joyce, as far as being both effective and economical, you just can't > beat plain old bleach. A 50% mix with water will kill just about any [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Sherry That's what I do, too, Sherry. Though I'm sure the bleach wears them out quicker than what is usual. I like the fact that it disinfects. Never had a problem with the cats refusing to use them, in fact they seem to line up to be the first after this ritual. lol SignatureCheryl >> Joyce, as far as being both effective and economical, you just can't >> beat plain old bleach. A 50% mix with water will kill just about any [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >problem with the cats refusing to use them, in fact they seem to line up to >be the first after this ritual. lol Which brings up the question which the suggestion to use vinegar brought to my mind. I've heard suggestions to spray a dilute vinegar solution on items you want to discourage you cat from scratching. So when I saw vinegar suggested to clean the box I just thought I hope the cats would still use it. SignatureSteve Touchstone, faithful servant of Sammy, Little Bit and Rocky stouchst@JUNKsirinet.net [remove Junk for email] Home Page: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/index.html Cat Pix: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/animals.html I don't know how well that actually works for anti scratching. Overall, I think if it is rinsed and dried, there would be little residual smell. Karen > >> Joyce, as far as being both effective and economical, you just can't > >> beat plain old bleach. A 50% mix with water will kill just about any [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > when I saw vinegar suggested to clean the box I just thought I hope > the cats would still use it. > Joyce, as far as being both effective and economical, you just can't > beat plain old bleach. I was wondering about bleach. Is it safer than Lysol and other cleaners? I know it's dangerous to ingest, but I would think a cat wouldn't even *want* to. Joyce >I was wondering about bleach. Is it safer than Lysol and other cleaners? >I know it's dangerous to ingest, but I would think a cat wouldn't even >*want* to. > >Joyce Bleach is a lot safer than Lysol, as far as what I've heard. The problem with Lysol is that it contains phenol, which cats' bodies don't process well, and it's very hard on their liver. I've read that it can actually have a cumulative effect from very low exposure, but don't quote me on that. I would guess that if you use the same method (wash, rinse, dry well)...it doesn't make much difference. But I sure wouldn't use it full-strength around the cat, and I wouldn't use the spray, either. Sherry > >I was wondering about bleach. Is it safer than Lysol and other cleaners? > >I know it's dangerous to ingest, but I would think a cat wouldn't even [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > difference. But I sure wouldn't use it full-strength around the cat, and I > wouldn't use the spray, either. Lots of cats really like bleach, so you may even attract cats to the litterbox! One time, I was bleaching an old bikini, hoping to make the barbie pink go more faded (didn't work) and I had it soaking in the sink with bleach for a few hours. Then I rinsed it out and hung it up to dry. Vino smelled bleach on my hands and rubbed himself all over my hands, purring. Later, when the bikini was dry, I gave it to him and he rubbed himself all over it too! What a weirdo :-) -- Britta Sandpaper kisses, a cuddle and a purr. I have an alarm clock that's covered in fur! Check out pictures of Vino at: http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on the Vino album > I was wondering about bleach. Is it safer than Lysol and other cleaners? > I know it's dangerous to ingest, but I would think a cat wouldn't even > *want* to. Tanada loves bleach. She gets high off of it and vomits a clear liquid. Merlin also loves bleach, but he just sniffs it and rolls in the surface that has been cleaned in it. We have to be really careful about what we use to clean with. Pam S. >Tanada loves bleach. She gets high off of it and vomits a clear liquid. > Merlin also loves bleach, but he just sniffs it and rolls in the >surface that has been cleaned in it. We have to be really careful about >what we use to clean with. > >Pam S. A little OT from the original topic, but have you noticed how cats seem to love clean things? Like, when you wash their bedding, or there is clean laundry to be folded, they zero in on it. I wonder if they like the smell. Sherry > >Tanada loves bleach. She gets high off of it and vomits a clear liquid. > > Merlin also loves bleach, but he just sniffs it and rolls in the [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > clean things? Like, when you wash their bedding, or there is clean laundry to > be folded, they zero in on it. I wonder if they like the smell. Oh, I always thought that it was because clean things don't smell like them and they just have to rub all over it in order to "christen" it ;-) Vino always rubs all over my legs when I get out of the shower. Mustn't have meowmie not smell like Vino! -- Britta Sandpaper kisses, a cuddle and a purr. I have an alarm clock that's covered in fur! Check out pictures of Vino at: http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on the Vino album > > >Tanada loves bleach. She gets high off of it and vomits a clear liquid. > > > Merlin also loves bleach, but he just sniffs it and rolls in the [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > always rubs all over my legs when I get out of the shower. Mustn't have > meowmie not smell like Vino! Dakota loves wet towels. I can put clean dry towels on the towel rack and he *will* drag them down to sleep on - but if they're wet because I've just got out the shower or bath, they get dragged down much faster to make a bed on. Wet, soapy towels are far better to make a bed out of on the floor than nice dry ones. SignatureJette Goldie jette@blueyonder.co.uk Apache and Dakota http://www.jette.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/kitties.html > > > >Tanada loves bleach. She gets high off of it and vomits a clear > liquid. [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > better to make a bed out of on the floor than nice dry > ones. Ok, that's just plain weird ;-) -- Britta Sandpaper kisses, a cuddle and a purr. I have an alarm clock that's covered in fur! Check out pictures of Vino at: http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on the Vino album > A little OT from the original topic, but have you noticed how cats seem to love > clean things? Like, when you wash their bedding, or there is clean laundry to > be folded, they zero in on it. I wonder if they like the smell. Pine Cone loves Jergan's Baby shampoo, Lever 2000 green soap, and Head and Shoulders dandruff shampoo. He also likes getting his hair spiked by Amanda. They all love the smell of clean clothes. All of the above demand that the item be licked, rubbed against, or rolled on. Cat hair is incorporated into most of our belongings. I don't know if I'll be able to sleep without a cat on our trip across country. Pam S. >A little OT from the original topic, but have you noticed how cats seem to love >clean things? Like, when you wash their bedding, or there is clean laundry to >be folded, they zero in on it. I wonder if they like the smell. > >Sherry I always figured they were just being helpful. They aways help me sort the laundry. Sammy has also been known to try to slip toys into the laundry to get them cleaned. She used to wash her fur mice in the toilet and lay them in a row on the floor to dry, but stopped doing that a while back. Once the laundry is done, Little Bit helps put things away while Sammy wants to nap in the cupboard with the clean towels. SignatureSteve Touchstone, faithful servant of Sammy, Little Bit and Rocky stouchst@JUNKsirinet.net [remove Junk for email] Home Page: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/index.html Cat Pix: http://www.sirinet.net/~stouchst/animals.html >She used to wash her fur mice in the >toilet and lay them in a row on the floor to dry, but stopped doing >that a while back. How cute!! Sherry > >A little OT from the original topic, but have you noticed how cats seem to love > >clean things? Like, when you wash their bedding, or there is clean laundry to [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > things away while Sammy wants to nap in the cupboard with the clean > towels. Holly does her part by helping me make the beds. As soon as I start, she makes a flying leap and proceeds to pull the center of the boring flat-made bedding into a much more interesting tangle of sheets and blankets. MaryL >>A little OT from the original topic, but have you noticed how cats seem to love >>clean things? Like, when you wash their bedding, or there is clean laundry to [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > things away while Sammy wants to nap in the cupboard with the clean > towels. At least Sammy would take them out of the toilet. Brenna would just leave them in there to drown. Now I leave the toilet closed unless I'm gone for more than a day. I really didn't want to have to explain to the nice plumber why he was pulling a handful of toy mice out of the drains. "No. I don't have children. Why? Oh." - Denise (frequently manipulated by Brenna) >I know not to use Lysol, or any pine-based cleaner. 409 also has a >warning about being unsafe for kids and pets. And I don't want to >use ammonia, because then the cats might think some unknown cat has >peed there recently. :) (I also can't stand the smell of ammonia >myself.) What else is there? I use cloudy ammonia with no problems. Any residue doesn't smell like any particular animal or even species (it's an almost universal animal waste without any pheromones), and an alkali is needed in the wash water anyway to help suspend the clay particles. I don't like the smell either - it's not an issue during the warm months because the mud room where I do the washing has a powerful exhaust fan and there is a window right next to the utility sink so unless I put my head directly over the sink, the fumes are carried away immediately. T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu - e-mail must contain "T.E.D." or my .sig in the body) The Evil 3's litterboxes are cleaned exactly the way Sherry does......even to drying in sun. Smell of Clorox about does me in (choking, gagging) but it never seems to bother the cats. Of course the smell's about gone after the boxes dry. : >I know not to use Lysol, or any pine-based cleaner. 409 also has a : >warning about being unsafe for kids and pets. And I don't want to [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] : : T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu - e-mail must contain "T.E.D." or my .sig in the body) > Smell of Clorox about does me in (choking, gagging) but it never > seems to bother the cats. I think of it like a really intense swimming pool. :) Joyce >The Evil 3's litterboxes are cleaned exactly the way Sherry does......even >to drying in sun. >Smell of Clorox about does me in (choking, gagging) but it never seems to >bother the cats. >Of course the smell's about gone after the boxes dry. I used to do somithing similar, but washing pans outside in the winter became ineffective due to freezing and blowing away. Until I got the utility sink, I really didn't have much choice - that or the bathtub, and the bathtub is hard on my back. When I had some major remodeling done a bit over a year ago, I invested thousands of dollars in providing a scrubbable - including the lower part of the walls, well ventelated, well equipped place for the litter pans, food storage, pan and bowl cleaning, etc. Even cat washing if that ever becomes necessary. Worth every penny. Of course, I don't call it the cat room - it's officially a mud room, but only the center is used for rubber boots and shoe scraping - one side is litter pans and the other is food and cleaning. T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) SPAM filter: Messages to this address *must* contain "T.E.D." somewhere in the body or they will be automatically rejected. jXwXeXrXmXoXnXt@sonic.net had some very interesting things to say about Question about household cleaners: >I've never had this problem before, and I've been using this litter >for several months. I'm thinking that maybe it's the cleaning stuff [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >hazardous to bacteria. :) So I'd like to find something that's more >effective, but still safe for the mammals in the house. DH uses Simple Green [he even uses that stuff for *dishes*!], and we didn't have any problems like that with clumping litter [we now use crystal litter]. I'm wondering if you're sure you're rinsing it thoroughly and letting it *completely* dry before refilling. BTW, we routinely use Lysol in/around Felix's box, with zero harm to him. Signature"Don't mess with major appliances unless you know what you are doing (or unless your life insurance policy is up-to-date)." - John, RCFL > So I'm changing the litterbox again. I just changed it about a week > ago, and that's way too soon for clumping litter. I scoop it daily, [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > > Joyce I always used to use diluted bleach. The important thing is that you need to let it soak for at least 10 minutes. Also, replacing the boxes when they have deep scratches is essential. Note I said used to. Disinfecting the boxes was the one job I absolutely hated. I don't mind scooping, I don't mind feeding, I do all the other chores happily, but I dreaded disinfecting. I have no idea why. Then I got some money from a relative for Christmas and I tried to decide how best to spend it. The one thing I knew that I'd get enjoyment from all the time was lots of litter boxes. So I bought myself a crate of Oliver's favorite litter pans with the money. Now I just pitch the box when I am ready to change out the litter. Terribly wasteful, not environmentally correct for sure, but it is my one little selfish act that I relish every month! :-) No one even raises their eyebrows any more when they ask me what I want for a gift and I reply. Litter boxes. Lots of litter boxes. :-) Margaret SignatureMargaret Fine mefine@mindspring.com > Now I >just pitch the box when I am ready to change out the litter. Have you seen those "disposable" boxes (they are made of some kind of pressed paper). They come already full of litter and you toss the whole thing. If I were independently wealthy, that would be mighty tempting for me, because like you, I pretty much hate disinfecting the box. >>Now I >>just pitch the box when I am ready to change out the litter. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > were independently wealthy, that would be mighty tempting for me, because like > you, I pretty much hate disinfecting the box. I have seen those. Besides price (it would cost me about 2-3X as much as what I am doing now) the reason I didn't look into it was that they don't seem to have very much litter in them. Oliver prefers a lot of litter. I laugh when people say only add a couple of inches to the box. I start the box with almost 21 pounds of litter. If I only have a couple of inches in the box he kicks litter all over creation. I don't think he likes feeling the bottom of the box when he digs. I did think about getting some of the disposable ones to have on hand in case of emergency or travel. I could see where they'd be pretty handy. And if I were independently wealth I might give serious thought to trying them and seeing what Oliver thinks. The thought of just throwing one away ever day is appealing! :-) SignatureMargaret Fine mefine@mindspring.com My SIL used the disposable litter pans when she was director of a nursing home and each floor/wing had its own resident cat. That solved their problems. But seems to me that was before clumping litter. Jo > >>Now I > >>just pitch the box when I am ready to change out the litter. [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > trying them and seeing what Oliver thinks. The thought of just throwing > one away ever day is appealing! :-) >So I'm changing the litterbox again. I just changed it about a week >ago, and that's way too soon for clumping litter. I scoop it daily, [quoted text clipped - 26 lines] > >Joyce I use clorox> I have two litter pans. I scoop several times a day (whenever I go in the bathroom). About once a week, after scooping, I dump the litter into a clean pan then add some fresh litter. I put about 1/4 cup clorox in dirty pan and dilute with water then wash it with this. I rinse well (In shower), let dry, then put it away until next rotation. It works for me. |
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