On this blog I will be telling you how and why I clean my boys cage the way I do.
I have a daily and weekly schedule on cleaning their cage to ensure they are happy, healthy and comfortable.
Firstly let’s talk about how important it is to clean your Guinea Pig home.
A Guinea Pigs home needs to stay clean in order to prevent respiratory and other illnesses.
Not cleaning your Guinea Pigs cage and letting them live on cold/wet bedding can be harmful to them.
Guinea Pigs pee smells like Ammonia and can be very very harmful to your Guinea Pigs to breath in for a long period of time.
They can also get URI (Upper Respiratory Infections) and Bumble-Foot, which can be hard to treat.
Guinea Pigs cage can also become a great home for pesticides, bacteria, mold and can cause fungal infections (ringworm)
Other things to remember
Baby Guinea Pigs and Adult Guinea Pigs poops are completely different in size. Babies are smaller, whereas adults are bigger, so you may find yourself cleaning the babies cage more than you would the adult.
The more Guinea Pigs you have the more poop and mess there will be to clean up, so bare this in mind.
Guinea Pigs can be litter trained. A little fact is that Guinea Pigs poo and pee where they eat, it’s gross, I know! But it makes it a lot easier to clean especially if they’re trained.
Now let’s talk about my schedule
Daily
Depending on what bedding your Guinea Pigs have or how their cage is set up, they will need to be spot cleaned. This means:
- Cleaning any poop or food that the Guinea Pig may have left for you during the day.
- Removing any wet fleece, towels, bath mats or other types of bedding to make sure they stay warm.
- Any Hay piles that they may have peed in and replace accordingly.
- Any used and soggy puppy pads and replace for fresh.
- Top up the hay bags with fresh hay, remove old if needed.
- Fresh water.
- Fresh pellets.
Weekly
Once a week (I choose Sunday because it fits in with my work schedule) I put my boys in their run and clean their cage out completely. This means:
- First empty the entire cage.
- Brush down any sides and collect all the stowaway poops with a dust pan and brush. You can also use a tooth brush to get into any tough to clean places, like corners and edges.
- I use a Hoover to clean the remaining hay and dust that may still be inside the cage.
- I then spray the cage with Flash Pet Spray and give the sides a wipe down with wet cloth. You should not use regular house hold cleaner in your Guinea Pigs cage as the chemicals can be harmful to them.
- Next I make sure the cage is dry and put a layer of puppy pads down, focusing and doubling up more on the areas that get wet quicker.
- I place their fleece liners in the cage along with a Bath Mat on top. This keeps the fleece liner cleaner for longer and it’s a lot comfier for the boys.
- I add all of their accessories and comfy bedding.
- Afterwards I put fresh hay and pellets into the cage.
- I Clean and fill up their water bottles.
- And put the piggies back in their fresh clean house.
Commonly asked questions I get:
How do you clean fleece liners?
Everyone has their own way of cleaning these buggers, but this is mine:
• Firstly I shake the fleece liner into a bag or suitable bin so that a majority of the food, poop and hair comes off.
• I then hit the fleece liner with either a stick of my hand to release all the hairs and hay that may be stuck too it.
• Put the fleece liner in the wash at 30 Degrees.
• To wash mine I use a small amount of soap powder, which is for sensitive skin and odourless. I then use Dettol antibacterial laundry cleanser (this is what works for me and may not work for everyone! Find what suits you and your Guinea Pigs best)
• Then I either air dry them outside on the line if it is sunny, lie them flat on a radiator until dry.
What products can I use to clean my Cage?
I mainly use products suitable for cleaning pet products, so Flash Pet sprays, White vinegar and wipes. If you are struggling to find something that works and doesn’t affect you or your Guinea Pigs then half distilled white vinegar and half water can be mixed into a clean spray bottle and used in your Guinea Pig’s cage. Use a spare washcloth to wipe down the habitat, then rinse the habitat with plain water to remove any remaining residue or smell. Some products we recommend:
Flash Pet Spray | White Vinegar
How do you stop fleece smelling bad?
If your fleece is smelling faster then my guess if you are currently using waterproof liners. I would recommended getting padded liners. waterproof liners are good, but a lot thinner, which means they don’t absorb as much.
We recommend fleece liners to be changed every 3-4 days. Luckily for me, because I use other fleece items on top of my main fleece liner, I only change my once a week (unless it gets smelly, but rarely does).
Remember: Having more than one Guinea Pig, will increase the chances of your fleece liner smelling quicker, because there is more urine. Some foods that make them wee more will also increase your chances of it smelling quicker. It also all depends on their homes. If they live in a small space, you’re more likely to find yourself cleaning them a lot more.
Also using Pee pads where your Guinea pigs bottles are kept and where they pee and poop will help massively.
Do you put anything under the fleece liner?
Yes! We use puppy pads. It’s just an extra safety net if any wee or water soaks through the fleece.
How long do fleece liners last?
I have had my fleece liners for about 3 years now and they are still in perfect condition. We have 6 liners all together and get changed once a week. We look after them and they look after us.
Are fleece liners worth the money?
Absolutely yes! I have probably saved myself a good couple of hundred pounds in a year on buying bedding my for my boys, just because I switched from shavings to fleece. They are expensive to buy, but you will be so grateful you did in a years time, when you’ve saved yourself a lot of money!
Come back next Sunday for more interesting facts about Guinea Pigs!
Lokiandthor18 