How do you clean litter trays?

[user1476618264]

I’ve decided that I’m going to get a cat this year. I’ve never had one before but I really like my friends’ cats. They live in houses and the cats go out but I’m in a flat so my cat will need a litter tray. How do I clean it though?

I know I’ve got to scoop used litter out, but when I change the litter, I assume I have to wash the tray?

Our cat is in for the winter after a bout of fleas, moving house and now awaiting new cat flap installation!

He's not used a litter tray in about 3 years but took to it again really well.

We poop scoop any pee clumps or poops every day. Then every few days we empty whole litter tray out into a black sack and I then anti bac spray the whole thing and kitchen roll wipe out/dry including the lid.

And then because we've got a crawling baby I antibac spray the tiles floor surrounding it for my own peace of mind.

I find if you put loads of litter in then the trays stay pretty clean. We get through about 30l of litter every two months with three trays and three cats. I buy in bulk so it's about £15 a month total.

I have an automatic one, wish I'd got one with our previous cat.
It automatically empties into a sealed side bad that I take outside every couple of days.
It is tracked by an app on my phone and lined to a deodorizer that puffs out when needed.

Mine go out now but had a tray when kittens. I lined it (you can buy these specifically) with a bag and you just pull the drawstrings and it's fine! If the cats have scratched through though I'd wipe it with antibacterial wipe.

Quite a number of you have mentioned litter tray liners. I know having a pet is not the best thing to do from a climate change perspective, so this is perhaps a ridiculous question for me to even consider, but how many plastic (?) tray liners are you getting through on average?

That all sounds very high tech! 😀

It's amazing I don't have to do any scooping or emptying just the occasional wipe down.
It also has no smell.

Mine just rips up litter liners so I don't use them any more.

I use clumping litter, scoop as soon as I see it is needed. Full litter change every 7-10 days, whenever it seems a bit whiffy. I empty all the litter into a black bin bag, then pour boiling water and washing up liquid into the tray. Give the inner sides a wipe with anti bac wipes. Pour it all down kitchen sink, give it a swoosh around with cold water, dry with kitchen paper. Then new litter in.

Which one do you have @randomstress? Am debating an upgrade!

@user1476618264 i don’t use the liners but instead empty the tray completely every three days into my kitchen bin liner. I guess I would otherwise empty that bin one a week so I’m using one extra bag per week. I don’t ’muck out’ the tray in between.

@sweetpickle23
I have this one.

Thanks @randomstress- might need to tell DCat he needs to get a job before I can afford that one 😂

Until we discovered litter tray liners, which worked for us, I cleaned the tray thoroughly once a week with hot water and pet friendly detergent. It also had a cover, so I cleaned all that. Sometimes the flap got poo on it!

reading these replies, I don’t know why I didn’t just use wipes!

My (now deceased) cats never went out except on leash; they lived long, happy indulged lives. One to 16, one to 18.

Better than being one of the "grieving my kitty was hit by car today" types. It's irresponsible to let them roam. This is 2023 not 1823.

I washed litter trays outdoors with the hose pipe. Always had extra so one could be filled immediately while the other was outdoors drying.

Our cat goes outdoors so I only use a litter tray if I have to keep him in before a vet appointment or to take to the cattery.
We recently had a relative's cat stay and it was confined to one room with a litter tray. I'd forgotten how revolting they are and the smell! I disinfected it daily, I rotated two trays so I could pop a fresh one in and take the old one out each day.

Mine don't have trays any more, but when they did I'd put several sheets of newspaper in the tray, then a liner, then more newspaper, then the litter. The top layer of paper more or less prevented them making holes in the liner, the underneath layer caught any drips that did get through (this didn't happen often). I had a tray with a clip on rim, which kept the liner in place nicely.

Our cats are mostly outside but we keep them in overnight so the tray gets some use. It's scooped daily and changed about every 7-10 days.
In the summer I wash the tray outside. All litter is dumped into a bin liner, the tray is given a good rinse with the hose, wiped out, sprayed with litter tray disinfectant (you can get it in Pets at Home) and left for the required amount of time, dried with rags and refilled. When the weather's rubbish, I do it in the bathroom and tip the dirty water down the loo.

Our elderly cat had digestive issues which means we now line the tray with a bin bag, put a small scattered of litter in, and change it every day.

It stinks and is a ghastly mess, so this was the easiest way of cleaning up. Then spray the tray with kitchen cleaner and wipe clean with paper towels. Line with new bin bag, start again.

Two indoor cats here!
I find it easier to put a nappy sack on my hand to take out the spoiled and soiled litter, I do this twice a day and top up as necessary but change the whole litter weekly where I antibacterial wipe the trays itself. Every two months I give the litter trays a wash with the shower head though!

Ours is lined with newspaper
Then a litter tray liner
Then more newspaper
Then a good layer of litter

They have yet to scratch through the newspaper so the tray bases are still really clean.

We scoop twice a day and change every 3-4 days

Personally l wouldn't get a cat in a flat. Cats need to go outdoors, most end up in shelter because owners are sick of cleaning up after them plus it will be bored stiff and lonely, especially if young.
Litter trays stink, making whole house smell, no matter how often you clean them out, cat poo smells awful. My cats are outdoors but l do have litter trays and an outdoor tap and clean them all under that with a good scrubbing brush after emptying them. I wouldn't be able to manage properly without my outdoor tap.
Your situation is very different to your friends, as she lets her cat outdoors.

I have to disagree here. One of my friends has 2 cats and you wouldn't think it. Her house doesn't smell.

@BeautifulAndBrave some cats in rescues do need to be kept indoors for various reasons.

We use wooden pellets. Both our cats dislike using dirty trays so I change twice a day as standard (but if there is pop I pick out asap). I put dirty litter into a special bin (lined and covered) then pour new litter in. Every 2 days I spray trays with bleach then hose out outside. It’s part of the regular morning and every routine now and takes seconds.

Oh to say, as the trays are changed twice a day I only use a very thin layer of litter. I find it better that way otherwise we are using a lot. Just enough to cover the bottom with a layer.