How to clean wooden shelves safely?

[Skippy]

I have been looking all over here to see the best way to clean the wooden shelves in the cage. Up until now, I only ever scrubbed them with hot water. But I want to make sure I am getting out any potential germs.

I have read in some places that people use a 50/50 water/vinegar mix. Is this use on the wood or just on the metal parts of the cage? If it is used on the wood, does it not leave an odour when you are done becuase the vinegar has soaked into the wood?

Others have stated that they use a water/bleach mix. Again, is bleach safe for chins and what is the ratio of the mix? Also, is this used on the wood or just on the metal parts? Like before, would it leave an odour when you are finished?

Also, others have stated that you can boil and bake the wood. Am I missing the obvious or how on earth do you fit long wood shelves into a pan to boil them and again in the oven to bake them :hmm:

And one final question - What do you do with your chins while you are doing all this scrubbing and waiting for them to dry? You can't leave them in the cage with no shelves because they might hurt themselves. I have a pet carrier I use to bring her to the vet but it is made of plastic so I would not put her in that for any long period of time or we all know what she will be up to :woolie: (I know this smilie has nothing to do with what I am talking about but I just thought he was super cute!!)

Any thoughts on this would be great?

 

[InkedupTara]

If I am taking them out, I spray with vinegar, wait a minute or two and rinse well with hot water. If there are pee stains, I put peroxide on the spot, before anything else, and then rinse well with hot water.

I ususally just have my chins in the carrier, they will get over it, but I dont see why the chin cant just be in the cage, I left Fuzzy in his, he had nothing to jump on, but that is because all his shelves were wood and came out.

You could also just take them out and sand them if they are not urine soaked.

 

[mishellyshel]

only one of my boys pees on his wooden shelves and that is because he is handfed and pees A LOT. since i cant take the shelves out, i have to clean them when he is in there OR when he is in the bathroom which is chin proof.
as soon as i notice pee, i use the peroxide to wipe it up, he doesnt bother with it when he is in there. i also use a light grade sand paper to sand down where he habitually pees. i also use fleece shelf liners on some of the shelves so it cuts down a bit on the staining but my shelves run the length of the cage.
also keep in mind i am very neurotic about keeping their cages clean since they are in my living room, so i literally wipe down and clean their cages at a minimum of 3 times a day (at each feeding). this helps with the urine sitting too long.

 

[tunes]

White vinegar and warm water are fine for cleaning the shelves. You don't have to remove them to use it, just scrub them down and let them dry. It's not going to hurt him if he should decide to give them a chew while they are drying and you shouldn't need to get them soaking wet, so the a tiny bit of damp won't hurt him either.

If they are stained and you can't get it out, pull the shelves out of the cage and sand them down with sandpaper.

I would never use bleach on wood products unless you could be absolutely 100% sure they were thoroughly rinsed and then completely dried. Vinegar is much safer.

If you remove the shelves, you can leave him in his cage while it dries. How is he going to get hurt? If there are no shelves at all, it's not like he's going to get to the top and then fall. He'll most likely just hang around the bottom until the shelves are back in.

 

[yummychinchillatoys.com]

i use hydrogen peroxide to clean my shelves. poor a little on the pee spots and let it sit for a few minutes. it will bubble. then just wipe it off. It works great...

 

[Sesame]

I also use the vinegar/water mix to clean all parts of the cage. I also sand it down a bit if it seems to be getting rough on the edges.

 

[3CsMommy]

Peroxide on the dark pee spots, vinegar water on the whole thing, but I also flip the shelf when I put it back in damp. They wear more evenly, get chewed more evenly, and I don't have to worry about the chin getting wet or deciding to remark the same places I just cleaned.

The boil and bake stuff you've read is for wood taken off of unsprayed safe trees to be used as chew toys. Ex: The apple tree my dad's neighbor took down yielded me several pounds of thin twigs that Crash loves. After 30 min. in the big pasta pot full of boiling water and about 45 min. in the oven @ 250* F, they were crunchy and ready for chewing.

 

[Linda]

i literally wipe down and clean their cages at a minimum of 3 times a day (at each feeding). this helps with the urine sitting too long.

What do you feed three times a day? Mine get PANR pellets and hay, and I can't imagine feeding those more than once a day.
Linda

 

[Dustbunnies]

What do you feed three times a day? Mine get PANR pellets and hay, and I can't imagine feeding those more than once a day.
Linda

She had feeds him, he has malo. Probably Critical Care or Pellet mush


Also, I wouldn't recommend taking shelves in an out with him in the cage, you could drop on on him trying to get it back in.....maybe that is paranoia, but better safe than sorry. I would put him in a carrier if you were actually removing the shelves (but he could be in the cage while it doesn't have shelves).

 

[Skippy]

Thanks for your input everybody.

I was just curious about the vinegar. I can get all the pee stains off fine with hot water alone. But I was just wondering, is the vinegar a natural disinfectant and does it kill germs more readily than water alone or is it just purely the fact that it works better on stubborn stains?

What is the best thing to use to kill germs, like if they have giardia or something?

Thanks again