How should I clean around cat tree bolts and joints?

Remove loose dust and hair carefully, following the manufacturer’s material-specific cleaning instructions. Avoid soaking connections or directing liquid into inserts, seams and board edges, where moisture may be difficult to remove. If a removable cover blocks access, take it off only in the manner the guide allows. Use cleaning as an opportunity to look for gaps, staining associated with moisture or changes in the surrounding material.

Do not loosen structural fittings merely to reach a small patch of dust unless disassembly is part of the approved care method. Allow cleaned areas to dry fully before returning the tree to use. If a joint has become swollen, corroded or insecure, cleaning alone will not restore it. Contact the supplier about its condition rather than hiding the affected area beneath a fresh cover.

Clean only as far as the approved method allows without dismantling a load-bearing section. If dust is trapped behind a fixed joint, ask about suitable access rather than repeatedly undoing the connection as part of ordinary surface cleaning.