Cage cleaning suggestions

[gabrielle]

I have a pretty big cage, (Martins R-690) and I decided it was time to give it a good cleaning....and the only way I could get inside with the sponge is if I was in the shower with it    
I only used hand soap and hot water...Ive seen products at the stores to remove oder etc, but is that really necessary? after I cleaned it, it wasnt stinky....am I speaking too soon? Ive only had my babies for just over 2 weeks.  

[swedishnightingale]

Unless you have very stinky rats, you should be okay.  

I just clean out my cage and wipe it down once a week; I use a very mild dishwashing soap (because it's non-toxic), then rub it down with hot water, and dry it with paper towels...  and I give it a *good* scrub, with one of those hand-held shower things, about every 3 weeks. I never have any odor problem.  

[gabrielle]

thanks  

[SupaPFunk]

The only thing I would reccomend, especially if you're going to do a BIG cleaning, is to make sure you disenfect as well as just clean. You could use anti-bacterial soap, although the effectiveness of those have come in to question lately. Or a solution of one part bleach to 10 parts water will do the job. And if you have it in the shower it should be pretty easy to rinse right off! Good luck!! Dont get too wet!  

~ SupaPFunk

[Panda Phil]

 If the weathers nice, you can always do what I did. Drag it outside and take the hose to it. If it's a sunny day just leave it outside for a few hours to dry off. UV rays are pretty good at killing germs.

[Suebee]

I always drag mine into the shower to clean it... but I'll admit I have never gotten in with it! LOL! I have an R-695.

I use Critter Fresh enzyme cleaner. First I wet the cage down, apply the cleaner, and let it sit while I play with the boys. Then I rinse it well and dry it with an old bath towel I reserve for rat cage cleaning.

[TEK]

We recently picked up a little handheld device called the "Scum Buster".  It's put out by Black and Decker.  It works like a dream; Tek one is always wanting to "Scum Bust" cages now. We used it on our powder coated Martins that we use to house some of our boys and *all* the grime was removed...even from the hard to reach places under the ramps.  We've found that it totally eliminates any "stuck on" oders.....(I find myself sounding more and more like an advertisement every day)

-Danny
Tekka Maki Rodentry
www.tekkarats.com

[BabyBlue]

We recently picked up a little handheld device called the "Scum Buster".  It's put out by Black and Decker.  It works like a dream; Tek one is always wanting to "Scum Bust" cages now. We used it on our powder coated Martins that we use to house some of our boys and *all* the grime was removed...even from the hard to reach places under the ramps.  We've found that it totally eliminates any "stuck on" oders.....(I find myself sounding more and more like an advertisement every day)

-Danny
Tekka Maki Rodentry
www.tekkarats.com

Is this a vacuum or a steam vac or what? I'm really interested

[kmw]

ScumBuster

[gabrielle]

Ive been meaning to get one of those for myself, I bought one for my future mother-in-law and she loves it.
Hehe, it does sound funny beingIN the shower with the cage doesnt it?   *off to claim the dork-of-the-year award* lol

[ChipmunKira]

My cages are way too big to drag into my bathroom, or downstairs and outside for cleaning.  The F-475 won't even fit through my bathroom door!  The Ruud is too heavy for me to move...    I think I will invest in one of those scum busters, because odor has been becoming a problem due to the size of my cages and my difficulty cleaning them.

(Hey, gabrielle, I have hopped in the shower with smaller cages before...  Don't feel too dorky!)
 

[KayR]

For the cages that CAN'T be moved, I HIGHLY suggest a steam cleaner. I have one that is hand held and comes with several different attachments. One of them being a stiff brush that you can use to wipe/scrub off anything really stubborn. Though I do have to say that even with the really nasty stuff I have cleaned with it, once the steam starts to work, and break it down, it wipes clean and is disinfected and dried all at once.
They really do work like the infomercials say they do. The ONLY thing I don't like about mine is that I have to let it cool off before I can refill it which is a pain. But they do make a few that you can refill while hot and just keep on cleaning. I rarely use chemicals in my house because the steam gets so hot, and does such a great job cleaning.

I also have a scumbuster which I love! I purchased two extra batteries for it so I always have fresh ones at the ready.... They make other attachments for the scumbuster as well. They are stiffer brushes and scour pads than what come with it. Designed more for outdoor use... but against metal wire (like galvanized) I bet they would work better to get buck grease off.  Ick!

[gabrielle]

Off to walmart in a little bit...scum buster here I come  
whats buck grease? is that the "spraying" that they do?

[Suebee]

No, buck grease is oil that males secrete from their skin... sometimes it builds up, and their skin looks orangy and flaky under their fur.

A dose of olive oil on a bit of bread once a week usually helps keep that under control...

[gabrielle]

ah ok *adds olive oil to the list* thanks