This $22 Product Magically Got Rid of Litter Box Odors in My Apartment

Some say wine and cheese go hand in hand. Others say peanut butter and jelly. Me? I am a firm believer that where there’s a litter box, there should be a Litter Genie nearby.

Apartment-dwellers, this one’s for you. Living on the top floor almost always means there are stairs (if you’re lucky, an elevator, too), but at my Santa Barbara apartment, this means the stairs are, yes, outside. (It does get relatively chilly here during the winter!) 

Before I got my Litter Genie, I had to walk up and down two flights of stairs — multiple times per day, no matter the weather — to keep the litter box fresh for my cat, Cowboy. It’s recommended that you scoop your cat’s litter box at least once a day, if not more. Modern society is keen on keeping things efficient, and this method was far from it. So when I adopted my second cat, Whiskey, I knew something had to change.

Litter Genie, appointed with the fitting catchphrase, “It’s Literally Genius!” is just that. This cat litter disposal system is designed to live directly next to the litter box to eliminate daily trips to the trash bin. The intent of this product mirrors that of the Diaper Genie (actually, it’s made by the same company), just ask your friends who are parents (parents, IYKYK). It’s essentially an enclosed, odor-trapping receptacle. Just scoop up the clumps, open the lid to drop in the clumps, and pull the handle to seal in odors.

I own the Litter Genie Easy Roll Pail, which holds about a week’s worth of waste per cat. This model comes with a refillable bag insert that lasts up to six months, but there are three other models to choose from depending on your cat’s needs. All models come with a detachable scoop, scoop holder, and one bag refill. 

Because I like to keep personal business in a designated area of the apartment — the one-and-only bathroom — the combination of an enclosed litter box and waste vessel makes for a discreet-as-can-be display. Litter Genie has unequivocally made my daily cleaning routine more efficient (and less wasteful) because I no longer have to make the daily trek of hauling numerous repurposed grocery bags of soiled litter up and down my stairs.

While the convenience of using the detachable scoop that comes with your Litter Genie is nice in theory, having a plastic scoop is more work than it’s worth. Plastic is less durable over time and more likely to harbor bacteria. I suggest ditching the plastic scoop and investing in a stainless steel or metal one; they are recyclable, long-lasting, and much easier to clean. Combat your pet’s undesirable odors even more with a sprinkle of Arm & Hammer Cat Litter Deodorizer each time you swap out the litter.