Whether you currently own a LitterMaid, or you are thinking about getting one,  it is important to note that they do need some sort of periodic cleaning. Always make sure that the unit is unplugged before you begin to clean it!

Please read through this guide completely before attempting to clean your LitterMaid.

The pan is probably the easiest part to clean, and will probably be the only part most people will clean. You can easily tell when it is time to clean the pan by when you start to notice soiled deposits on the side and below the waste receptacle holder. Removing the pan is simple. Then you can take it outside and hose it down. I actually add Lysol and then scrub it with a toilet brush before rinsing. (Do not ever use Clorox or bleach! Cat urine contains ammonia. Ammonia and bleach release a deadly poisonous gas when combined!) Make sure you rinse thoroughly before letting it dry. You do not want to endanger your cat to any chemical residue.

The upper portion of the LitterMaid will be the most difficult to clean, but then, it also depends upon how your cat uses the litter box. The plastic rake will be the most soiled, and luckily, it is also removable. If you flip over the upper portion and look underneath the motor/rake arm, you will  see where it actually screws onto the motor/rake arm. Simply loosen the screws (no need to remove them completely) and remove the rake for cleaning. I generally clean the rake every time I clean the pan.

The next part that may need cleaning on the upper portion of the LitterMaid will be the tracks. It is very important that you never spray liquid or water on the upper portion of the LitterMaid.  Because cats bury their excrement by digging around in the litter, chances are that some of the litter has been tossed onto the tracks. What can make this even worse is when your cat decides that it is necessary to raise their lower end up as they are urinating. (Known as marking and quite common.) Now you have wet litter and/or dried clumped litter on the tracks. Oh boy, what fun! You may think there is only one way to clean this off and that is to scrape! And finding the right scraper for this job is difficult! It can't be too thick. It can't be too sharp. And it can't be too wide. You can try a knife, but you have to be really careful. You can also try a screwdriver, but again you have to be real careful. But I find that an old toothbrush or two will work the best for me. If there is wet clay, I will first remove as much as I can with a paper towel. Actually it can take a whole bunch of paper towels. Then I will use an old toothbrush and scrub back and forth. You will be amazed at how well this works. And, if the litter was already dried, a toothbrush will easily loosen the clay. It may not be completely clean afterwards, but it will definitely be better than it was before you cleaned it.

The motor/rake arm will be the most detrimental cleaning, but hopefully, you will never need to clean this part. It is very important to note that you should never spray liquid or water onto the upper portion of the Littermaid. Always first try a dry paper towel and see if that will remove any soiled areas. Try this several times before proceeding to the next step. If the dry paper towel did not work, you may want to just leave it alone at this point. But, if you want to proceed, this is how I do it. Always remember that WATER and ELECTRICITY DO NOT MIX and you could get electrocuted or shocked or even start a fire! If a dry paper towel does not work, I usually lightly dampen a paper towal with a cleaner and then lightly wipe the soiled area very gentley. You never want to get this arm wet, so you need to just barely dampen the paper towel and you may have to wipe several times before the soiled area is removed. Again, please note that you may want to leave it alone at this point. If you get the motor arm wet, you may have ruined the LitterMaid. You can try letting it dry completely, but please remember to be very cautious when testing it to see if it still works. Always remember that WATER and ELECTRICITY DO NOT MIX and you could get electrocuted or shocked or even start a fire!

For those of you who truely love the LitterMaid, but find the expense of replacing the plastic waste receptacles more than you bargained for, you may want to try my liners for use with the LitterMaid waste receptacles. They are an aftermarket product, but they work like a charm. And once you try these, you will always use them. I can guarantee that you will not be disappointed.

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