My Cat Litter Box Cleaning Routine, Perfected

When we first rescued Thelma and Louis, they were staying with a foster who was using Feline Pine pellets with a liner in a regular litter box. Having not grown up with a cat since the early ’90s, the only litter I was used to was the old siftable kind that had a ton of dust, tracked everywhere, and smelled like ammonia. It also lived in my bedroom as a child, which, looking back, was probably not the healthiest location for me. LOL. So that’s just another long way of saying I had never seen an alternative type of litter like Feline Pine pellets before. Nowadays, there are so many litter options, it’s amazing! I’ll start by telling you what we do when it comes to our litter and cleaning routine, and then go into the most common options that might be what you have set up.

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Why we started (and stopped) pine pellets

If you’re not familiar with Feline Pine litter, it’s non-clumping pellets that break down when they get wet (i.e., from urine). They turn into an almost sawdust-like consistency. Ideally with these you’re using a sifting litter box that has the litter on the top with holes and a catch box underneath. Then for the poop, you just scoop it out. You can see the process here.

You don’t actually have to use a sifting box, though. Feline Pine’s own instructions describe using a regular box, gently shaking it to bring intact pellets to the top, and replacing the contents when they’re about 90% sawdust. Replace it sooner if it’s wet or soiled.

Personally, we found the process to be a little clunky. I really loved the idea of them, but the sawdust was getting caught in the grates we were using and it was a whole thing. But I still really liked the idea of the pellets (minus the sawdust/sifting part), so we switched to the Breeze litter system by Purina.

Why we switched to Breeze

It’s a similar concept in that it uses pellets, but these pellets don’t break down when they get wet. Instead, you still scoop out the poop, and the urine travels through the grates onto a pee pad instead.

One Reddit owner described the appeal this way:

I clean up the poop daily, no sifting required, it takes me less than 30 seconds. The pee pad I change about once a week, and I replace all the pellets about once a month.

— u/YukihiraJoel via Reddit.com

This is basically what we do, but if I’m being honest, we are not that great at replacing all the pellets monthly. Here’s what we do instead…

Our actual litter box routine

We have two Breeze litter boxes (the covered version) and we keep them both in a spare shower. That way most of the pellets that they might kick out while doing their business stay in one area, and it’s easy to clean.

The poop goes into a pet waste bag, then the Diaper Genie

As soon as we hear or see Thelma and Louis take an, err, poop (we’re all friends here, right?! LOL), we get a poop bag from the countertop nearby and put our hands in it to pick up the poop. We then tie the bag in a knot and drop it into a baby Diaper Genie we bought on Amazon (listed below). We live in an apartment and the trash chute is waaaaay down the end of the hall, so we found this to be a good system. We end up taking out the Diaper Genie collection 1-2 times a week, and there really is no smell (unless you open it and get an initial whiff).

We change the pads weekly

The Breeze system is great because the urine travels through the pellets and the grate and onto a special peepee pad in a liner drawer underneath. We use the multi-cat version, which they say lasts for seven days for multiple cats, but we use two (one in each box) and the cats switch off pretty consistently, and if I am one day late changing that pad it will often be wet underneath. If that happens, I just use a paper towel to absorb the excess. Normally, we’ll throw the pad out in a weekly cleaning ceremony where I then take a pet-safe disinfectant wipe and wipe the liner drawer down along with the exposed and soiled parts of the litter box and surrounding area. We also top the litter up if it’s running low.

The monthly clean is the part we could be better about

Purina recommends replacing Breeze pellets completely every month. (For comparison, it’s also recommended to do the same with ordinary litter boxes. Cat Friendly Homes recommends washing every one to four weeks, depending on the setup.) Obviously, if there’s an accident you’ll want to wash it sooner.

We try to clean the entire box out and throw out the pellets every month, but honestly, this can stretch a couple (or few) months past this date. Instead, we refresh the pellets weekly, spot-clean the box, and wipe down the tray the pee pad is on with a pet-safe disinfectant wipe.

By the way, these pet-safe disinfectant wipes are amazing and we use them for so many things. One, we use them when Thelma decides to poop on the shower floor just in front of the litter box, and also if one of them gets sick on the tile floor, we’ll wipe it up with this. It’s also great to clean their areas in general. We follow the ASPCA’s advice on cleaning products and make sure that we only use approved products in their area.

When it does come time for us to clean out their boxes completely, we’ll throw out all the pellets, and then I’ll do a quick pre-clean with the pet-safe disinfectant wipe, especially on the grates where poop and pee have been. Then, I’ll use Nature’s Miracle foaming enzyme cleaner, followed by a good ol’ wash with hot water and Dawn dish soap. I dry them, put a fresh pee-pee pad in, and then a new batch of pellets.

I also actually just ordered NEW litter boxes, because we’ve had these two for a couple years now, and it feels like because they’re made of plastic it’s not a bad idea to replace annually if you have the budget. One thing I really wish is that they had a stainless steel grate vs. plastic. I would feel so much better about keeping them!

So, that’s how we clean our litter box, but I know so many of you have different setups. For the rest of you, here are some tips on how to keep your litter box clean.

The daily, weekly, and monthly jobs

Here’s the whole routine at a glance, then the details below.

How often	What to do
Every day	Scoop the poop (and urine clumps, if you use clumping litter) Check the pee pad if you have a Breeze Sweep up scattered litter and clean any accidents
Every week	Change the pee pad and top up the pellets Wipe down the drawer, the soiled parts of the box, and the area around it Lift the box or pull the tray and check for hidden wetness Empty the Diaper Genie (or Litter Genie)
Every month	Throw out all the pellets (or all the litter) Take the box apart and wash it: enzyme cleaner, then hot water and dish soap Dry completely, then a fresh pad and new pellets
Every year or so	Consider replacing the plastic boxes if the budget allows

Every day: remove waste and check the whole setup

You’ll want to check the box for activity every morning and evening, and scoop the poop and urine clumps according to your litter type (vets recommend you do this daily). Sweep up scattered litter and clean any accidents when you find them.

If you have clumping litter, instead of our type of baby Diaper Genie, many users love their Litter Genie!

100% recommend the litter genie, it makes regular scooping so much easier and faster.

— u/just-eavesdropping via Reddit.com

Each week: look underneath, behind, and around the box

Lift the box or pull out the tray and check for hidden wetness. Empty the waste pail as needed, clean its interior when soiled, and wash any washable mat according to its care instructions. Dry everything thoroughly before putting it back.

I personally remove any scattered litter around the boxes as soon as I see it. If I wouldn’t want to step in it, I don’t think our babies would either!

When it’s time for a full wash: empty, scrub, rinse, and dry

For a regular, non-electric litter box, this is the basic process. I wear gloves and make sure my hair is tied back and I’m wearing clothes that I can put in the wash easily after:

1. Bag the used litter and waste. Gather all pellets, clumps, and loose debris and dump them into a trash bag before washing. Don’t flush them or send them down a drain. Remember that most litters (especially pellets) will clog your toilet or drains if you put them down there!
2. Take apart the removable pieces. With a tray system, check the grate, drawer, hood, and seams.
3. Wash with mild, unscented soap and water. Use a dedicated brush or sponge to remove any visible debris in the corners and around the grate. A short soak can loosen stuck-on residue. If you want an extra step, a 1:1 solution of white vinegar and water is a common pet-safe option (let it soak for 5 minutes), though vinegar isn’t a true disinfectant. The ASPCA says a properly diluted bleach solution, followed by a thorough rinse and airing out, isn’t expected to cause harm, but I personally don’t use anything bleach-related.
4. Rinse thoroughly. Remove soap and loosened grime.
5. Dry completely and refill. Use the amount and type of litter recommended for your system, plus a fresh pad if it takes one.

Keep another clean box available while this one is out of action. We wash one at a time.

This is pretty common sense, but be sure to use a designated wash tub, utility sink, or bathtub rather than an area near any sort of food preparation, and clean the washing area afterward. Wash your hands when you finish, even if you wore gloves.

What about baking soda?

Some cat owners incorporate baking soda into their litter routine. Some sprinkle it into the litter nightly and clean with it. I would be very cautious about using it, personally.

While a small sprinkling in a cat’s litter is generally OK, baking soda in large amounts can be harmful to cats if inhaled or ingested. Some older cats might sneeze from the dust, and in rare cases cats are allergic to it. It’s also not advised to use it in a clumping litter, because both have a high pH level, which can actually increase ammonia odors.

If you do use it, sprinkle no more than 1-2 tablespoons for a standard-size box (a bit more for a large one) on the bottom of the box or mixed in with the litter itself. Just be sure to watch for any adverse reactions in your cat. Again, my thought is, why take the chance!

For us, the Breeze boxes, weekly pad changes, and bag-and-Genie routine have worked pretty well so far! (We just have to get better about that monthly clean!)

Tell us, what type of litter setup do you have, and what does your cleaning routine look like?

And for those of you with an electric litter box, we haven’t forgotten about you! We’ll do a separate article for you shortly!