How to Clean a Cat Litter Mat: 3 Simple Steps & Quick Options
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As cat owners, we do all we can to keep our feline family member’s bathroom area clean. If we don’t, we deal with terrible odors, unsightly pieces of waste, and tracked kitty litter all around the house.
Placing a cat litter mat under your cat's litter box is a great way to manage the litter mess. However, the mat must be cleaned occasionally to keep litter from getting everywhere and bad smells from developing. Here are a few simple steps that you can take to clean your cat’s litter mat.
Cleaning Tips
If you plan to wash your mat with every box cleaning and litter change, it will save you a to of time in the long run. Additionally, it will keep your litter box area neat and odor-free for longer.
Combating tough cat litter smells is an ongoing battle for pet parents but luckily, there are products out there designed to help! Two products that significantly reduce odors are the Hepper Litter Additive and the Hepper Enzyme Spray.
| Image | Product | Details | |
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Hepper Advanced Bio-Enzyme Pet Stain & Odor Eliminator Spray |
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Check Price |
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Advanced Bio-Enzyme Cat Litter Deodorizer |
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Check Price |
At Catster, we’ve admired Hepper for many years and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool cat company!
How to Clean a Cat Litter Mat in 3 Simple Steps
1. Remove the Kitty Litter Mat From the Area
The first step to clean your cat's litter mat is to remove it from the litter area. Carefully take the cat litter box off the mat, then pick it up and dump the debris into the litter box. Then, take the cat litter mat outside.
2. Wash the Mat by Hand
Once the cat litter mat is outside, pour dish soap into a bucket, then fill the bucket with warm water. Add a small amount of apple cider vinegar to the mix to neutralize odors. Grab a clean cloth, dunk it into the cleaning solution, and use the cloth to scrub the litter mat clean. Once you are satisfied with your result, rinse the mat off to finish the cleaning process. You can also use an enzyme spray instead of collecting a variety of products. Typically these pet-friendly sprays are more effective at killing bacteria, lifting stains and removing lingering odors.
3. Let the Mat Dry
Letting your cat’s litter mat completely dry before putting it back under the litter box is essential. If any moisture is present, the litter will stick to the mat, which will require another cleaning sooner rather than later. Therefore, you should leave the mat in the sun to dry all day long before placing it back under your cat’s litter box. If it’s a rainy day, use a clean and dry cloth to thoroughly dry the mat and then leave it to dry in the bathroom for a few hours. After your cat’s litter mat is completely dry, it is safe to place it back under the litter box. This is a great time to completely clean out the litter box and make sure the entire space is completely clean.
The 3 Options for Quick Cleaning
There is not always time to thoroughly clean a cat’s litter mat. Luckily, there are a few things that you can do to quickly clean the litter mat so it does not cause a problem until you can get it outside and clean it with soap and water. Here are your options.
1. Shake Out the Mat
When you are short on time and can't thoroughly clean the cat litter mat, take it outside and shake it out to remove dirty litter and debris. You can also shake it over a garbage can in your home, but do so only on linoleum, laminate, wood, or tile flooring so you can quickly sweep up the litter that drops on the floor.
2. Throw It in the Washing Machine
One of the more hands-off approaches to clean your litter mat is to put it in the washing machine. This practice can be rough on most cat litter mats, so it should be used sparingly. However, when you’re low on time, it will make life easier for you. Just don't put your mat in the dryer. Let it dry in the sun or somewhere in your home instead.
3. Utilize a Vacuum Cleaner
One of the most efficient ways to help clean your cat’s litter mat is to vacuum it up. Vacuum the ground underneath and around your cat's litter box. Don’t forget to pull the mat up and vacuum underneath, or you are bound to leave unwanted litter behind. This will spruce up the space until you can commit to a thorough cleaning.
- ADVANCED ENZYMATIC CLEANER - Penetrates the most stubborn smells and stains at the deepest molecular levels to dissolve any pet mess you encounter and lift it away at the source.
- FOR ANY MESS, ON ANY SURFACE - This pet odor eliminator cleans your carpets, floors, furniture, fabrics, and more. Whether it's urine, feces, vomit, or drool, you can erase all foul spots and smells!
- FRESH, NATURAL ODOR - Our unique formulation doesn't rely on dangerous or unpleasant chemical fragrances to get the job done. We eradicate smells and stains, not just cover them up.
At Catster, we’ve admired Hepper for many years and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding products of this cool cat company!
Conclusion
It doesn’t have to be a big deal when the time comes to clean a litter mat. Try out the options outlined here, and you should enjoy a smell-free environment that will keep your cat healthy and keep the humans in your household from dealing with the smell of the cat’s urine and feces.
Featured Image Credit: Jennifer McCallum, Shutterstock
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Rachael has been a freelance writer since 2000, in which time she has had an opportunity to research and write about many different topics while working to master the art of fusing high-quality content with effective content marketing strategies. She is an artist at heart and loves to read, paint, and make jewelry in her spare time. As a vegan, Rachael is obsessed with helping animals in need both in her community and anywhere in the world where she feels she can make a difference. Animals also happen to be her favorite topic to write about! She lives off the grid in Hawaii with her husband, her garden, and her rescue animals including 5 dogs, a cat, a goat, and dozens of chickens.
