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Post by degulover21 on May 2, 2021 10:33:56 GMT
So I’ve been using cage wipes etc for the degus and I’ve noticed it not removing the stains. And yesterday I noticed a corner on there cage as build up, stained yellow/white pee and smelling. Is there everything I can use that will removed the stains and the bulid up. I heard white vinegar is supposed to be good but is it safe for the Degus. also what cloths should I use?
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Post by teemu on May 2, 2021 11:56:13 GMT
Is the cage solid? I assume so from the fact that stains accumulate on it. Is it wood or metal or something else? I've seen at least some products in my local petstore that are nontoxic and safe for animals that are specifically designed to remove stains like that, but I'm not sure how easily they're available everywhere.
As for the vinegar, I don't think it would be harmful, it's not toxic in any way (at least I don't think so?) and you can clean it off the surface in any case. The degus might get intrested in it though, since it will likely leave a smell on the surface, so if it's a wood surface that might make them gnaw on it more. If it's metal, then you can easily get it out afterwards in any case.
As for cloths, are you asking about what to use in cleaning, or what to use in the cage as nesting material/surface covering? If you're asking about cleaning, you can use whatever will be effective, since you'll remove it afterwards anyway. The only thing I would maybe avoid would be something like those spongy wipes, since from experience I can tell you that if you use them on something rough, it can easily cause small pieces of it to be torn off and it's easy to miss some of them dropping in the cage (which would be bad since the degus might eat them). But in general, as long as you make sure that everything gets cleaned out after using them, it doesn't matter from the degus's perspective what cloth you use for cleaning. The only thing you should probably avoid is some sort of a wipe that already has chemicals in it, since many of those are toxic for animals. Although if it's specifically meant for cage cleaning (or noted to be safe for animals) then it's probably fine.
As for nest material, something like cotton with nontoxic dyes would be good, because they might chew on it, and synthetic cloth can cause intestinal blockages if they eat it.
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Post by degulover21 on May 2, 2021 12:27:49 GMT
I’m dropping by pets at home later so I’ll ask them and I’ll put some white vinegar up and there cages are metal.  |
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Post by teemu on May 2, 2021 13:17:16 GMT
If the cage is metal, then you should be fine to use almost anything (within reasonable limits of course! It's always possible that some residue is left on surfaces), since it should clean off of metal just fine. Vinegar will be easy to clean off afterwards, so I don't see any problems with using it. Just make sure to wipe it away with a wet cloth of some sort afterwards.
I've also used mild dish soap to clean surfaces, since that has to be nontoxic for consumption (at least here), since it's used by default to clean things that come into contact with the mouth. It probably won't get bad stains off and if you use too much it's annoying to clean since it foams, but a bit mixed into water is a good basic cleaner if you have nothing else available.
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Post by moletteuk on May 2, 2021 17:11:09 GMT
Cleaner in a spray from PAH. Use water with spray and a pan scrubber, and rinse everything off with a damp cloth.
I think vinegar will make a metal cage rust more quickly, although it does clean quite well if nothing else will shift the buildup, just make sure you rinse it off well.
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Post by Xellie on May 3, 2021 6:29:57 GMT
I use the clean and safe spray from PAH, and a jay cloth.
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Post by degulover21 on May 5, 2021 14:13:08 GMT
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Post by teemu on May 5, 2021 14:51:27 GMT
The first product doesn't seem to be a cage cleaning product exactly. It says " Cage Fresh Granules 600gm by Beaphar contain friendly microbes that neutralise the odours in urine that cause that characteristically unpleasant hutch and cage smell. For best results, simply sprinkle under the bedding in a freshly cleaned hutch or cage."
So I think what it is is some sort of an... air freshener type thing you put on the bottom of the cage before putting the bedding in, and it neutralizes the smell of urine that gets into the bedding? I don't know if it binds the urine or what, but I guess it's meant to just sit on the bottom. I've never seen a product like that, and I'm not sure if it's safe if eaten (which is always a risk since degus like digging around and could be very intrested in strange new pellets they find buried in their bedding). It does contain silica, which is a desiccant, and that can cause health issues if eaten (not actually toxic, but it will suck out moisture and cause intestinal issues). I would recommend seeing if people on the internet have shared their experiences about them before actually trying them out. In any case, it seems to be more of a comfort product than actually cleaning, since it says it just neutralises the smell, no that it actually removes urine vapors and so on.
As for the spray and wipes, that all seems ok. When you're cleaning the cage and the degus aren't in, just use the spray on problem areas, then wipe away with a wet cloth. You might need to scrub quite a bit if there's buildup.
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Post by Xellie on May 5, 2021 15:44:45 GMT
I personally wouldn't use the granules, they rely on their urine smells to determine who owns what in the group and who belong tho them etc, and neutralizing those could cause upsets and fights.
For the spray, I spray it on to the cloth and scrub if there's a bad area. For general cleaning, just brush out any loose debris, then spray it and wipe down. Leave to dry before the goos get back in.
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Post by degulover21 on Mar 11, 2022 16:20:19 GMT
Can I use mircofibre cloths to clean the clean with and then wash them cos it’s costing to much to keep buying cloths etc
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Post by deguconvert on Mar 11, 2022 21:12:08 GMT
Degulover21 . . . can you state your question again? I am not sure I get what you are asking.
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Post by degulover21 on Mar 12, 2022 3:59:22 GMT
Degulover21 . . . can you state your question again? I am not sure I get what you are asking. omg I didn’t realize what I put 🤦🏻♀️ What I meant was can I use microfibre cloths to clean the girls cage with? And them after put them in the washer to reuse again? |
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Post by deguconvert on Mar 12, 2022 8:15:29 GMT
I would absolutely think that microfiber can be used to clean the cage with! It should do a great job!
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Post by degulover21 on Mar 12, 2022 9:44:26 GMT
I would absolutely think that microfiber can be used to clean the cage with! It should do a great job! thank you I’ll use them today I got 4 for £1.50 in Aldi , can I use them straight out the packet or shall I wash them First:) |
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Post by bouncy on Mar 12, 2022 12:04:52 GMT
Just rinse them first.
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Post by degulover21 on Mar 12, 2022 13:52:54 GMT
erm I didn’t I just used them with there pet antibacterial spray |
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