Cage Cleaning
Regularly cage cleaning is an essential aspect to maintain the ongoing health of your guinea pigs. Keeping your pets' environment clean prevents bacteria growth, ammonia build up and is a key to preventing illness.
We recommend spot cleaning daily as well as deeper cleans once a week.
How Often?
The rule of thumb is your piggies' cage should never smell.
Daily spot cleaning is essential — remove soiled hay, bedding, and poop using a dustpan or vacuum. Replace bedding as needed a few times a week, depending on your setup and number of pigs.
If you're using Ozzy Cage Fleece Liners, Vet-Bed, or polar fleece, simply sweep up mess and change the under layer if needed. Keep spare sets on hand for quick swaps.
Do a full clean weekly: replace all bedding, disinfect and dry the base, and refresh cage accessories.
Our new Ozzy Cage Fleece Liners make this easier than ever! With moisture-wicking fleece, an absorbent core, and waterproof backing, they’re an all-in-one solution. No more layering—just swap and go.
Spot Cleaning Your Cage
Check out our tips for keeping your pets' cage tip top!
Natural Cleaning Solution
When cleaning your cavies cage it is important to not use harsh chemicals that may be harmful to animals.
White vinegar is a versatile cleaning agent which is anti bacterial, and can cut through dirt and urine residue. The powerful acidic qualities of this product easily breakdown alkaline substances such as urine. For a simple yet effective cleaning formula use our below mix in a spray bottle:
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1 cup water
- Five drops of dishwashing liquid
Simply spray this mixture onto you cage surface, once all bedding has been removed. For those tougher areas pour concentrated vinegar onto stubborn stains and clean away with a toothbrush.
💩 Poo Removal 💩
Unfortunately, piggy ownership means dealing with a LOT of poo - and often!
Removing piggy poo can be as simple as sweeping it up with a dustpan and brush (we recommend silicone ones as these scoop up the waste really effectively!).
Alternatively, you can use a handheld dustbuster or cheap vacuum cleaner. Remember, poo removal is something you will need to do daily, so if you want to choose this option, it's worth investing in a piggy-specific vacuum you can use solely for piggy cage cleans!
TIP: If using a vacuum, make sure your piggies are removed in a carrier or another enclosure while you are doing this, as the loud noise will frighten them!
🧺 How To Clean Bedding 🧺
We recommend cleaning any fleece liners or Vet-Bed bedding in a washing machine, if possible. This helps give the material a thorough clean, removes bacteria and limits odours in the long-term. If you are concerned about using your machine for piggy loads, you can buy large washing bags to put your bedding in, to protect your washing machine and contain any waste inside the bag.
✨TIP: Add a 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of vinegar to your normal laundry detergent, this works as a natural fabric softener!
If you prefer an alternative, you can pin your bedding to your washing line or fence and hose it down instead and let dry. While this saves your washing machine, it won't give you as thorough a clean.
Before washing your bedding, take it outside and give it a good shake to get rid of any loose mess that you haven't swept up (hay, poo etc.).
Using Wood Shavings?
Replenish any heavy-traffic areas with fresh shavings daily, with a complete change over of shavings once a week.
Improving the lives of guinea pigs one WHEEK at a time!
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