We used kitty litter to defrost ice on our wooden front deck and steps. When we walked in it, it stuck to the soles of our shoes and boots. It also left tracks on the wood floor in the house. Also, it stuck to clothes. The main thing I need to know is if anyone have any ideas how to get it off of the shoes? Should I clean the floor with anything special?
Wet cat litter really makes a mess. Generally I just use water and paper towels to clean it up. That way I can just throw away the paper towels rather than wash cat litter down the drain. That should work for cleaning the shoes and your floor.
I think hot water would help and you may also need a stiff bristle brush. Just only use it on the sole and not the leather.
A used toothbrush, perfect size to get into the groves of your shoes and knock out the litter rather it is dry or compacted. I have 3 cats and plenty of cat litter on the floor, but if you are talking about damp cat litter there is nothing special, just use what you typically use to clean your floor.
A stiff scrub brush dampened with dish soap and hot water should do the trick. How about removing footwear upon entering the house. That's what we do to eliminate dirty floors.
Just scrub shoes with soap and hot water, they won't take any harm. For the future, you might need a boot scraper to winkle those hard little pickles out of the treads.
I would use a stiff bristle brush or barbecue grill cleaner saved just for this purpose. A shopvac or vacuum would help too. I would not wet the litter.
I believe that kitty litter is generally clay. Just dump some outside and wet it what a mess. It will remain forever and also be very, very slippery.
I have read that it will not actually melt snow but just absorb it and perhaps leave big globs of wet clay. I do not need/use it in Florida so this info is just from casual reading.
I have had to remove other types of material from shoes and generally found that working with dry shoes was the best first step. Try using a stiff brush (nail brush, old stiff tooth brush or stiff scrub brush) to remove as much gunk as possible. Be sure the brush is dry also.
I usually then grab a nail file or screw driver to clean anything remaining in the grooves.
Once most of the clay/gunk is off, you can take a wet cloth and scrub the rest off. Especially around the outer sole.
If some got on the upper material (leather, suede, etc) then that is an entirely different cleaning operation.
What kind of kitty litter was it? Was it clay? Clay sticks to everything and can be very slippery when it is wet. And can be solid like cement when dry. You could try wetting your shoes and boots liberally to see if the clay comes back to a softer state and then wash it off outside with a hose. Do not let it get into any of your house drains. If it stays hard or if you can harden it further by letting it dry in front of a fireplace, you may be able to just break off chunks of it. If you can get your shoes or boots to soak up some vegetable oil to get under the clay, you may find that the clay releases.
You could soak the clay on the floor until it gets wetter, so it can be wiped away. Keep wet cloths on top of the area and check it until you find it soft enough to wipe away. Do not rinse the rags in your sink or tub or the clay may settle in your pipes.
If this does not work on your floor you can gently sand the area and do a spot refinishing.
Have you called the manufacturer? They may have a solution. Best of luck.
