How To Get Rid Of Litter Box Smell

There’s no way around it: cat litter will always smell bad. However, you don’t have to let that smell permeate your home, especially when there are several easy ways to help get rid of the litter box smell in your house.

The easiest way to get rid of bad litter box smells is to put baking soda at the bottom of the box. It also helps to remove the dirty litter once every 7 to 10 days to prevent the smell from getting out of control. Use litter box liners to ensure the box doesn’t get stained with cat urine.

It’s also a good idea to deep clean your litter box once a month if you don’t use a litter liner. Follow along as we explore how to get rid of litter box smells.

How To Prevent Litter Box Smell In Your House

Add Some Baking Soda

It’s no secret that baking soda can keep bad smells at bay, and that includes cat urine. You can get rid of bad litter box smells by putting some baking soda in the box before adding fresh litter. The baking soda will absorb bad odors and keep the litter smelling fresh longer.

Of course, this only works for a while, and you should regularly replace the litter. While you can mix baking soda in with the litter, that may irritate your cat’s paws. There’s also a good chance that your cat will track baking soda throughout the house.

Replace The Litter Weekly

If your house smells like a litter box, it’s likely because you waited too long to change the litter. It’s easy to fall behind on changing the litter, as it isn’t exactly fun. That’s especially true when balancing an intense work schedule with your personal obligations. However, changing the litter is the most essential part of a cat owner’s checklist, and you should do it weekly.

Going too long without changing the litter can even affect your cat’s mental health. Cats get cranky when their needs aren’t met, so you must do everything you can to care for them. Some people prefer scoopable litter, but bad smells can linger after scooping. That’s why single-use litter is better for keeping your house smelling good. Of course, that’s only true if you replace the litter every 7 to 10 days.

Choose The Right Location

Just like real estate, location is everything for a litter box. Putting a litter box in a tiny, confined space makes avoiding gross smells nearly impossible. Small rooms with poor airflow will almost surely smell bad when the litter box is dirty.

Ideally, you should move a litter box to a well-ventilated area to ensure the smell doesn’t get stale. If you live in a small apartment, you may not have many options. In that case, you should at least avoid putting the litter box in your bedroom. That’s not possible if you live in a studio apartment. If all else fails, crack opensome windows and run fans as needed.

Use Litter Box Liners

Litter box liners don’t stop the area around your cat’s litter box from smelling like urine, however, they can keep the box itself from getting caked with liquid and solid waste. Litter box liners go under the litter, so the litter doesn’t touch the box itself. Your cat’s urine will soak into the litter and then the liner. Instead of dumping out the litter and cleaning the box, you can remove the liner and dirty litter, put in a clean liner, and put more litter. That way, you never have to deep-clean your litter box, as it won’t ever get dirty.

This is much more of a cat-owner life hack than it may seem. Litter boxes themselves are bigger sources of bad smells than most people realize. You can tell that’s the case when you empty your cat’s litter box, and it still smells bad. Use litter box liners to avoid this problem altogether.

Buy Litter Mats

By now, you’re probably used to your cats spreading litter throughout the house. Not only is this annoying and unsanitary, but it can also make your house smell like a litter box. After all, there’s a good chance that some of this litter is dirty. You can solve both of these problems by putting a litter mat in front of your litter box. The litter mat traps loose litter when your cats kick it out of the box.

Kicking their feces is instinctual, as cats bury their waste in the wild to protect themselves. By burying their waste, they ensure that predators can’t easily track them. There are no predators in your house, but that won’t stop them from spreading dirty litter everywhere.

Run An Air Purifier

There are many reasons why you should run an air purifier at home, especially if you have asthma. However, you owe it to yourself to get an air purifier if you have even just one cat. People without cats likely can’t fathom the idea of animal waste sitting in a dry box for a week or more.

Of course, that’s normal for cat owners who quickly get used to a house with cat urine and feces. You will still smell this waste even if you regularly replace the litter, that is, unless you use an air purifier. HEPA filter air purifiers clean the air to remove bad smells and impurities, and they’re quite reliable. Ideally, place the air purifier as close to the litter box as possible. If you have multiple litter boxes, you should get two purifiers or place one somewhere between them.

Deep Clean The Box

If you don’t use a litter box liner, the box itself will get filthy over time. Each time you replace the litter, at least some of the urine in the box will still sit on the bottom, even if it’s dry. That’s why litter boxes still smell bad when they’re empty.

You can prevent bad smells from lingering if you deep-clean your litter box once per month. The easiest way to do this is to scrub the empty box with warm water and mild dish soap. Once clean, rinse the box until no soap remains, then let it dry in the sun. Otherwise, you can use white vinegar, as the acetic acid can help break up stubborn clumps and stains. However, that’s risky, as it may irritate your cat if you don’t remove all traces of vinegar.

Should I Use Scented Or Unscented Cat Litter?

You should use uncented cat litter, as scented litter can irritate your cat’s paws. The additives in scented litter can also irritate your cat’s eyes and nose. Cats are sensitive animals, and their behavior can change if they’re not satisfied with their living conditions.

Many people are tempted to buy scented litter to prevent litter box smells in the house. However, it’s not worth the tradeoff of irritating your cat. You can get the same effect by using unscented litter and putting baking soda at the bottom of the box.

Summing It Up

You can get rid of the litter box smell in your home by using litter box liners, so dirty litter doesn’t touch the box itself. It also helps to put a layer of baking soda on the bottom of the box to absorb bad odors. Replace the dirty litter once weekly and put a mat in front of the box to catch loose and dirty litter.

Related Guides:

• Do Self-Cleaning Litter Boxes Work?
• How To Clean A Self-Cleaning Litter Box