TL;DR
Vacuuming does most of the work on a cat tree, because dry fur and dander come off far more easily than wet fur. Spot clean the rest with an unscented product and as little moisture as possible. Skip essential oils entirely, since many are toxic to cats and a cat tree is something they rub their face on daily.
Essential oils and cats do not mix
This is the safety rule that matters most on this particular job.
Many essential oils are toxic to cats, including tea tree, citrus, pine, eucalyptus, peppermint, wintergreen, cinnamon, clove, and ylang ylang. Cats lack some of the liver enzymes that other mammals use to process these compounds, and they also groom whatever lands on their fur, so exposure is not limited to what they breathe.
A cat tree is one of the worst places for it. Cats rub their cheeks and chin along the posts and platforms to scent-mark, which puts their face in direct contact with whatever you applied.
Skip oil-based cleaners, scented sprays, plug-in fragrance near the tree, and homemade citrus mixtures. If a cat is exposed to an essential oil and shows drooling, vomiting, wobbliness, or breathing trouble, that is an emergency call to a veterinarian or an animal poison control line, not something to manage at home.
Source: ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center guidance on essential oils and cats
Know the surfaces you are dealing with
A cat tree is usually three materials, and each wants a different approach.
Sisal rope and sisal fabric. Natural fiber, rough, and designed to be shredded. It absorbs moisture and dries slowly, so keep water to a minimum.
Plush and short-pile covering. Holds fur and dander. Vacuuming and a rubber brush do far more here than any liquid.
Bare wood, laminate and cardboard. Wipe with a barely damp cloth. Cardboard scratchers should never get wet at all.
Faux fur trim and dangling toys. Detach what you can and wash it separately.
How do you clean a cat tree?
Vacuum every surface with an upholstery attachment, then go over the covered areas with a rubber brush or a pet hair tool to lift what the vacuum left. Spot clean marks with a barely damp cloth and an unscented cleaner, blot dry, and let the tree dry completely with air moving before your cat uses it.
The step-by-step routine
1. Take off everything removable. Hammocks, cushions, toys, and any covers that unzip. Wash those separately by their labels, on a cool cycle with unscented detergent and no fabric softener.
2. Dry brush first. A rubber brush, a grooming glove, or a pumice-style pet hair tool pulls out embedded fur that a vacuum drives deeper. This is the single most effective step.
3. Vacuum everything. Upholstery attachment on the platforms, crevice tool along the seams and where posts meet platforms, and a pass over the sisal rope. Get the underside of each platform, which nobody does and which is full of dander.
4. Lint roll the finish. For the last layer of fine hair on plush surfaces.
5. Spot clean marks only. A cloth dampened with water or a very dilute unscented cleaner, wrung out hard. Blot rather than rub, and rinse by blotting with a second damp cloth.
6. Wipe the hard parts. Wooden bases, plastic feet, and laminate edges with a barely damp cloth, dried immediately.
7. Dry it completely. Open a window or run a fan. Damp sisal takes a long time and smells musty if it stays wet.
Handling smells and accidents
The most common odor sources on a cat tree are scent-marking, hair oil buildup, and food carried up onto a platform.
An enzyme-based pet cleaner is the right tool for urine or vomit. Enzymes break down the compounds that cause the smell, rather than masking them. Blot the area first, apply the product, let it stay wet for the time on the label, then blot with clean water and dry.
Baking soda works well between cleans. Sprinkle it on plush surfaces, leave it for fifteen minutes, and vacuum it out thoroughly.
Never use chlorine bleach on a cat tree. It is unsafe on something a cat licks and rubs against, it bleaches fabric, and it must never be combined with ammonia, which is present in urine, or with vinegar or any other acid. Those combinations release chloramine and chlorine gas.
If a cat suddenly starts marking a cat tree, or urinating outside the box, book a veterinary appointment before changing anything else. Urinary problems can be urgent, and no cleaning routine fixes a medical cause.
Sisal, and why it looks worse than it is
Shredded sisal is a cat tree doing its job. A frayed post is not a dirty post.
Trim long loose strands with scissors so they cannot catch a claw, and vacuum the fibers that come loose. Do not soak sisal, and do not apply oil or conditioner to it.
Replace a post when the sisal has worn down to the core, since a bare cardboard tube is neither satisfying to scratch nor safe. Many trees allow a post to be re-wrapped with new sisal rope, which is cheaper than replacing the tree.
Never apply catnip oil or any concentrated scent to a post. Dried catnip leaf sprinkled on and vacuumed off later is the safer way to renew interest.
How often should you clean a cat tree?
Vacuum it weekly along with the room, do a proper dry brush and crevice vacuum monthly, and wash removable covers every one to two months. Spot clean accidents as they happen.
Twice a year, take the tree outside if you can, vacuum it thoroughly, and check the hardware. Bolts on cat trees loosen with use, and a wobbling tree is the reason cats abandon them. Tighten every fixing, check the base is stable, and confirm the platforms are secure.
Give the rest of the cat's furniture the same attention. Fabric tunnels hold fur in a similar way, covered in how to clean a collapsible cat tunnel, and window perches add a suction cup problem of their own, covered in how to clean a cat window perch.
For the rest of the household kit, our guide to cleaning pet bowls, bedding, toys and gear collects the same unscented and dry-fully rules.
FAQ
How do you get cat hair off a cat tree?
Dry brush it first with a rubber brush, a grooming glove, or a pumice-style pet hair tool, which lifts embedded fur that a vacuum pushes deeper. Then vacuum with an upholstery attachment and a crevice tool along the seams. Finish with a lint roller on plush surfaces.
Can you use essential oils to clean a cat tree?
No. Many essential oils are toxic to cats, including tea tree, citrus, pine, eucalyptus, and peppermint, and cats rub their faces along a cat tree and then groom themselves. Use unscented cleaners only, and keep scented sprays and diffusers away from the area entirely.
How do you get the smell out of a cat tree?
Vacuum thoroughly first, since most odor comes from trapped fur and dander. Use an enzyme-based pet cleaner on urine or vomit, letting it stay wet for the time on the label before blotting and drying. Baking soda vacuumed out after fifteen minutes helps between cleans.
Can you wash a cat tree with soap and water?
Only sparingly. Spot clean marks with a cloth wrung out hard, using water or a very dilute unscented cleaner, and blot rather than soak. Sisal and plush hold moisture and dry slowly, and a damp cat tree smells musty. Wash removable covers separately instead.
Should you replace a shredded scratching post?
Trim loose strands so claws cannot catch, and keep using it while the sisal still has depth. Replace or re-wrap the post once the sisal has worn down to the bare core, since a stripped tube is neither satisfying to scratch nor safe for claws.
How often should you clean a cat tree?
Vacuum it weekly with the rest of the room, do a full dry brush and crevice vacuum monthly, and wash removable covers every one to two months. Twice a year, check and tighten every bolt, because a wobbly tree is a common reason cats stop using one.
Pet furniture is a small part of a much larger job. Every home is different, so the real number depends on size, condition, and what you want covered. Get a quote or read more about house cleaning services.