How do ya clean the crevices?

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virgo2882

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2008
Messages
54
Location
Illinois
I have a 3 Level FN Cage - cleaning the bars and in between the levels was hard enough with out mesh covering it but now i have hardware mesh over the entire cage, and the pee just keeps getting into every tiny crevice possible.
How do you guys clean that ENTIRE cage not just the pans and shelving?
Any suggestions...... All i can do it try my hardest with a toothbrush and spray bottle.....
Please help!
THankSS
 
I should say first of all that you don't want to overclean your cages. If you are constantly scrubbing and sanitizing within an inch of its life your rats will be unhappy. Remember they identify with smell, not vision or emotion.

However, the cages do need a good scrubbing once in a while. When mine are due for their big cleaning I take them out in the driveway and go at them with a high pressure hose and a scrub brush. Then I spray them with a non-toxic disinfectant and set them dry in the sun. My scrub brushes aren't fancy, I use whatever is at the dollar store that has a handle on it.
 
Taking it outside seems like the best way to do it, however the 3 level with the stand is impossible to get out of my room let alone my house.... do you guys take yours apart at all or does your cage fit easily throughout your house?
IF it comes down to it , even if its just twice or so a year I might have to completely disassemble it an clean it that way.... =(
 
I don't have an FN, but a Martin's cage, which is similar spacing to the hardware mesh anyhow. I use a big scrub brush like the one already mentioned. The tip is pointed enough that I can get into the corners fairly well..

While taking it outside and really hosing/scrubbing it down a couple times a year is a *very* good idea if not mandatory, between those you can still use the larger scrub brush and a vinegar/water mixture. Just spray it on the mesh, and scrub away. It should help maintain it between really scrubbing it.
 
I don't bring mine outside. It's a triple too and no way it's moving. lol I bring a bucket of water/vinegar/wee bit of dish soap and scrub with my brush. Rinse with the rag and voila, all done.
 
Though I don't see anything needing to be scrubbed (the actual walls I mean) of the FN, I should be doing it. What do you put under the cage to catch all the water? I've been pulling out the levels/toys/trays and scrubbing in the shower but I'm not moving that huge thing, lol.
 
I don't get any water splashing at all unless I'm too rough at the bucket and it's my own doing. My sister puts down a big towel in front of the cage and moves it to where she needs it.
 
I should say first of all that you don't want to overclean your cages. If you are constantly scrubbing and sanitizing within an inch of its life your rats will be unhappy. Remember they identify with smell, not vision or emotion.

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but this is exactly what I've been doing just because I find it so difficult to keep up with the odor that my hour boys produce. They pee on their levels and then lay in the pee, so they get dirty and the cage reeks! What can I do about this? I currently use vinegar/water to clean the levels, then wipe the levels off with a warm facecloth to get rid of any vinegar smell, but it gets smelly so quickly. :wallbang:

On another note, I've thought of doing a level and tray cleaning once a week, and then doing a total cage cleaning, scrubbing the bars and everything down once every two or so weeks. I hope this is a good plan.
 
Once a week I remove all of the hammocks and toys and place duct tape* on the ends of my cage and place it into the shower for a good scrubbing with dish washing detergent. I purchased dish/pot scrubbers that have a handle on them to use to scrub out the crevices. I have the plastic needle point canvass stuff on all of the floors of my cage. (Periodically, I replace it with new since my girls love to chew!) I rinse well and place it on a large towel in my hallway. After drying it with a towel, I put everything back together with fresh bedding and clean hammocks! Inbetween these weekly cleanings, I sweep the floors clean and wipe them down with a hot soapy cloth, followed with a fresh clean wet towel to give it a rinse. Water bottles and food bowls are washed and replenished DAILY. I am a stickler for that! All uneaten food that I've given my girls the following morning is removed from the cage. Also, there may be times that I will replace a hammock or two (I use several) when they become soiled a little more than usual. Once a week is just about right for my girls. It does depend if you have boys though..they can be smellier! And it also depends on how many rats in the cage..of course.
It can be hard at times, especially to life the Martins 695, but I use the handles that came with it. I just make sure everything is set up in the shower before I walk out of the rat room with the cage. (And I have to be sure I close the door so my cats stay out!)
*thanks for the idea Papercrow! It works great!
 
This is absolutely no help to you, but this is why I've stuck with cages I can put in the tub and use a shower hose on once a month (squeaky clean, totally rinsed), and used a dremel to make a passage between 2 cages when I had lots of kids...
 
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