How To Reuse Crystal Cat Litter? A Step By Step Guide

We all love our feline friends and always want them to be comfortable while they use their litter. For this, you need to ensure the litter box is cleaned and filled with fresh-smelling cat litter; Otherwise, your little ball of fur will find a suitable spot in your house to do it.

Crystal cat litter, in this case, can be an effective option to ensure freshness as it can lock unwanted smells into the crystals. However, crystal liter can also be dirty over time and you either need to replace it or reuse it.

While reusing the Crystal cat litter, you have to follow the proper guidance carefully; otherwise, you may end up infecting yourself, your family, and your fluffy with bacteria and viruses.

Don’t worry as we are here to guide you on how to reuse crystal cat litter properly and effectively. But be sure to read till the end carefully!

When Can You Reuse Crystal Cat Litter?

Reusing Crystal cat litter may be a convenient option for you; but as a responsible fur parent, you must have to be sure about whether it is recommended to reuse Crystal cat litter or not.

Crystal cat litter is basically made from silica gel beads which is a great aqueous absorbent. It absorbs liquids and also locks up unwanted smells to ensure keep the litter fresh for a long time.

You can just scoop out the visible waste from time to time in the litter box as our furry royal highness doesn’t like to have it in there. But as the gel beads absorb urine, it becomes unhygienic over time, and washing can be the only option if you want to reuse that litter.

However, there are a few factors that need to be considered while you plan to wash and reuse them. You have to wash it in the proper way or the beads can break down into small pieces and no longer be effective in absorbing odor and urine.

So, let’s check out the proper method to reuse Crystal cat litter below.

How Do I Reuse Crystal Cat Litter

Cleaning and reusing Crystal cat litter not only helps reduce the expense of buying new litter but also is an eco-friendly solution. It isn’t as difficult as you think. Plus, you can gift your kitty a clean litter box to use each time in this way.

Here are some easy steps to wash, dry and reuse your Crystal cat litter:

Step 1: Scoop out the solid waste from the crystal cat litter and pour it into a clean bucket.

Step 2: Add baking soda and a cup of apple cider vinegar into the bucket and let foam up the mixture.

Step 3: Pour some warm water over the mixture and filter the litter after a couple of hours.

Note: Do not pour hot water or it will break the beads; As a result, the crystal litter will become less effective.

Step 4: As crystal cat litter absorbs urine, it is required to put it underwater overnight.

Step 5: Rinse the litter with water at normal temperature up to two or three times.

Step 6: Spread the litter on a baking sheet and put it under the sun until it completely dries out.

Step 7: Once the crystal cat litter is dried out and sterilized, place it back into the cleaned cat litter box.

In this way, you can wash the crystal litter every week or as needed and reuse it until all the silicone beads break down. If your crystal cat litter becomes unusable, you should either put them into the trash or you can use them to kill poison ivy plants in your backyard.

Pros And Cons of Reusing Crystal Cat Litter

Reusing crystal cat litter has both pros and cons that you will need to consider before deciding whether you should reuse it or replace it with a new one.

Pros Of Reusing Crystal Cat Litter

It will save money and reduce extra expenses.
It will ensure the efficient use of crystal cat litter.
It will help your furry friend to use fresh litter each time.
It will help you minimize your household waste.

Cons Of Reusing Crystal Cat Litter

Cat waste can contain parasites like “Toxoplasma Gondii” which can infect your family members or other household pets if the used crystal cat litter isn’t treated properly. Even if you pour the water near an edible plant after washing the litter, the parasite can enter into your body even after cooking the plant properly! So, it isn’t recommended to reuse cat litter for the long term.

What Else Can You Do with Used Crystal Cat Litters?

Except for reusing the crystal cat litter into the litter box, you can reuse it for many other purposes. Here are the things that you can do to the used crystal cat litter:

You can reuse the crystal cat litter to remove poison ivy and other weeds.
You can use it to fill in uneven areas, mouse holes, or mole tunnels in your lawn or yard.
You can use cat litter to absorb oil from the driveway as it is a perfect absorbent.

However, you need to be careful while reusing the cat litter as it might contain parasites. So, avoid pouring the used crystal cat litter near an edible plant, vegetable, or fruit tree.

Bonus Tips to Make Crystal Cat Litter Last Longer

Crystal cat litter is a highly absorbent type of litter that can last up to three times longer than traditional clay litter. Here are some tips for making your crystal cat litter last longer:

Scoop out the solid waste daily and regularly.

Keep the litter box clean.

Put the litter box in a dry place.

It’d be better to put it under the sun daily.

Make sure the box is big enough to let your cat do his business well.

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers (FAQs)

How Often Do You Have to Change Crystal Cat Litter?

Crystal cat litter is a type of non-clumping litter that can absorb more waste than other traditional litter. For this, the lifespan of the crystal litter is longer than other litter. You should change the crystal litter after a couple of weeks.

Can I Flush Crystal Cat Litter?

Crystal cat litter basically contains silicon gels which is a non-biodegradable material. So, if you flush them into your toilet, then there is a high chance that they will jam the tunnel of the toilet and you have to call a plumber to fix it. You should put them into a trash bag and then toss them in the trash can.

Conclusion

Reusing crystal cat litter can help you save money on pet supplies and reduce the amount of your home garbage at the same time. However, you have to ensure that you have washed the litter properly before reuse. After reading this guide, hopefully, you can now clean it properly and reuse it for your cute little kitty. If you have any queries regarding this topic, don’t hesitate to ask in the comment section below. Thanks for reading.