Cleaning litterboxes, revisited

OK, forget the bleach. I can't deal with all the precautions you have
to take, lest you inadvertently create deadly gases in your bathtub.

I'm going to go the environmentally friendly route. So I bought some
vinegar and some baking soda. And then I went hunting through my saved
articles from RPCA about this topic, but sadly I didn't find any recipes
for disinfecting cleaners made from these substances.

However, I did find this:

From: Sherry

This works *wonderfully* if anyone ever needs it: You take 1/2 cup of
salt, and 1/2 cup of baking soda and pour it down the drain. Then you
pour in about a cup of vinegar. You let that fizz a while, then pour
a pan of boiling water down it. Our back bathroom sink used to get
hair clogs a lot. I do that in that bathroom too, and it *never*
clogs up anymore.

This might not be for cleaning litterboxes, but I figure that if it can
unclog a drain, then maybe it can disinfect a litterbox? Any thoughts?

Sorry for harping on what is probably a boring topic for most of you,
but I am searching for the perfect cleaning agent which is (1) an
effective disinfectant, (2) not poisonous to humans or cats, and (3)
not a harsh mixture to pour into the sewers. So far, I've batted a
perfect zero. Please tell me I've found the holy grail!

--
Joyce

To email me, remove the triple-X from my user name. ^..^

wrote in message
...
OK, forget the bleach. I can't deal with all the precautions
you have
to take, lest you inadvertently create deadly gases in your
bathtub.

I'm going to go the environmentally friendly route. So I bought
some
vinegar and some baking soda. And then I went hunting through
my saved
articles from RPCA about this topic, but sadly I didn't find
any recipes
for disinfecting cleaners made from these substances.

However, I did find this:

From: Sherry

This works *wonderfully* if anyone ever needs it: You take 1/2
cup of
salt, and 1/2 cup of baking soda and pour it down the drain.
Then you
pour in about a cup of vinegar. You let that fizz a while,
then pour
a pan of boiling water down it. Our back bathroom sink used to
get
hair clogs a lot. I do that in that bathroom too, and it
*never*
clogs up anymore.

This might not be for cleaning litterboxes, but I figure that
if it can
unclog a drain, then maybe it can disinfect a litterbox? Any
thoughts?

Sorry for harping on what is probably a boring topic for most
of you,
but I am searching for the perfect cleaning agent which is (1)
an
effective disinfectant, (2) not poisonous to humans or cats,
and (3)
not a harsh mixture to pour into the sewers. So far, I've
batted a
perfect zero. Please tell me I've found the holy grail!

Kitties *hate* the smell of vinegar. Of course, there's bound to
be an exception that proves the rule.

--
MatSav

wrote in message
...
OK, forget the bleach. I can't deal with all the precautions you have
to take, lest you inadvertently create deadly gases in your bathtub.

I'm going to go the environmentally friendly route. So I bought some
vinegar and some baking soda. And then I went hunting through my saved
articles from RPCA about this topic, but sadly I didn't find any recipes
for disinfecting cleaners made from these substances.

However, I did find this:

From: Sherry

This works *wonderfully* if anyone ever needs it: You take 1/2 cup of
salt, and 1/2 cup of baking soda and pour it down the drain. Then you
pour in about a cup of vinegar. You let that fizz a while, then pour
a pan of boiling water down it. Our back bathroom sink used to get
hair clogs a lot. I do that in that bathroom too, and it *never*
clogs up anymore.

This might not be for cleaning litterboxes, but I figure that if it can
unclog a drain, then maybe it can disinfect a litterbox? Any thoughts?

Sorry for harping on what is probably a boring topic for most of you,
but I am searching for the perfect cleaning agent which is (1) an
effective disinfectant, (2) not poisonous to humans or cats, and (3)
not a harsh mixture to pour into the sewers. So far, I've batted a
perfect zero. Please tell me I've found the holy grail!

--
Joyce

I don't know about litter boxes, and the salt is new to me, but Heloise (as
in Hints from) recommends a cup of baking soda followed by a cup of vinegar
to unclog drains. You're supposed to let it fizz for ten minutes or so,
then run hot water over it.

Joy

Joy wrote:
wrote in message
...
OK, forget the bleach. I can't deal with all the precautions you have
to take, lest you inadvertently create deadly gases in your bathtub.

I'm going to go the environmentally friendly route. So I bought some
vinegar and some baking soda. And then I went hunting through my saved
articles from RPCA about this topic, but sadly I didn't find any recipes
for disinfecting cleaners made from these substances.

However, I did find this:

From: Sherry

This works *wonderfully* if anyone ever needs it: You take 1/2 cup of
salt, and 1/2 cup of baking soda and pour it down the drain. Then you
pour in about a cup of vinegar. You let that fizz a while, then pour
a pan of boiling water down it. Our back bathroom sink used to get
hair clogs a lot. I do that in that bathroom too, and it *never*
clogs up anymore.
This might not be for cleaning litterboxes, but I figure that if it can
unclog a drain, then maybe it can disinfect a litterbox? Any thoughts?

Sorry for harping on what is probably a boring topic for most of you,
but I am searching for the perfect cleaning agent which is (1) an
effective disinfectant, (2) not poisonous to humans or cats, and (3)
not a harsh mixture to pour into the sewers. So far, I've batted a
perfect zero. Please tell me I've found the holy grail!

--
Joyce

I don't know about litter boxes, and the salt is new to me, but Heloise (as
in Hints from) recommends a cup of baking soda followed by a cup of vinegar
to unclog drains. You're supposed to let it fizz for ten minutes or so,
then run hot water over it.

Joy



The reason the baking soda/vinegar combination works for unclogging
drains is that the what is used in
grade-school-science-project-volcanoes to make them have "lava"....

--
^..^ This is Kitty. Copy and paste Kitty into your signature to help
her wipe out Bunny's world domination.
--
The ONE and ONLY
lefthanded-pathetic-paranoid-psychotic-sarcastic-wiseass-ditzy
former-blonde in Bloomington! (And proud of it, too)©
email me at nalee1964 (at) comcast (dot) net
http://community.webshots.com/user/mgcmdjeep

MatSav wrote:
wrote in message
...
OK, forget the bleach. I can't deal with all the precautions
you have
to take, lest you inadvertently create deadly gases in your
bathtub.

I'm going to go the environmentally friendly route. So I bought
some
vinegar and some baking soda. And then I went hunting through
my saved
articles from RPCA about this topic, but sadly I didn't find
any recipes
for disinfecting cleaners made from these substances.

However, I did find this:

From: Sherry

This works *wonderfully* if anyone ever needs it: You take 1/2
cup of
salt, and 1/2 cup of baking soda and pour it down the drain.
Then you
pour in about a cup of vinegar. You let that fizz a while,
then pour
a pan of boiling water down it. Our back bathroom sink used to
get
hair clogs a lot. I do that in that bathroom too, and it
*never*
clogs up anymore.

This might not be for cleaning litterboxes, but I figure that
if it can
unclog a drain, then maybe it can disinfect a litterbox? Any
thoughts?


Kitties *hate* the smell of vinegar. Of course, there's bound to
be an exception that proves the rule.


I wouldn't think they'd like vinegar, either, but I've never tested it. A
good scrub with hot soapy water and a scouring pad is all that's needed.
Then if you If you do decide to go the bleach route, do it after you've
washed and dried the box and dilute the bleach well with water - it won't
take much bleach. And do this outside, not in the bathtub!

Jill

On Wed, 25 Jun 2008 05:32:16 +0000, bastXXXette wrote:

OK, forget the bleach. I can't deal with all the precautions you have to
take, lest you inadvertently create deadly gases in your bathtub.

Most bathrooms have some sort of ventilation: either an exhaust fan or a
window - use ventilation and don't mix bleach with anything else and you
*will not* have a problem (other than the bleach odor). If the odor
bothers you, leave the area to breath or use a fan to disperse the fumes.
Fumes from diluted bleach water such as is used for sanitizing litter pans
is not that strong anyway.


I'm going to go the environmentally friendly route. So I bought some
vinegar and some baking soda. And then I went hunting through my saved
articles from RPCA about this topic, but sadly I didn't find any recipes
for disinfecting cleaners made from these substances.

You won't - they don't make a really effective disinfectant. Of the
things that actually work, clorine bleach is probably the safest for the
cats. Commercial disinfecting cleaners are likely to contain phenolic
compounds (derivitaves of carbolic acid) that are difficult to remove
completely and are somewhat to very toxic to cats. If there is a
significant bleach residue, you can smell it.

Feline toxicity of the newer cleaning/disinfecting agents is largely
unknown, at least to the general public.

I think it reasonably to say that the majority of us use chlorine bleach
for sanitizing something and/or for laundry, and many of us have made it
to old age without any bleach related problems, except for the occasional
ruined piece of clothing that caught an undiluted bleach splash.

BTW, vinegar is diluted acetic acid - acetic acid is corrosive and an
irritant poison.

Sorry for harping on what is probably a boring topic for most of you,
but I am searching for the perfect cleaning agent which is (1) an
effective disinfectant, (2) not poisonous to humans or cats, and (3) not
a harsh mixture to pour into the sewers. So far, I've batted a perfect
zero. Please tell me I've found the holy grail!

No such animal. You want a poison (to kill bacteria, viruses, fungi, and
other small vermin) that isn't a poison. You want a harsh chemical
(clearing requires harsh agents) that isn't harsh.

About all that's left is high pressure steam (as in an autoclave), and
that will ruin most plastics, or an industrial size ultrasonic cleaner
with plain hot water (very, very expensive and bulky). A pressure washer
might be useful, but extremely messy.

The quantities of bleach involved in the bleach water for cleaning litter
pans is not really any of your issues: it isn't going to hurt anyone
unless drunk or poured in the eyes; it isn't going to hurt the cats after
its dry and the odor is gone; it isn't going to affect the sewer system,
not even a septic tank. The only time I consider bleach an issue is
during pouring and mixing: it's concentrated enough that I really don't
want to get it on me, though since I'm always at a place with running
water when I pour it, if I do spill any, cleanup is immediate and trivial.

--
T.E.D. )

Ted Davis wrote:

On Wed, 25 Jun 2008 05:32:16 +0000, bastXXXette wrote:

OK, forget the bleach. I can't deal with all the precautions you have to
take, lest you inadvertently create deadly gases in your bathtub.

Most bathrooms have some sort of ventilation: either an exhaust fan or a
window - use ventilation

My bathroom unfortunately does not have a window. There are *two* fans,
and both have heating units in them. So while I'm scrubbing out a litter
box with steaming hot water coming out of the bathtub faucet, I've got
this heater (or very hot light) making the room even warmer. If the fumes
don't get me, the heat exhaustion will.

and don't mix bleach with anything else and you
*will not* have a problem (other than the bleach odor).

Then why did Yowie say that even mixing it with *water* can cause a
dangerous chemical reaction? I don't see how I can avoid that!

If the odor bothers you,

Actually, I kind of like it. Not full strength, but I like the leftover
smell. Reminds me of swimming pools (a good memory).

BTW, vinegar is diluted acetic acid - acetic acid is corrosive and an
irritant poison.

Jeez, and here I've been putting it on my salad all these years!

I am searching for the perfect cleaning agent which is (1) an
effective disinfectant, (2) not poisonous to humans or cats

No such animal. You want a poison (to kill bacteria, viruses, fungi, and
other small vermin) that isn't a poison. You want a harsh chemical
(clearing requires harsh agents) that isn't harsh.

I have always suspected this, but have been hoping I was wrong.

I do trust vinegar for soaking the pan. But it's kind of expensive - you
have to use a lot of it for each cleaning.

--
Joyce

To email me, remove the triple-X from my user name. ^..^

jmcquown wrote:

Then if you If you do decide to go the bleach route, do it after you've
washed and dried the box and dilute the bleach well with water - it won't
take much bleach. And do this outside, not in the bathtub!

Not an option. I don't have access to running water outside. I live
in an apartment building.

--
Joyce

To email me, remove the triple-X from my user name. ^..^

On Jun 25, 2:18*pm, wrote:
Not an option. I don't have access to running water outside. I live
in an apartment building.

--
Joyce

To email me, remove the triple-X from my user name. *^..^


How about using clorox disinfecting wipes? I haven't tried it myself.
It may not be
as cheap as using bleach, but more convenient and less odour.Like you,
I also have no access to running water outside as I live in a
highrise.
The other day at Walmart I saw some litter box wipes. They just get
rid of the smell
with baking soda, not disinfecting. Plus I think clorox wipes are
chepaer.


Winnie

On Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:11:39 +0000, bastXXXette wrote:

Ted Davis wrote:

On Wed, 25 Jun 2008 05:32:16 +0000, bastXXXette wrote:

OK, forget the bleach. I can't deal with all the precautions you have
to take, lest you inadvertently create deadly gases in your bathtub.

Most bathrooms have some sort of ventilation: either an exhaust fan or
a window - use ventilation

My bathroom unfortunately does not have a window. There are *two* fans,
and both have heating units in them. So while I'm scrubbing out a litter
box with steaming hot water coming out of the bathtub faucet, I've got
this heater (or very hot light) making the room even warmer. If the fumes
don't get me, the heat exhaustion will.

Unscrew the heat lamp and use that fan. Assuming the heater is a screw in
type lamp.


and don't mix bleach with anything else and you *will not* have a
problem (other than the bleach odor).

Then why did Yowie say that even mixing it with *water* can cause a
dangerous chemical reaction? I don't see how I can avoid that!

Since it's *already* mixed with water, if there is such a reaction, it
occurs at the factory, not in the home.

If the odor bothers you,

Actually, I kind of like it. Not full strength, but I like the leftover
smell. Reminds me of swimming pools (a good memory).

BTW, vinegar is diluted acetic acid - acetic acid is corrosive and an
irritant poison.

Jeez, and here I've been putting it on my salad all these years!

WHich illustrates my point that dilution takes a lot of the risk out of
some harsh chemicals.


I am searching for the perfect cleaning agent which is (1) an
effective disinfectant, (2) not poisonous to humans or cats

No such animal. You want a poison (to kill bacteria, viruses, fungi,
and other small vermin) that isn't a poison. You want a harsh
chemical (clearing requires harsh agents) that isn't harsh.

I have always suspected this, but have been hoping I was wrong.

I do trust vinegar for soaking the pan. But it's kind of expensive - you
have to use a lot of it for each cleaning.

I have used ammonia, but only with even better ventilation than I demand
for bleach. Never, ever, mix the two - the resulting mono- and
di-chloramines are a nasty way to die.

--
T.E.D. )