Automatic Litterbox Central

Help!!! I'm trying to clean my Litter Robot - got out the hose and used vinegar and soap and think it's clean - but then when it's almost dry - I notice it still STINKS. Is it beyond hope?

I'm a little embarrased to say I haven't done more than use wipes for a year - but I live in a condo and can only get it out in good weather.

Plenty of posts on cleaning the drawer - but anyone have a solution for a heavy-duty interior stink problem? I feel so sorry for my little Russian blue - he seems so happy with the temporary litter box right now - I wouldn't want to put my face back in this LR ! thanks for any suggestions.....

Unfortunately there are lots of places where stuff can hide in the globe. The best way to clean it is with a toilet brush. It's also a good idea to slosh some water around in the inaccessible litter area behind the screen. You may be surprised to find a bunch of old litter will be stuck in there.

My globes do smell after I clean them but they smell like litter. I don't think there's any way to completely get rid of that odor.

I agree with Scott's assessment of the LR smell... Soiled litter can get caught up in the chamber that holds the litter when the LR cycles. I usually run a bunch of very hot water up there when I clean it.... AND (get this), I'll think its clean and something nasty drops out. So that can be a problem area. I like to use a heavy (cheap) shampoo on it like Prell. I also clean the inside of the globe weekly -- just wipe it out and get it as clean as I can and then I wipe it out, again, using rubbing alcohol. I think this keeps it more sanitary and in doing so, odor is kept at bay.

Just did a litter change and thorough cleaning of the the LR this morning. I think I went over my "two month" minimum for this little chore. Anyway, after 20 minutes of running water, soaping up and scrubbing, rinsing... Some very LARGE clumps fell out from under the area that holds the litter when the LR cycles. I firmly shook and knocked the globe against the shower floor and apparently this action and lots of hot water directed up into that area dislodged those clumps.

Now, I have cleaned this litter box thoroughly several times over the 1.5 years that I have owned it and have never found clumps of this size lodged "upstairs" like this. I can only guess "why now". Possibilities are: 1) I experimented with some litter options and this is one of the results; 2) a couple times I noticed some urine marks near the screen -- like the cat was peeing on that side of the box which might have caused some clumping as the litter flowed under the screen during the cycling; 3) I left the litter box too long (an extra month or two) before cleaning; 4) Besides the litter experiment, I did change to a different litter after the last cleaning and this litter may not work as well in the LR as the last variety.

There maybe other possibilities. Anyway, after cleaning, the litter box odor, although not odorless, is light (a mixture of litter odor and herbal shampoo) and tolerable for humans and cats. I have decided to keep using the litter I changed to over the next two months and see what happens... If during the next full cleaning, some large clumps end up falling out from that area, I may change back to the litter I was using before I switched!

I just washed my LR II globe with a pressure washer.
I think this is the ticket for a full cleaning.
After drying, the globe had zero odor.
I got the nozzle into the hidden chamber and blasted out all of the stuff.

The LR II is an amazing invention.
I'm a six month owner and I'm giving it 3 thumbs up.
I'm trying to compute how many scoops it has done for me.
2 cats x 3 visits/day x 6 months.

Kudos to the LR people!

The pressure washer works so well that I'm finding other things that need to be pressure washed whenever I need to clean the LR globe. This weekend I spent five minutes pressure washing the globe and thirty minutes pressure washing the concrete path to my front door. Both look brand new!

I'm wondering if the pressure washer will get out some of these tough stains in my clothes!

Scott Larson wrote:I'm wondering if the pressure washer will get out some of these tough stains in my clothes!

Just make sure you're not wearing them at the time Scott

I haven't noticed anyone commenting on this current posting, but have read in the past and now use, the self-cleaning car wash methodology. I use this every few months. I soap and rinse the inside and then wax the outside of the globe.

Highly recommended!

I love this idea! I've been remiss in cleaning my LR globes, in fact, I broke one when it fell off a table outside while I was cleaning it. I've never seen this one before. Additionally, car washes have proper equipment for dirty water disposal. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I can hardly wait to try it.

hhg2 wrote:I haven't noticed anyone commenting on this current posting, but have read in the past and now use, the self-cleaning car wash methodology. I use this every few months. I soap and rinse the inside and then wax the outside of the globe.

Highly recommended!

That's how I used to clean it when I had it. Works great. One time the place was so busy I had to park in a lot next door and stand in line with my globe! I felt ridiculous and I'm sure by the looks I was getting, people were thinking the same thing.

I'm also a big fan of the car wash approach. Six months of the year, here in the mountains, it's too cold for the outside water to be turned on, anyway!

But almost any time of year, I can take it down and give it a good going over, cheap. I also opt for the wax at the end.

The best part is when I comes home and sits in front of the fan to dry... the cats give me looks like, Are we supposed to use it, there?

They do loooooooooove the Robot!

It usually takes me five minutes to haul the pressure washer out into the yard to hook it up, and two minutes to clean the globe.

Fortunately I have two globes which I both clean once the power washer is set up, so it's not totally inconvenient. Plus they're much much cleaner than when I wash them by hand.

My Bot stinks too. I've cleaned it, scrubbed it, hot water with vinegar, etc. can't get the stink out. I've noticed that the stand part where the globe fits in also stinks and the instructions state do not immerse in water ... so how is that to be cleaned? I've had the Bot for a little over a year and now I am considering going back to the old way, the box may have been a pain but there was no stink because it was scooped a couple of times a day. I also live in a condo, don't have a yard to hose it down, Litter Robot people suggested setting it in the sun for a few hours, I can't do that either - no place to put it. Very frustrated and disappointed.

Dear

Very Frustrated and Disappointed

Some people have used the power wash hoses at car washes to power wash the globe of the LR. I have been using rubbing alcohol as a part of a weekly clean-out routine of the globe's interior; whisking first with a small horizontal bristle whisk broom to get any clinging litter off the interior and into the drawer below; next, doing a wipe out with soap and water, and; finishing up with a rubbing alcohol wipe down of the interior (and any other parts I care to clean). The rubbing alcohol is inexpensive and will kill the bacteria. I do a full litter change about every two months.

Good luck.

There aren't many places in the base that can stink up, especially with the LR2 which is compartmentalized. You can clean the bowl and the drawer areas with a sponge. You might also try picking it up and turning it over to see if any junk has fallen into the motor compartment or other areas.