Chin dust and fuzz build up?

[AZChins]

The thread about the bedbugs got me thinking about this.

A little background. I have all my chins in my house in three bedrooms, there are usually between about 240 and 260 chins here. Everyone is dusted twice a week, and I clean the cages and thoroughly vacuum all the fuzz and dust off of all surfaces each and every tuesday and friday.

This past tuesday I was on the phone with a customer and decided that the room looked pretty good without going over the outside of the cages, racks and everything else with the shop vac to get all the fuzz and dust off. Friday rolled around and I cannot tell you how much fuzz was stuck to everything...it was like 10 times what normally is there on a regular cleaning day. On Sundays I do the same to bridge the gap between cage cleaning days. If I didn't vacuum everything and wipe down the walls and doors, it would be really bad in there in just four days or so. Granted, it's the herd's time to make much more fuzz than usual...still, it would get bad other times of the year if I let it.

My question is to people that have maybe just a few chins: How long until you get dust and fuzz build up in your house or around the cage? Do you actively have to clean up to make sure that you don't get it or does just regular house cleaning do the job?

This information could be helpful so that I know what to tell customers. It's been so long since I have had only a couple cages of chins...I don't remember what it was like! I remember the dust and fuzz not being any problem for some reason...but I could be remembering incorrectly.

 

[caiti]

I have a single chin. It's really only a problem if I let her out in my room after she has just dusted or of I have my nightstand near her cage so when she shakes or bounces around in her cage the dust flies out from her cage onto whatever surface is near. I never really see her fur anywhere but I've only had her for 6 months and am not sure when they shed or how much.

I have found dust in every inch of my room somehow. I used to let her dust in the middle of playtime but now I never do and have moved my nightstand because it was just caked in dust.

 

[ticklechin]

I have to wipe down surfaces in the house once a week and since the house is all hardwood floors I sweep the entire house once a week also. Their room gets sweeped daily alond with the family room where they play, the playpens get cleaned once a week. Fur just gets everywhere, little fur tumble weeds confound me, they turn up even with the sweeping.

 

[kimbt622]

I agree with Dawn, I have to clean up the surfaces atleast once a week. I usually let atleast a couple of my boys dust outside of their cage during playtime and the dust gets everywhere! If i leave it for more than a week, everything is caked in dust. As for fur, its not that bad here. I find a couple balls of fur usually in the morning but i just pick it up and throw it out. Not nearly as bad as the dust!

 

[AZChins]

When I move a bookcase or other furniture to clean behind it a sheet of chin fur always falls down. I try to get behind everything every six months or so but still there is so much fuzz that drifts into rooms that do do have chins in them.

It seems like once fur has taken hold on something it then works as a magnet for more fur. The ball of fuzz will grow in strange ways.

At least with the chins we're keeping the company that makes Swiffers and all the vacuum companies in business, right?

I've been wondering how the chin fur makes little tumbleweeds all the way in the kitchen. I have to get on my hands and knees every few days and get the floor defuzzed. Anyone one place I miss will grow more chin fuzz.

I guess it's a never ending battle against the fuzz, dust and crumblies. But, hey, at least we always have something to do!

 

[cindyv3737]

I clean daily. I'm a little OCD about it.

 

[starleomach]

after even a few days there is fuzz everywhere

 

[mommyslittlechins2010]

same here i find dust all ove . they dust when thier out playing but fur i have one that is shedding . but not all that much and i clean every two to three days when the cage is due to get cleaned

 

[kdr13]

I have 2 chins and a dwarf rabbit. I clean every day and there is STILL dust that I can find! Right now I'm going especially crazy b/c my rabbit is molting right now but I find the dust/fur/fuzz EVERYWHERE (and poops as well). If I don't clean daily it gets so bad it takes me hours to clean!

 

[itsangelaaa]

I only have one chin right now, but I vacuum around the cage every day. I dont really mind a bit of dust and chinchilla fur "tumbleweeds" but since I still live with my family and share the space with everyone, I try to keep it spotless. Usually when I miss a day or two in between it still isn't that bad though. But again, I only have one fuzzbutt.. )

 

[Stackie]

With my 7 boys in my dining room of my one bedroom apartment, paired with all black furniture, I'm wiping things down at least once a day..usually twice. There's always fur flying around and stuck to something.

 

[Sesame]

I live in a carpeted apartment and have pretty bad allergies, so I spot clean and dust my chin's cage every night during playtime (every day she gets playtime), vacuum after playtime, and dust the room every few days. I only have one chin, but if I don't clean on a daily basis, my allergies will drive me crazy.

 

[Riven]

My girls in the house ( 3 in one cage, 4 in the other ) "fuzz" their cage weekly.

 

[6Dusters]

I can't believe my eyes when I look around in the chin room and see the "fuzz." I could swear I got it with the vacuum just the other day. I run an air machine in the chin room and have gone as far as to put filters on the OUTSIDE of the air conditioning intake. And still I see tumble fur.
Note: I go through a 3M filter once a month! And the air machine face has to be wiped off almost daily.
I try to once a month wipe down the room with Murphys Oil Soap. The cages are a nightmare. I try and hit them with the vacuum with the soft attachment. And don't get me started on chin hair on my black clothing. You would swear I slaughter animals somewhere in my home. ( rolls eyes )
With three cats and 18 chins in the house it is a challange.

 

[Sugarised]

i have one seriously messy chin! I went on holiday for a week, leaving my sister with my chin. As he is a devil to catch (only had him since june) she didn't let him out for fears of losing him/him chewing up the house etc, he's only really used to me at present.
so. 7 days, one cage....He dustbaths every other day, so there was a bit of dust around the cage (she swept up the obvious bits). Poo: I swear he flicks it out his cage! I find bits on my bed where he's aimed at me sometimes! She had to sweep up stray poo 3 out of the 7 days....
So i returned, my room had an interesting aroma (not my chinny, i have ratties too, they also initially had clean cages before i left) so i opened a window, and got to cleaning all my boys out...
THE MESS!? There was poo EVERYWHERE behind the cage, and chinny dust wedged by the wall and the skirting....but i clean the cages and go to the shed to get the fresh hay. As i looked towards my room you could see the cloud of chin-fur, and i was covered, and there were clumps on the cage. I ended up placing them in a different room and my mum had to fumigate the room with hoovers, both patio doors open, dusting! One week, one lil chin!

how you clean that many i have no idea!!