Tip of the Day - Make Your Own Kitty Litter
Posted on February 19, 2008 by
My cat is very patient when it comes to changes in her kitty litter. I don’t even have to do the thing where you add a percentage of the new litter to the old litter and up the percentage until you’ve totally switched over. Whatever I put in the litter box, she’ll use. So I’ve been testing out a lot of different natural kitty litters, and honestly, I don’t like most of them.
I’ve read horrible things about the chemicals that go into conventional clumping litters and the damaging effects of clay mining on the environment, so I’m not about to go back to clay litter. I like Feline Pine pellet litter, but we moved the kitty litter into the bathroom recently, and I’ve noticed that the cat kicks the pellets out of the box constantly. The pellets are too big for my little Dirt Devil to pick up, so I have to haul out the big vacuum every day, and I just don’t have the patience for that.
I came across a couple of litters made from recycled newspaper, but the cheapskate in me couldn’t justify paying for recycled newspaper when I have plenty of my own.
I started out using newspaper shredded in my paper shredder, but there were two problems.
- I didn’t like the idea of the ink getting on my cat’s paws. It just didn’t seem healthy.
- She tracked strips of paper everywhere like she was constantly throwing a kitty ticker tape parade.
So after a week or so of brainstorming, I came up with this recipe for homemade kitty litter.
- Shred newspaper in a paper shredder. I collect the shredded paper in an unused litter box.
- Soak the paper in warm water mixed with a few squirts gentle, biodegradable dish soap (like Ecover). The shredded paper takes on a cooked oatmeal consistency. The paper won’t come completely clean, but the water will turn grey.
- Drain the water (an old colander works wonders) and repeat the soaking process minus the soap.
- Sprinkle baking soda liberally on the wet paper. Knead it in to the mixture (you might want to wear gloves to avoid getting ink on your hands).
- Squeeze the remaining moisture out until it’s as dry as you can get it.
- Crumble over a screen and leave to dry (it takes a few days).
Once it’s dry, I put about an inch and a half to two inches of the paper crumbles in the litter box, scoop solids daily and change it once a week. It takes about a half an hour to 45 minutes to make a 2-3 week supply of litter, and it’s kind of fun, in an elementary school art project way.
With the exception of a few cents worth of baking soda, it’s free. I use the circular newspapers and Pennysavers (make sure to remove staples) that come to our house. The baking soda does a good job of controlling odor, and it doesn’t track very much. I think it actually works better than most of the store bought products I’ve tried.
Once the temperatures are no longer arctic here, I plan to do this outside and use the wastewater to water my lawn.
Here’s how it starts out.
And here’s what the finished product looks like.
Ingenious! Seriously, that’s pretty cool. You really wanted a solution to your problem, so you invented it. Awesome.
One thing: all this trouble just so your cat can take a crap? Can’t you train a cat to use the toilet or something?
I thought about training her to use the toilet. I know there are cats that do that — there’s even a kit for it. But my cat only has three legs, so I think it might be hard for her.
Amazing work,nice step by step explanation of how to make cat litter. I will certainly try this a home. I have to train my cat so that it will get used to this cat litter, thank you.
[...] Allie’s Answers writes about making your own cat liter. [...]
[...] make your own kitty litter post is included in today’s Festival of Frugality at No Credit Needed, and Make it From [...]
[...] at Allie’s Answers was looking for an alternative to store-bought kitty litter. She writes: “I’ve read horrible things about the chemicals that go into conventional clumping [...]
I don’t have a cat. I’m rather curious if you could also shred junk mail like credit card offers, cash advance checks and use that in place of the newspapers or with it.
Hi Marlene. That’s a great question.
I have tried scrap paper, junk mail, etc. It’s not as absorbent as newsprint, but if you do maybe 30% junk mail paper and use newsprint for the rest it really shouldn’t be an issue. I would make sure that envelope glue and other adhesives aren’t included in the mix when you shred though.
Very cool, Allie. I’m going to try this. I wonder about the ink going down the drain, though. Is that ok? P.S. I love your logo at the top of the page. How did you make it?
Hi Sherri! I just checked out your pictures! They’re great!
That’s a good question about the ink. To be honest, I don’t really know, but I’m guessing it’s still better than all the chemicals involved in traditional clumping litter, and it’s better than the paper ending up in a landfill.
My husband designed the site. I think he used an image from iStock.com to make the logo.
Do you throw away the used litter in the garbage afterward? I know that baking soda is biodegradeble, but is it eco frienldy to throw it away?
Whats the best way to throw it away??
Im doing a project for science class on shrinking our ecological footprint and it would really help!! Thanks so much!1=!
Hi Morgan,
If your cat has been tested for parasites, and toxo and the results are clean, it’s probably okay to compost the litter, although I wouldn’t use it veggies or herbs or any plant you intend to eat.
[...] I posted my make your own kitty litter recipe a few weeks ago, Sherri asked if there were issues with the ink from the washed newspapers going [...]
Try calling your newspaper to ask if they use soya based inks for their papers. I did and they said all their papers use soya based inks. That’s a relief cos prior to my calling, my cats had already been using newspaper for over 10 years.
What a great idea. I have a question. Does the water have to be boiling? I was trying to think mass quantities ( I work for a shelter and this would be so great financially for us) and our bath tub does not produce boiling water. Thanks Allie.
Nope! It doesn’t require boiling water. I use warm water just because it’s more pleasant to keep my hands submerged in, but even cold water would probably work just fine.
Just found this idea and have been trying it out for a couple of weeks now - a lifesaver! Here in India it’s very difficult to get the commercial cat litter and with the sun (and heat!) here this ‘D-I-Y’ version of cat litter works wonders.
Ian — Thanks so much for letting me know how it’s working for you! I’m glad it’s helping!
Thanks for showing this procedure. Will it clog our closets ?
Allie, this is brilliant! I’ve been using the pine litter with my three cats, but composting the pine seems to be an issue, since it absorbs the urine and smells to high heaven!
With this newspaper litter, have you found that it absorbs the urine smell, and does it compost well? What about the ink on their little paws, is that still an issue?
Hi Kim!
The baking soda seems to do a great job with the odor. I recently tried out a commercial line of recycled paper litter, and I think this recipe works much better.
It’ll compost like regular shredded paper, but you aren’t supposed to use cat waste compost veggies, and you should get your cat tested for toxo, etc.
The ink hasn’t been an issue — washing it does the trick!
I’ve been seeking answers to the catbox conundrum too. An alternative, here’s what I came up with. The Duh-lightbulb moment came when I was reading another horrible Lillian Jackson Braun “mystery” and she referred to the litter pan as a SAND box. Bing!
I’ve sewn a couple of drawstring bags big enough to use for catpan liners, using some sturdy but very lightweight, not particularly absorbent old sheers. I set a section of newspaper in the bottom of the catbox, and then set the liner on top and draw the string tight underneath the box (next time I might try elastic). I then fill the liner bag about 1/3 with sand. Every couple of days I scoop the litter and replace the newspaper. I am planning to rinse, dry and reuse the sand right in its liner bag, but even if I throw it in the compost, a bag of play sand is only about $3 and will last a month, vs. $50 or more for the commercial stuff (we have three indoor cats). I put the used newspaper in the compost, and I’m composting the cat poo as well. I’m not sure if it could be flushed; there is very little sand per flush but over time I could see it possibly building up somewhere.
So far it’s a raging success. The cats seem to like it, I’m not experiencing anywhere near the odor I had with the other alternatives, and the heaviness of the sand means less stuff gets tracked out of the box.
Edited to Add: The other bonus to this system is that it is SO easy to clean up. Because the liner bag is completely flexible and the urine is mostly soaked up by the newspaper (which is out of reach of the cats, so just a solid mass of paper to lift out and no ink issue), there is no more scraping the sides of the box! Wahoo!! - I think there is less odor because most of the urine is underneath the sand, but thanks for the baking soda trick, that should eliminate any remaining odor.
Hmmmm, I think I may try this out in place of the bedding I use for my rats! It looks almost exactly like the bedding I buy. If that is the case, this is amazing! I already use sheets of newspaper in the bottom of the cage with a little baking soda, so I don’t see that it would bring any new items into the picture.
I have just finished making my first batch of newspaper kitty litter. It’s now in the sun, spread out on a window screen which I balanced between two rickety folding chairs. I am hoping no squirrels come knock the whole thing over and I am hoping it dries by the time my two foster kittens start eliminating on their own and are ready to move on to The Box & their first litter.
I am intrigued with Karen’s system. It sounds less complicated than shredding newspaper and would like to try it. But se said she used sheers. Did she mean sheets? Help!
Hi Axelle,
Thanks for your comment! I’m so glad you’re giving it a try!
I think Karen meant sheets.
Axelle, I think Karen’s sheers means sheer curtains.
I am so lazy and only one cat. Had thought of paper shredder - thanks Allie and Karen too for ideas. I really should do something. Not as much litter use now, because kitty goes outside in warm weather.
What about automatic litter boxes? I have one that scoops automatically every time my kitty uses the box. I live in a small apt, so litter dust gets on everything, which is something I’d like to avoid. Cost savings is a plus, too. How small are the bits of newspaper? From the image above, they appear too large for the rake, which would mean I’d be scooping all the newspaper clumps in addition to kitty’s waste.
You can make the litter clumps smaller by breaking them up more. The stuff that settles to the bottom of the batch is about the same size as regular litter, but it would take a little work to break it down like that. I’m almost thinking a blender or something might do the trick, but I’m pretty sure you’d ruin your blender.
I wonder if Karen’s sand idea would work better for an automatic litter box.
I was thinking about Karen’s idea also, except the rake rides along a track in the side of the box, which means the fabric could only be on the box bottom. That pretty much defeats the idea of easy cleanup.
How clumpy is the newspaper litter as it’s drying? Would it be easier to break it apart then or wait until dry?
We don’t get the paper, would this work with paper grocery bags?
I think it would. And you wouldn’t have to worry the ink.
We have 3 mostly indoor cats (dogs outside who like to chase them). I’ve read this discussion so far and am intrigued, and like the drawstring bag suggestion as well. We have a paper shredder and could use the promo newspapers that land in the mailbox. The commercial litter I have liked most is wheat, expensive but not as much of a composting challenge as pine. Since we have a lot of reedy weeds that are standing all over the place, I thought I might experiment with chopping/shredding those and find out if they work as a substitute for the wheat product. Will keep you posted when I have info. Possible this wheat product is the “spent” wheat, and if so, would be very good in compost. Does anyone know about that?
Hi, I just got a kitten and want to try this. I live in Kathmandu Nepal and we don’t have a paper shredder. Can I just cut the paper into strips? I know it takes longer. Do they have to be that small to work? Thanx for the help. We can’t get cat litter here and I want this kitten to be an indoors cat. I tried sand and baking soda but it’s horrible.
I think you could cut or tear the paper into small strips and it would still work. Certainly time consuming, but it’s something you could do while having a chat with a friend or something.
I hope it works for you!
Allie:
I think your recipe is a great idea and a wonderful project for kids. I run a website for kids called The Green Guide for Kids and am working on a manuscript of the same name. I would love to include your recipe with your permission in my book. I would of course give you full credit!
Thanks your great site,
Deirdre
Good stuff , will try in one tray ( two used)and see if cats like it . If not will use with gerbils.
Hi Allie,
I came across your site looking for a way to make self-made cat litter from paper. What you came up with sounds very easy and a perfect alternative to clay litters. I’m going to try it, because right now I use clay litter for my two cats and it’s awful. I hate the dust and it gets all over the carpet. Another reason why I was searching for a way to make cat litter was because I was doing some research on sodium bentonite. I found out that maybe this is why one of my cats keeps getting urinary tract infections. I was reading when this stuff is inhaled, the particles can take moisture away from inside the cat’s body. This scared me. I didn’t know about sodium bentonite before. And also, I’ve been having trouble breathing and having chest pains lately. I’m thinking it’s from the cat litter.
I’ve used Feline Pine before, and liked it, but the pellets seemed to hard from the cats. I’ve used Swheat before, but I hated the smell, and the way it clumped the urine. I’ve also just used shredded newspaper, which was great for the cats, but smelled really bad.
For right now, I’m going to get a refund on the last unused bag of clay cat litter I have and try your “recipe” out. Thanks so much for sharing!
thank you!!! i spend over 100 dollars on this sort of litter for my pig every month and am soooo excited to start making my own. and you even get the ink out, amazing.
Love your idea.Just found out about your website so couldn’t have responded sooner. Years ago my husband taught one of our cats to use the toilet, let me tell you it worked very well, as a matter of fact he wrote a paper for a college English class on the method and the comment from his istructor “Haven’t you got anything else to do with your time” made us
think that the old boy never had to clean out a litter box! If my husband had marketed the idea he could have made a large sum, someone else did just that. Who knows!
At last you hear me cry! Cant wait to try this method of kitty litter! Almost ready to start just need some more newspaper! I have three house cats and 6 kittens ( 7 days old ) They all will be using this litter! I have a small tip to add. I have to have a couple of litter trays and find them hard to place as they are rather large. I found a long deep plant pot and put it along side my washing machine. Its very private for them and they seem to use this one more than the others. Hope this helps someone!
[...] Make Your Own Kitty Litter and More Fun With Kitty Litter [...]
I was wondering if any of you had tried to add a few drops of essential oils before you leave it out to dry. I was thinking of lavender, mint or maybe a lemon. I bet that would might help with the smell too. I add that to my baking soda I use to “freshen up” my feline pine litter but I think it might work better if it is added right to your homemade mixture itself.
That’s a great idea, Shannon! I was just thinking about throwing some dried lavender into the mix. Oils would probably work well too.
Greetings from Bulgaria!
I like the idea very much, but I do not understand why is baking soda added. Please, tell me.
Thanks
Hi Stoyan! Thanks for your comment!
I add the baking soda to help absorb odor. It keeps the litter smelling better.
[...] that’s not true. I have used pages from our phone book to make kitty litter. But basically, it’s not something we need to get. We use our computers or our phones to [...]
Baking soda is a odor neutralizer, acid neutralizer and disinfectant.
Cats probably will not like essential oils, but a few herbs might not be too strong for their noses.
I will give this a try since I use alfalfa pellets (rabbit food) for my two cats and the price has doubled since february.
Making Kitty Litter from newsprint is a great idea. When previous cats had surgery or urinary tract infections. I always used shredded newsprint until the cat healed. With the current cat, I have tried compostable litter. The cat liked it but it made the corner of the yard where it was disposed a gloopy mess until it decomposed. I will try “washing” the newspaper and trying it with this cat. I always put about an inch of baking soda on top of the litter and then stirring it up and smoothing it out.
I have had a baby pool full of shredded papaer and water. How long does it take to disintegrate? It has been soaking for about two hours and it still is in long shred form. Bascially the same as it went in
Hi Lisa!
It doesn’t really disintegrate. It just gets soft. You should be fine to drain it and dry it.
I live in Colombia, SA and it is very hard to find kitty stuff at the stores. Colombians like dogs, not cats! Thank you for the idea, I will try and find some time to work on it. I am pregnant right now and don’t know if the baking soda will do any harm to me or my baby in any way.
I just read your recipe for kitty litter and am intrigued to try it. I like the idea of saving $ and not having to lug a 20 lb bag of litter from store to house and dealing with the tracking mess on my carpets and bedspread. Also like the recycling aspect of the newspapers. Here’s a thought. I happen to know that our local newspaper printing plant gives away the “roll-ends” of newsprint (for free!). They are perfect for children’s arts and crafts projects as well as packing material for moving. I will use these and not have to worry about the ink!
Does the litter clump? Does it absorb the moisture well?
Ruby - it doesn’t clump, but it does do a good job of absorbing moisture.
Ginny - Hope it works out well for you! The roll-ends are a great idea!
Buguita - Check with your doctor. Baking soda is a food material, but you will want to talk to your doctor, and also be careful of coming into contacting with cat waste while you are pregnant. Have someone else clean the litter box for you.
I made this litter over the weekend. Yesterday it was still drying outdoors, but i started to rain a little so we brought it in. I am using it now. So far so good. No odor as of yet. I scoop the poop throughout the day. I marked on my calendar when I put the newspaper litter in to see how long it lasts before I have to change it again. My arms and hands got a good workout on Sat, from squeezing out the water! My friend says “save yourself the trouble and just buy it”. She does not understand. I enjoy making things, saving money, and saving the environment!
That’s wonderful! Thanks so much for checking in Barbara!
been using his method for years, I have 4 cats - commercial cat litter would cost over 400USD/year. I use a hand crank meat grinder with a large hole to get pellets [play with the moisture content]. I make a large amount, some for kitty litter and some for my DIY pellet stove to heat the house, and it’s free. [Google: pellet stove] I get every piece of junk mail I can, currently 40-50 lbs/week. One day I got so much it pulled the mail box off the door. So let’s sick to the man for selling overpriced ‘dirt’
This looks just like the paper shreds my daughter prefers for her hamsters (but which is beyond her 10-year-old’s budget). I bet she’d like the idea of getting the softer stuff for her pets at a price she can afford. Thanks for the tip! (and if we get another kitty, we’ll be ready for a new litter box setup).
Come to think of it, this might work for the baby chicks too!
I will be using this for my rats…
Thanks heaps!!
I get very VERY little newspaper paper now, and no more plastic OR paper bags, so I am interested in learning a little more about the drawstring bag/liner Karen mentioned back in April. If I put a layer of paper, topped with baking soda, then put my liner bag over it, drawing it tight underneath the box, doesn’t it leave the box wobbly? My eldest cat is going a little dotty and I’m afraid a tippy box would push him over the edge lol! I’ve never used a liner in our busy box (3 cats at present), so am not sure how that’s to work. I do like the sand idea, bc I can scoop the solids, then rinse the sand, in bag, allow it to dry and put it back. Wish I could see a picture of your litter box, Karen (hint hint).
Manufactured Cat Litter is composed of dried sand and lime. All Builders Merchants stock Dried Sand & also Bags of Lime. Buy a bag of each and mix them together. Place the mixture in a large plastic bag and keep dry. Use as required and scoop out the clumps. Thje lime absorbs the moisture and cases it to clump with the dried sand. Adding a little powdered ‘carpet deodourizer’ (of your choice) will keep things fragrant for you. The cash savings will be in the region of 90%
I am having issues with plueracy so any thing natural so I dont have to re0injure my lungs with amonia works for me.
I’ve used shredded newspaper before and mixed with urine it smelled awful! I don’t see how clumped particles of newsprint would change that problem. I’ve also used the pellet type newsprint and it was awful smelling too. I remember when I was moving I used roll ends, for packing up fragile items, from the local newspaper. For just a couple bucks you could get an enormous roll of plain brown paper.
About the sand idea - how exactly do you rinse or wash sand? In a large 5 gallon bucket? Where and how would you dry it out? It sounds like a real headache. I know if I spread out wet sand my cats would go “Yipee! A great big litter box!”
I used to work in advertising and someone there told me a story about someone who worked at Arm & Hammer. They wanted to figure out what the mechanism was that made baking soda pull odors from the air or the media surrounding it. To make a long story short, after much testing they found it was not the baking soda eliminating odors but the BOX it was in! If everyone knew this they would lose a fortune in sales. It was an insider secret.
Also, to the person who suggested adding essential oils - DO NOT use essential oils, they are HIGHLY TOXIC to cats! And also avoid using any citrus type cleaners or scents, cats hate the smell. In fact, they say if you want a cat to avoid a certain area put orange or lemon peels in that area.
I used pearlite as litter before, bought at a nursery. It would have been fine if the urine didn’t drain to the bottom and smell like hell. There was another type earth media I used as well at another time, I can’t remember the name, but it is commonly used in horse stalls to help with the urine smell. I got it at a feed store and it was under $10 for a 50 lb bag. I mixed it with pearlite so it wasn’t so heavy. But again, I couldn’t scoop out the urine. It wasn’t as bad as the pearlite alone, but still it smelled pretty awful. Cats won’t use a box that’s smelly. And that includes smelly perfumes as well.
I commend you all for your efforts at keeping the earth less toxic for you and your cats!
[...] Make Your Own Kitty Litter and More Fun With Kitty Litter [...]
What a good idea! I’m going to try that definitely.
What a great idea! Does this only work with newspaper, or will any shredded paper work?
Thanks for the great idea! I just moved and have been trying to figure out how to reuse the tons of packing paper. Was going to offer it on Freecycle, but now I think I’ll save it to make kitty litter. Not sure if she’ll use it - she didn’t like Feline Pine (neither did I). BTY for people who want to use a natural litter without making their own, I currently use The World’s Best Litter. Get it at a petstore. It’s made from corn and breaks down more easily than clay litters, which become cement-like and don’t break down in landfills.
I want to emphasize the comments about NOT using citrus scents (or any strong scents) to make this litter more acceptable to us humans. A cat’s olfactory (smelling) apparatus is much more sensitive than ours, according to veterinarians. Citrus scents, in particular, are offensive to cats, and are used in commercial “cat repellant” products sold to help keep cats from getting on unwanted furniture, kitchen counters, etc.
I made the litter for my rats, but it got hard like pebbles. The bought stuff is soft. What am I doing wrong? Do you have to do something to soften it up? After I squeeze the excess water off I break it up to dry. HELP! I want this to work. Its getting expensive buying bedding for my rats. I change them every 3-5 days.
Hi dsnefan!
I don’t think you’re doing anything wrong. It does make a pebble-like litter. Using a little less baking soda may help make it softer. Possibly putting it in a an old pillowcase and giving it a work over — stepping on it or something along those lines — might help soften it up a bit.
Thanks Allie! That trick with the pillowcase does work. I also wanted to mention that when I was drying mine I put the litter under my celing fan. I started drying it at about 10am and by 7pm it was almost dry, all except for the bigger clumps. I let it go till moring and it was completely dry.
Thanks for the great and money saving idea!
That’s awesome, dsnefan! I’m glad it’s working!!! I love the ceiling fan hint!
Myra - I haven’t had luck with shredded regular paper, although using some mixed in with newspaper isn’t bad. Too much though, and the consistency just isn’t the same.
I love this idea and plan to try it. I’m not sure if anyone has tried this, but I don’t have cats-I have three ferrets. I was wondering if anyone had tried this litter with their ferrets and if the ferrets actually use the litter box with this litter in it.
I WAS WONDERING IF ANYONE WITH RABBITS HAVE TRIED THIS AND FOUND SUCCESS. I HAVE 7 RABBITS AND HAVE TRIED VARIOUS BRANDS SUCH AS YESTERDAYS NEWS ( WHICH I HATE ), FELINE PINE ( WHICH I HATE WORSE BECAUSE IT BREAKS DOWN EVEN FASTER ), AND MARSHALLS FERRET LITTER WHICH I LOVE BUT IS VERY EXPENSIVE ( $12 PER 10 LB BAG WHERE I LIVE ).
IF SO HOW EFFECTIVE IS IT ON ODOR ON A SCALE OF 1-10? ABSORBANCY?
THANKS
This is a great idea.
What happens if for some reason we dont have extra water for projects like this? I’m going to try to create a litter using dirt, moss and cedar chips. All products easily accesable and more natural to what cats should be using as a place to do their business.
I think this will work for my bunnies litter. I am just not sure about the baking soda. Is baking soda used for odor or is it used as a binding agent?
It’s used for odor control. I haven’t tried making it without the baking soda, but I think it would still work. It does, I believe, add to the stiffness of the litter, but a softer litter would probably be fine too.
I saw your link on Fake Plastic Fish.
Wonderful idea! Saving money…recycling paper…less chemicals….the list goes on.
My one question for you is about the screen. Can you describe exactly what that is and how I can find one? Thank you!
Hi! Thanks for your comment, Gruppie Girl!
It’s just an old window screen. I’m sure you could find one at a store that sells reclaimed house parts, or make something out of wood and some sort of mesh or screen material.
Hiya, Allie!!
I was reading through your site (I love it!!) and came across this article. I have been doing this for years, well sort of. When we declawed our kitties, we were told the only litter they can use is paper litter, so we invested in a paper shredder, and have been making litter ever since. I got a huge box of sale fliers from the supermarket, and along with that, I also shred into them the old bills and papers/homework that the girls use. Its amazing how well it works
Thanks for this article
Regarding your concern over the newsprint ink: as someone mentioned, your newspaper(s) may already be using soy-based ink. Most publications (including major ones like the New York Times) have switched over to doing so. I had an indoor compost bin awhile ago, and I always used the Times as per recommendation from compost experts–it’s quite non-toxic and will probably be fine for your cat!
You can also buy end rolls of uninked newspaper at your local newspaper office. I buy HUGE rolls for $1. This you might like better since you won’t have to wash any ink out of it.
Check your local newspaper office. Ask for ‘end rolls’.
u could have used sand for doing it
Do you have to use dish soap for this? I would prefer to keep it as natural as possible. Also, if anyone works in retail and gets alot of merchandise packed in paper, you could probably use that as well. Isn’t that newsprint paper?
We are on such a seriously tight budget, that I have started making my own fabric softener and laundry detergent. I haven’t noticed a change between the commercial stuff and the stuff I make. I recycle bath towels when they get holey and cut them down and stitch the edges and make dish towels and wash cloths. Once they get raggy from there, I turn them into shop rags for the car.
I still think there are places I could cut back even further, but I am drawing a blank. Anyone have any other good ideas that I missed?
The only thing that burns my biscuits is that people look at me crosseyed when I tell them how I save money. I work with a couple of people who wouldn’t go to the lengths I do to save a penny. In this economy, you would think people would stop and think, but there are some that never learn. It is nice to see others like me that are willing to take a bit of extra time out of their busy day to economize and help the environment.
If you want to compare notes and share ideas, please feel free to contact me anytime.
Have a great day!
hazeleyedbeauty1967@yahoo.com
[...] how to make your own so as not to bother theenvironment quite so much? You’re in luck then! Allie’s Answers posted a recipe on their blog that they came up with for homemadekitty litter, which also isn’t [...]
I just read about the Ecover/Dioxane problem. I am going to try this litter without any dishsoap. What’s the harm? I do have one question, however. Should I mix this with my current cat litter so my girls get used to it? My older cat is very very fussy about a cat litter change, so I hope this won’t make her pissy(pardon the pun!). She has already made her displeasure known when I tried to change litter to save a bit of $$$. Darn calicos!
Allie, Thanks for the idea. I just bought a shredder and I got a big one in hopes I can work out a way to stop using the $16 a bag recycled paper bits. I am wondering if you have any concrete reason to worry about the inks? Can you give me a reference? The recycled paper litter must contain every kind of ink used on newsprint in it. Am I to believe that is dangerous? I know that my local paper uses soya ink and it is much more “colorfast” than the older solvent based inks. But it might be a stretch to view it is toxic or non-toxic without some sort of hard evidence. Anyway, I will try to find out more and report back. Mike
http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1411/does-baking-soda-really-eliminate-refrigerator-odors
I think baking soda really helps see above.
Ink toxicity installment 1:
“There is little threat of dermal absorption of ink or its ingredients once the ink is dry because the ink has achieved its stable state. The ingredients that were potentially absorbable become dry and are no longer able to be absorbed. **Lead, which can be absorbed through the skin, was banned as an ingredient in ink by the EPA in 1985 and is, therefore, no longer a threat.** Stall trials concluded that the ink rub-off from printed newsprint was not a concern for animals.” ** added by me
from Ohio State: http://ohioline.osu.edu/cd-fact/0122.html
Mike
Ink Installment 2:
from: http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0605&L=COMGAR-L&D=0&P=1882
Anecdotally,
I am an environmental consultant and have studied the chemicals used in
printing facilities for the purpose of cleaning up the contamination left
behind. For several years I have also studied phytoremediation (the use of
plants to clean up soil and water contamination). I would guess that the
volatile organic compounds (solvents) in inks are mostly evaporated by the
time the “ink dries.” And, the small amount of heavy metals present in some
printing solutions is not generally favored for uptake or accumulation in
plants. I’d be more concerned about the pesticides in the store bought
food.
regards,
Aaron Brewer
Ink Installment 3:
and another: This thread discusses whether newsprint should contact food for humans:
http://www.pneac.org/discus/messages/16/213.html?1160148630
Mike
Ink installmant 3:
http://learningstore.uwex.edu/pdf/G3546.pdf
I have to type this out because the pdf won’t let me copy and paste, sorry if I misquote:
Newspaper Bedding and Toxicity Potential
The potential for animal; health contamination, as a result of substances found in ink in hte newspaper, has been addressed. Since1985, the levels of heavy metals and other contaminants ave been significantly reduced in newspaper. According to the American Newspaper Publishers Association (ANPA) more than 98 percent of the daily newspapers in the United States currently use inks that are low in toxicity. While there have been no cases of milk contamination from newspaper residues coming contact with the udder, additional research is required to address this issue.
Research at Cornell University concluded that the use of chopped newspaper as bedding for dairy cattle has a “negligible risk.” Even when cows were fed pelletized newspaper at rates up to 10% of their total dry matter intake, no adverse effects were seen in milk or meat. No significant levels of toxic substances were found in the milk of cows consuming newspaper. In addition, no animal health or milk quality problems were found in Penn State bedding trials or in feeding studies when newspaper was consumed by dairy cows at levels of 1.8 to 2.4 lbs per head daily.
Colored inserts contain higher levels of contaminants than black and white newspaper. Since animals may voluntarily consume some newspaper when it is used for bedding, it is not recommended to bed dairy animals with colored “slicks” from advertising inserts, catalogs, or magazines. End quote.
It sounds like the concern with cattle didn’t arise from them standing in the newspaper, but from their tendency to eat from the floor. But they fed them news print just to see and no problems were found.
Mike
There is more, but I may be belaboring the point. I think I am going to use newsprint including the advert inserts for litter. my cats don’t show any signs of wanting to eat paper. Licking dust from their paws…that seems like the only way they would get any ink in them and for cows it seems they can eat a lot with no effects whatsoever.
I am curious about other inks because I have such a pile of mail that needs a second use if possible. But I will get to that later.
Mike
I have many(12)cats. In the summertime they stay outside a lot, but in winter, they come in to use the litter box (I’m not fond of outhouses myself). This idea of recycling newspaper sounds pretty good to me. I almost dislocated my shoulder lifting forty-pound boxes of bargain litter from Sam’s Club. I’m going to try it.