ecoLIVING London

My fellow contributor Leslie Garrett recently wrote this post about eco-friendly litters. I'd like to add that not only should you avoid clay litters, you should also avoid using harsh chemicals like bleach or anti-bacterial detergents when cleaning out your cats' litter boxes.

I know, I know. There are some nasty things in there. Like poop, and E.coli., and (shudder) possibly parasites. But there are some eco-friendly choices that will kill the nasties and make your pet feel better about using the litter box, too.

First of all, the frequency of cleaning should ideally be once a week. Cats have a very keen sense of smell, and if you find that the scent wafting from the litter box is malodorous, just multiply that a hundredfold for your cats. Ammonia fumes from the box can also burn their air passages if you let the litter box "mellow" for several weeks between cleanings.

To clean the litter box you'll need baking soda in a shaker can, white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide in separate spray bottles, and some clean rags. Also have some eco-friendly hand soap nearby for handwashing afterwards.

Empty the litter box of all litter and waste. Sprinkle the litter box liberally with baking soda. The sodium in the baking soda is a natural disinfectant and deodorant, and will kill large amounts of any bacteria. Scrubbing the litter box well will also help get rid of any parasite eggs.

Rinse the litter box thoroughly with water, then spray it liberally with either the vinegar or the hydrogen peroxide. After a few moments, spray with the other liquid. As I reported in another recent post, vinegar and peroxide are great disinfectants that, when used in tandem, are as effective as chlorine bleach at killing germs.

Dry the clean litter box with a clean rag, and re-fill with your favorite eco-friendly litter. I prefer Sweat Scoop, which is made from wheat. It's both clumping and flushable.

Wash your hands thoroughly (including scrubbing under your nails with a nail brush to remove any parasite eggs) afterwards. I always put my dirty rags in a special bucket just for used rags, and I wash them with hot water and dry them in a hot dryer to disinfect them. 15 minutes in a hot dryer (at a minimum of 60C or 140F) will kill pest eggs.

Michelle Lynne Goodfellow is a sometime professional organizer, eco-friendly consultant and crayon artist who works by day in nonprofit communications and resource development. Read her eco-friendly cleaning blog here