Great Uses For Cat Litter …
November 13, 2025
(Besides IN Your Kitty’s Box!)
Kate Preston
The primary types of litter included in this study are clumping clay, non-clumping clay, gravel, silica gels, grain husks, ground corn, paper pellets, wooden pellets, sawdust, grass pellets, and combinations of some of these.
WHAT EXPERTS SUGGEST … And Alternative Uses
(As Home-Tested by the Consumers!)
Traction in Winter – sprinkled under tires or on sidewalk, cat litter is an excellent alternative to sand or salt – and spares grass.
(Use gravel, silica, or corn. I used the clumping clay litter, but it got very slick. The car I slid into only needed minor repairs).
- Flame Retardant – throw litter on a grease fire to quickly squelch kitchen flames.
(DO NOT use the paper-pellet or corn-husk type. Don’t. Really. My wife isn’t speaking to me).
- Ameliorate Cigarette Smoke – scented litter in a small bowl or tray can reduce or eliminate the odor smoking leaves in a room. It is not as effective on clothing, however.
(Since clothing is harder to deodorize, I used a larger quantity of litter in the laundry. The washing machine repairman said he’d never seen anything like it).
- Grill Cleaning Simplified – a thin layer of clay-type litter at the bottom of your grill absorbs the grease and food detritus that falls through, making the grill easier to clean.
(Not as helpful in cleaning toilets though. Clay clumps, wood floats, and silica gels can create strange colors in urine. Our last house guest ran out of the bathroom screaming, “CALL A DOCTOR!”)
- Dry Up Paint – mixed half and half with old used paint in a cannister/tub, it will dry up, harden, and be disposable as heavy, solid trash that is no longer a danger to the earth.
(Finally, the secret of Jimmy Hoffa’s disappearance is revealed).
- Remove Oily Residue – if your garage floor has oil stains, a light sprinkle of clay litter will absorb the oil and leave the floor clean. If the stain is old, it may require scrubbing with a second application of litter to clear up.
One expert suggests bentonite-laced clay litter can also be used as an effective face mask for oily skin types and it helps to shrink pores. Hard-clumping clay will clean everything off the face. I am told my eyebrows will grow back).
- Control Odor in Stored Items – seasonal gear stored away in the off-season can accumulate a musty smell. Pack these with some litter in old socks; odor and moisture will be gone.
(This owner used corn-based litter stuffed into three separate socks. Pregnant mice used the socks as a maternity ward and found the corn an irresistible smorgasbord).
- Wet Phone Rescue – a cell phone retrieved from a mud puddle may be saved by putting it in rice, which will absorb the water. Cat litter works alike, but needs to be in a nylon bag to prevent tiny bits from getting into crevices in the phone.
(When my phone got wet, we tried this method, although scoopable clay was the only litter we had. I now have a great life mask of my ruined phone).
- Composting – either new or used biodegradable litter helps keep soil loose and rich for your plantings.
(Used litter also provides an inspiring scent to gather a nightly serenade of local feral kitties at the backyard compost pile).
- Repel Pests – a small amount of used litter in mouse holes in the house or gopher holes or mole hills throughout the yard discourages vermin.
(It takes very little to vanquish gophers or moles – but to discourage trespassers trampling on your lawn requires a much more generous application).
Keep it Light — Pellet litter made from newspapers is lightweight, inexpensive, and easily degraded. You may find the savings and ease of carrying and disposal helpful.
(On the other hand, it is annoying to the other cats if one cat hogs the litter box because he needs to finish the pellet he is reading).
- Weights – Gravel and clay litters are heavier and make good improvised exercise weights, or weights to hold things down. For safety, double bag the litter.
(Mine held me down very well).
- End Shoe Odor – a little scented litter in a bag left in your shoes will soon dispel any noisome atmosphere.
(My good dress shoes smelled so wonderful, the kitty could not resist, and copiously used this tiny, odd-shaped “litter” box).
References
- https://litter-boxes.com/uses-for-cat-litter/ — “33 Ways to Use Cat Litter (Other Than in Kitty’s Box)” July 6, 2023.
- https://coolgrossweird.com — What Can You Do with Unused Cat Litter (9 Effective Uses!), Nov. 25, 2022
- https://articles.hepper.com/uses-for-cat-litter/ — 25 Surprising Uses for Cat Litter: Useful Tips & Tricks; Hepper blog, Copeland, Kathryn, April 29, 2025