Guinea Pigs
The Easiest Way to Clean a Guinea Pig Cage
Nov
What’s The Easiest (fastest) Way To Clean A Guinea Pig Cage
Guinea Pigs are generally pretty easy to look after but regular cleaning of their cages and bedding is essential to prevent poor health and disease.
Here are some helpful tips on the easiest way to clean a guinea pig cage.
How Often Should I Clean?
You need to divide your regular cleaning routine into two types; spot cleaning and full-on cage cleaning.
Spot cleaning should occur every 2 or 3 days but you’ll also want to keep a daily check on conditions in the cage.
There will be occasions when your little ones will produce more waste than usual and it’s better to keep on top of that.
You need to do a full-on cage clean once a week.
The guiding principle is that your Guinea Pig cage should never smell. If it does you may need to increase your cleaning frequency.
Obviously, the more Guinea Pigs you have the more waste. This waste can quickly become compacted and very smelly.
Fortunately, it’s a quick and easy job to return your Cavy cage to a spotless, spick and span condition.
How Do I Do a Full Cage Clean?
A full cage clean is essential on a weekly basis.
First, you’ll need to remove your Cavies to a safe place. Remember to handle them gently but firmly.
Remove all the bedding and other items such as water bottles and feeding bowls as well as ramps and toys.
If you’re using straw, paper, wood chips or wood shavings for bedding they can simply go into the rubbish or, preferably, into the compost pile.
If you use a fleece or other fabric bed you’ll want to wash it thoroughly using a hot wash cycle in your washing machine.
Shake or vacuum the fleece first to remove dust and dirt. It’s a good idea to have two sets of fleece beds so you can immediately replace the dirty one with a clean one.
Next, sweep out and wash the cage thoroughly. You can use a solution of 1 part water, 1 part white vinegar and add in 5 drops of washing detergent.
Mix in a spray bottle and spray onto all surfaces.
Wipe dry with a cloth. This solution is a cheap yet highly effective cleaning agent that is entirely safe for your cavies.
You’ll also want to clean the water bottle and food bowls and any toys the same way.
Make sure the cage is completely dry before restoring the bedding. Damp surfaces can encourage mould to grow.
Place fresh bedding in the cage and return cleaned and replenished water and food bowls.
Now your cavies can come back to a beautifully clean home.
How Do I Do A Spot Clean?
Remove any droppings and areas of soiled bedding that are especially dirty. You’ll also want to clean water bottles and food bowls too as these can quickly become grimy.
How Do I Make Cleaning Easier?
Some types of cages are easier to clean than others. Look for cages that have steel pull out trays for cleaning as well as easy access doors.
This will make your life much easier and will keep your cavies safe and happy.
More Information
Things to Know About Keeping Guinea Pigs as Pets
Image Attribution
Wiki-How – Cleaning Out A Guinea Pig Cage
