Cage Cleaning Time

Adding to the list of 'guinea pig equipment purchases' which I must admit is rather long. There's a bit of stuff to get to begin with, then things should settle down and it'll just be bedding and food.  And perhaps the occasional new cage accessory! 

Anyway - our old dustbuster had croaked so I got a Vax one that has an attachment that is supposed to be good for pet hair. 

Each day morning and night I take all the furniture out of the cage and quickly vaccum up the poop pellets.  Only takes about 5 minutes or so. 

 

(As you can see we've got a few different colours in the fleece department.  Jack picked this one.)  

Under the resting area I've put a small sheet of corflute covered in a disposable puppy pad and a piece of fleece, clipped on with little bulldog clips.  I noticed this bit got wetter than the rest of the cage so a separate thing that I can quickly change out seemed a good option.  I'm planning to get busy with the sewing machine, some fleece offcuts and an old mattress protector to make some little pieces I can pop in the 'high traffic' loo areas.  

 

Once the fleece is vacuumed the furniture goes back in and the girls get on with their day.  They usually scurry up under the hay rack while I'm vacuuming and get hay all over themselves, which they then track over the newly cleaned fleece - hmmmm just like children!!

I'm looking forward to having it up a bit higher on a stand.  Should make cage cleaning time a little easier on the back. 

Once or twice a week I pop the girls into the cat carrier and change out the fleece and replace the bed mats if they're wet.  Takes a while to shake and brush off the hay and wood shavings before they're set to go in the washing machine.  I read a tip to put the guinea pig stuff into an old doona cover so that you don't get too much hay and what not in your machine.  The lint filter seems to be doing a good job so far.

The kitchen area gets a more regular change over.  Still experimenting with the best options for that section.

Cheers, Susan

Cage Clean Out Time

I do a bit of a spot clean of the cage most days, then once every 5 - 7 days it gets a full clean. 

The girls go into their cat carrier. 

 

Out with all the wood shavings, carefresh and newspaper.  It fills a garbage bag and about 1/3 of our bin which is a bit of an issue as pre guinea pigs we filled our bin weekly ourselves so we don't have that much spare garbage space.  

A good scrubbing with a squirt of cage cleaner and then it is in with some fresh newspaper, and some fresh wood shavings.  Carefresh in the corners - expensive but more absorbent.  

 

Master 7 helps out by scooping the wood shavings from their bale into a bucket.  We definitely need the vacuum cleaner afterwards as you can see! 

 

Furniture back in and then it is time for the girls to settle back into their fresh, clean home.  

And for me to continue investigating C and C cages and fleece!  Planning continues for the guinea pig palace. 

Cheers, Sue