Cage Cleaning

[MyzarandGemma]

Hello all, I am unsure if this goes here, so feel free to move it if need be.

I have been searching the forums and it looks like people clean cages a lot more frequently with young chins and start tapering off as they get older? Some say once every two weeks they really get in there, otherwise they just wipe it down daily and sanitise. Most use a 50/50 vinegar and water mixture.

My questions:

1. Does the above sound right?
2. I am hopefully getting two ten week old kits, should I clean like a mad person every day?
3. When can I cut down or should I always deep-clean every day?
4. How should I go about cleaning the cage (I have metal Bass pans)?
5. What products are kit-safe?
6. Is there a nicer smelling alternative to vinegar?
7. Can I use Clorox wipes?
8. I have fleece liners, is powdered Tide ok with a little Oxiclean?
9. And finally, if I am to leave the pans to dry in the bathroom after deep-cleaning, should I just take it one level at a time and keep the chins in the other level? (I Have a FN 182)

Sorry if this is all redundant, I just wanted to make 100% sure I was going to do the right thing by my chins. Also, there is so much information saying so many things that I wanted to make sure I had gleaned the correct stuff.

 

[Shooper]

I use Tide to wash my liners and I've never had a problem. Fabric softener will make them NOT absorbent.
As far as cleaning goes...I say each case is different and depends on how dirty the cage is. If it needs cleaned, I clean it. My boys use a litter box which probably cuts back on cleaning. I pick out sticks and hay each night and vaccum poo when needed. I wash my liners about once a week.
I use dish water with Dawn to clean my Bass pans and then towel dry.
I let my chin roam in a designated area (playpen) while I'm doing a major cleaning. Hope this helps!

 

[halfstache]

I have fleece liners in most of my cages, and they get washed twice a week on a quick wash and quick dry cycles. I use tide as well. Other than that I only scrub the trays and/or main body of the cages when they appear to need it. When I clean the cages I only use plain hot water and some elbow grease. I suppose you could use some sort of detergent or whatever but I've never felt the need for it. All the wood in the cages can be sanded down whenever they start looking gunky, which usually doesn't take too terribly long, especially the spots where they sit frequently. The one thing I would suggest to avoid doing is getting water into the holes where the locking mechanism enters the bars of the cage. It can be tough to get the water out if it gets in there, and then rust may start to develop. If you find the need to pull the whole cage outside and hose it off for any reason, take the time to run some tape over the holes in the main bars first.

 

[Cuddlebug]

Liners need changed every couple of days unless they are peeing in a potty pan. Poos should be wiped from the shelves at least once a day and vacuumed out of the bans daily. You can clean the pans and shelves with peroxide. It is totally safe since it turns into water when exposed to the air. Clorox wipes leave a residue so I would not use them. As far as cleaning less as they get older, no. Bigger chins make more poo and pee. Therefore, cleaning less often makes absolutely no sense what so ever. And yes, You can put them in one half while you clean the other.