Cleaning Help? :)

[bakingpotatoes]

Hey there! I have two chinchillas, Talulah and Mochi, and I love them so so much But they are MESSSYYYYY. I'm very busy and struggle with mental health, and sometimes that makes it hard for me to keep up with cleaning for them very often. My biggest struggle is the poop going all over my room. And the fur/dust that just kind of sticks to EVERYTHING. Plus the hay is always going everywhere, and that's not good for the vacuum. I would just love any tips on those, or anything else that has made y'all's lives easier, because I want the best for my girls ) Thank you!!
- Morgan <33

 

[user 17862]

Heyo! Sadly them pooping and throwing stuff everywhere is part of the package - BUT ive seen people talk a lot about poop guards! little wooden ledges on the outside of platforms or wooden/metal planks that attach all around the outside of the cage to stop all the bedding and hay getting thrown around.

As for hay - I found a good old-fashioned broom works a lot nicer than vacuuming, i have one right next to my cage and i just quickly swoop it up (or at least to the side where i wont step in it and drag it through the entire apartment) whenever i notice it!

I don't really have any suggestions for the fur, but for the dust you could try a semi-closed sandbox - it still doesn't prevent the sand from sticking to your chinchilla and dragging some around but it limits the amount that goes flying about when they roll around in it! I have a wooden dig-box made for bunnies in my cage, its has a lid with two large holes for climbing in and out but its closed enough that most of the sand stays inside.

Maybe some of this helps, wishing you best of luck with your cuties! (Those speckled ears are adorable!)

 

[Amethyst]

I would invest in or make some scatter guards like mentioned, they don't seem to eliminate the poop and hay from being thrown everywhere but it can cut the amount down. The cheapest way is to just weave fleece between the cage bars near the bottom, but wood or metal last longer and are easier, but do cost more.

I also keep a broom by the cage so I can sweep up around the cage. Depending on the cage you have, if you are really busy and just want to make it look nice quickly you can even just sweep the hay and poop under the cage and then sweep it up later when you have time, at least that way you aren't walking through it and spreading it around the room. I also use a shop vac instead of a regular vacuum, no worry about it getting clogged or the hay and sticks being hard on it and burning out a motor.

For the dust bath I just take him to another room for it, rather then putting the dust bath in the cage for bath time. Once he is done I take him back to the cage, and less dust ends up all over the cage and in the room. Also I use a gallon jar for the bath so the dust is a bit more contained. For the most part the fur should be shed out during the baths, but if your chins need a little help you can try brushing or combing them before the dust bath to help loosen the fur and get some of it out before the bath. A soft bristle brush works well if the fur isn't matted and just shedding, and some chins really seem to enjoy it.

 

[Jawramik]

I feel your pain! (I think most of us here do, haha.)

What sort of flooring do you have? My chin's cage is on hardwood, which makes it easy to just sweep up the mess. I sweep around the front of the cage daily, and then wheel it forward when I clean the cage so I can sweep behind it once a week. If you have carpet, you could try to get some large plastic floor mats to put under the cage, which would make it easier to just sweep things up without having to use the vacuum.

As for the dust....I just put the dust bath in th cage for a few minutes right before I clean it, and then the dust gets cleaned up with everything else. You shouldn't be leaving the dust bath in th cage all the time anyway, and unless you live in a very humid climate, chins only need to bathe once or twice a week.

The fleece poop guards that Amethyst suggested also help quite a bit! They don't eliminate the mess, but they do reduce the amount of stuff that gets kicked out and help make it a bit more manageable.

 

[bakingpotatoes]

Heyo! Sadly them pooping and throwing stuff everywhere is part of the package - BUT ive seen people talk a lot about poop guards! little wooden ledges on the outside of platforms or wooden/metal planks that attach all around the outside of the cage to stop all the bedding and hay getting thrown around.

As for hay - I found a good old-fashioned broom works a lot nicer than vacuuming, i have one right next to my cage and i just quickly swoop it up (or at least to the side where i wont step in it and drag it through the entire apartment) whenever i notice it!

I don't really have any suggestions for the fur, but for the dust you could try a semi-closed sandbox - it still doesn't prevent the sand from sticking to your chinchilla and dragging some around but it limits the amount that goes flying about when they roll around in it! I have a wooden dig-box made for bunnies in my cage, its has a lid with two large holes for climbing in and out but its closed enough that most of the sand stays inside.

Maybe some of this helps, wishing you best of luck with your cuties! (Those speckled ears are adorable!)

i'm so sorry, in true adhd fashion i completely forgot about this post for the last 6 months thank you for all the suggestions, and talulah thanks you for the compliment on her ears lol!

 

[bakingpotatoes]

I would invest in or make some scatter guards like mentioned, they don't seem to eliminate the poop and hay from being thrown everywhere but it can cut the amount down. The cheapest way is to just weave fleece between the cage bars near the bottom, but wood or metal last longer and are easier, but do cost more.

I also keep a broom by the cage so I can sweep up around the cage. Depending on the cage you have, if you are really busy and just want to make it look nice quickly you can even just sweep the hay and poop under the cage and then sweep it up later when you have time, at least that way you aren't walking through it and spreading it around the room. I also use a shop vac instead of a regular vacuum, no worry about it getting clogged or the hay and sticks being hard on it and burning out a motor.

For the dust bath I just take him to another room for it, rather then putting the dust bath in the cage for bath time. Once he is done I take him back to the cage, and less dust ends up all over the cage and in the room. Also I use a gallon jar for the bath so the dust is a bit more contained. For the most part the fur should be shed out during the baths, but if your chins need a little help you can try brushing or combing them before the dust bath to help loosen the fur and get some of it out before the bath. A soft bristle brush works well if the fur isn't matted and just shedding, and some chins really seem to enjoy it.

i completely forgot about this post until just today i'm so sorry thank you so much for the advice though, it's very helpful! <3

 

[bakingpotatoes]

I feel your pain! (I think most of us here do, haha.)

What sort of flooring do you have? My chin's cage is on hardwood, which makes it easy to just sweep up the mess. I sweep around the front of the cage daily, and then wheel it forward when I clean the cage so I can sweep behind it once a week. If you have carpet, you could try to get some large plastic floor mats to put under the cage, which would make it easier to just sweep things up without having to use the vacuum.

As for the dust....I just put the dust bath in th cage for a few minutes right before I clean it, and then the dust gets cleaned up with everything else. You shouldn't be leaving the dust bath in th cage all the time anyway, and unless you live in a very humid climate, chins only need to bathe once or twice a week.

The fleece poop guards that Amethyst suggested also help quite a bit! They don't eliminate the mess, but they do reduce the amount of stuff that gets kicked out and help make it a bit more manageable.

i'm so sorry i completely forgot about writing this thread haha! i do have carpet so that's a pain in the butt, but that's a great idea with a plastic mat! like maybe the ones for desk chairs or something. because i'm currently using the biggest shoe mat i could find, and it's not even close to big enough hahah, it's barely the size of the cage. thank you for the advice!! <3

 

[borwin98]

i'm so sorry i completely forgot about writing this thread haha! i do have carpet so that's a pain in the butt, but that's a great idea with a plastic mat! like maybe the ones for desk chairs or something. because i'm currently using the biggest shoe mat i could find, and it's not even close to big enough hahah, it's barely the size of the cage. thank you for the advice!! <3

You could try a drop sheet in front of the cage, cut to the size you want, then pick it up & slide the mess into the garbage