How to Clean a Guinea Pig Cage

In order for a guinea pig to remain healthy and happy, its cage must be cleaned on a regular basis. Depending on the size of the cage, cleaning should occur at least every one to two weeks.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• Dustpan
• Vacuum cleaner
• Large trash bag
• Washing machine/dryer (if using fleece)
• 1/2 cup vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• Plastic spray bottle
• Sponge
• Paper towels
• Old newspapers
• Wood shavings or paper bedding product
• Clean, dry fleece (for fleece bedding)
• Towels, mattress pads or puppy pads (for fleece bedding)
• Binder clips or bricks (fpr fleece bedding)
• Fresh, timothy-based hay

Remove Old Bedding

1. Remove guinea pigs, igloos, food dishes, toys and anything else from the cage. Unhook water bottles and set aside. Clear out hay rack.
2. If you use disposable bedding in the cage, use the dustpan to scoop out old bedding and transfer it to the trash bag. When the cage is empty, use the hose attachment on the vacuum cleaner to get any stray bits of shavings still in the cage.
3. If you use fleece bedding in the cage, gather the fleece and toss it in the washing machine.

Clean the Floor of the Cage

4. Combine vinegar and water in the spray bottle.
5. Spray the floor of the cage liberally with the water/vinegar solution. Guinea pig urine is a base (and can have an ammonia-like odor), and the acid in the vinegar acts as a neutralizer for the odor.
6. Wipe the cage down with a damp sponge. Dry completely with a paper towel.

Add New Bedding

7. Line the cage with one to two layers of newspaper. If using disposable bedding, add two to three inches of shavings. Use the dustpan to spread it evenly throughout the cage and to pack it down so that the guinea pigs have a level floor to walk on.
8. If using fleece bedding, stack two to three layers of towels, mattress pads or puppy pads over the newspaper. These layers will catch the guinea pigs' urine after it soaks through the fleece. Lay the fleece on top and secure it with binder clips or bricks.
9. Replace igloos, toys and food dishes. Reattach the water bottles and fill the hay rack with fresh hay. Place guinea pigs back in the cage and watch them explore their freshly cleaned surroundings.

Tips & Warnings

• Some talented guinea pig owners manage to use newspaper to roll up the used bedding. If you can make this work for you, the cage cleaning will be much less time-consuming.
• If using fleece, you'll need to spot-clean (pick up droppings0 daily, but the weekly cage cleaning will be much less time-consuming.
• If you use disposable bedding and allergies are an issue, take the cage outside to clean or wear a surgical mask to keep the dust out.
• Use bleach to remove stubborn stains on the floor of the cage.
• When buying disposable bedding, please stick to absorbent paper products, such as Carefresh or Yesterday's News, aspen wood shavings or kiln-dried pine. Sawdust and other wood shavings, such as regular pine, cedar or corncob, can cause respiratory infections in guinea pigs that could kill them.