Baking Soda and Cavies

**kznchik** · #1 05-05-06, 06:16 pm

I'm experimenting with new ways to minimize odors emanating from fleece bedding; I've been lightly sprinkling the more moist "bathroom areas" including their litter box and hay bin with baking soda. Does anyone know if this could be unhealthy in any way, as they could be inhaling or possibly ingesting small quantities of the stuff.

**BabyGrl** · #2 05-05-06, 08:07 pm

I don't really know but I have heard of people making "room deodorizers" out of half a lemon and baking soda.

**C&K** · #3 05-06-06, 02:01 am

I would recommend that you stop. This has been talked about before, the general concensus was that it would cause respiratory infections.

http://cavycages.com/forum/showthrea...ht=baking+soda

**muffin** · #4 05-06-06, 03:25 pm

Ditto. They can eat it or inhale it. It might cause stomach problems, might be poisonous. If you put half a lemon filled with bicarbonate of soda near the cage, this should take care of odours. You could put tea towels under the potty areas to be changed more frequently than the fleece, or try using vinegar in your wash?

**kznchik** · #5 05-07-06, 02:25 am

I'm currently using disposable puppy pads sandwiched between two layers of fleece (which I change weekly along with the fleece) as bedding. Vinegar in the wash does a satisfactory job eliminating the odors, but I'm really looking for odor control in between washings. I think I'll try babygrl1234 and muffin's suggestion with the lemon and baking soda; seems less of a health hazard than those heavily scented room fresheners. Thanks for the advice guys, I really appreciate it!

**muffin** · #6 05-07-06, 03:01 am

You're welcome.

**Piglet** · #7 05-07-06, 08:08 am

I asked this question a long time ago - if you know for sure that the pigs can't get access to it you can try sprinkling it beneath the puppy pads. I've never heard of the lemon thing though!

**muffin** · #8 05-07-06, 01:15 pm

Half a lemon, scoop out the insides, fill with bicarbonate of soda, and make sure it can't damage the surface you put it on. The bicarbonate of soda absorbs odour, and the lemon must smell good I guess. I haven't tried it yet, but it's supposed to be very good.

**Piggiemum** · #9 05-10-06, 09:40 am

I use puppy pads under my fleece that have baking soda deep inside them already. They are really cheap, comes in a pack of 32 brand name: OUT! Deluxe Puppy Housebreaking Pads. I find them at Walmart.

**kznchik** · #10 05-11-06, 12:39 am

I've been trying the half-a-lemon & baking soda trick for a few days now, and I must say that it 's doing a great job taming the cage odors. I liked it so much I even put one in the fridge. Thanks again for that suggestion!

**muffin** · #11 05-14-06, 01:45 pm

Yay! It's good to know it works. I must try it in my Mum's fridge, it stinks!

chisky · #12 05-19-06, 10:08 am

Why don't you just bleach the stuff?

**Percy's Mom** · #13 05-23-06, 08:30 am

Because bleach is toxic. If you severely dilute the bleach, clean the cage, and then rinse with very large quantities of water, it can be safe, but that's more work than is really needed. Get a spray bottle, fill it half with white vinegar and half with water, spray, clean, and let dry. The vinegar smell goes away quickly.

chisky · #14 05-24-06, 07:43 am

I thought this was about fleece smelling badly? Why can't it be washed in hot water and bleach?

If the fleece smells because there is so much urine shouldn't it be changed?
Covering the smell works for you, but if guinea pigs have a better sense of smell and I'm guessing they do since they use it to mark territory like male soccer players, then wouldn't the smell bother them also?

It just seems that if you have so many pigs in a cage that the smell is that bad so quickly, it will be unhealthy, and damp for the pigs.

Maybe the bedding needs to be changed more frequently in some cases.

As for bleach being toxic, that is the idea of cleaning the cage. It should be cleaned well to get rid of mold and germs. Vinegar won't do it. If you fear the toxicity of the bleach then you should make sure you wash it out well. Be assured the bleach will evaporate after awhile, so if you use very hot water and set it to air dry it will be safe.

I have done this with fish tanks, and when I bred birds and with my lizards.
It is ok.

**Percy's Mom** · #15 05-24-06, 08:15 am

My apologies chisky. My brain was obviously elsewhere and I needed to read the beginning of the thread again where it was talking about the fleece. When I read your question about bleach, I automatically went to cleaning the coroplast.

Quote:

Originally Posted by chisky

As for bleach being toxic, that is the idea of cleaning the cage. It should be cleaned well to get rid of mold and germs. Vinegar won't do it. If you fear the toxicity of the bleach then you should make sure you wash it out well. Be assured the bleach will evaporate after awhile, so if you use very hot water and set it to air dry it will be safe.

As far as this goes, yes, if a cage is SO dirty as to have molded, bleach is probably a good idea. And yes, use a lot of hot water to rinse with. What I was mainly talking about is normal average everyday cleaning, in which a vinegar/water mix does a wonderful job. In fact, with 7 animals in the house, this is what I use for most of my every day cleaning just in case something doesn't get totally rinsed, or an inquisitive little nose gets where it shouldn't. Totally non-toxic. For bad stains on the coroplast, you can use straight white vinegar as well and rinse that. It takes a bit longer for the smell to fade away, but it is still non-toxic, and the acid in the vinegar does a great job to dissolve most stains.

chisky · #16 05-24-06, 01:44 pm

Yes, I use vinegar a lot for general cleaning. I just like to do a really good job once a month or so. It was a real problem with the birds. Compared to birds pigs are a walk in the park.

**Trixie-1406** · #17 06-07-06, 07:46 am

I have been using the vinegar and water mix, and the baking soda. (Under the bedding, papers, and fleece.) It works just fine.

PigsRUs · #18 06-08-06, 08:22 am

okay so I have been doing this all wrong and basically exhausting myself. I have six piggies. We built them a condo but because the males outweigh the females I have to seperate them. I now have four males and two females and five cages. I have put baling soda, then cardboard then litter on their bathroom areas. The litter I have tried has ranged from recycled paper which Tae got an upper respitory infection from he is fine now. Hay, which my daughter is allergic to (they eat alfalfa instead), pine which my husband is allergic to, corn which the piggies threw at me cause it hurt their feet (mine too) orange peels that lasted maybe two days and now I am using reptile litter which is crushed walnut shells. It is so expensive and uck is the best word to describe this new situation. What is this fleece thing going on and what is this puppy pad and what am I doing wrong do I buy sheets of fleece, is this expensive, do you wash it or do you buy new is this going to cost me too much with all my pigges...someone help me please...we have a horrific odor, the piggies are miserable and my arms hurt from cleaning all the cages so often...I want everyone, warm, comfy, clean and odorless...is there a pig lover out there that can help me, please

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