Cleaning How To Clean C&C Cage?

I use kiln-dried pine shavings so when I do a deep cleaning of the cage, I dump out all the litter and spray the coroplast with a 50% vinegar solution and let it soak for a few minutes. Then just wipe it all down. All the while, the guinea pigs are running around in the kitchen for floor time, which is quite enjoyable for everyone :3 Daily spot cleaning is really easy too - I just scoop out the area that has all the waste hay since that's where most of the soiled litter is going to be anyway. Then toss and scoot the rest of the shavings toward that area to even it out and add fresh shavings. Personally, I like the shavings because the poops get mixed in so you don't see them everywhere all the time. It's also much easier for me since my laundry machines aren't the best and I don't like doing laundry Recommended frequency for deep cleaning is once a week and spot cleaning is 1-2 times a day, depending on the type of bedding.

From what I've heard of other peoples' experiences, a small cage with newspaper lining gets really stinky really fast. There are other bedding options such as fleece, wood pellets, or kiln-dried shavings. Or any combination of those~ It'll help cut down on odors a lot. If you can find a feed store you can get shavings (and probably wood pellets too) in giant packages for fairly cheap, since a lot of people use them for horses. Fleece can be cheap if you get the ones on sale. If you're not sew-savvy, you can buy fleece bedding on many websites, including here :]

I scoop the soiled carefresh out of the chloroplast base with a dustpan (I bought and only use for that purpose) into a large trash bag. Then I use a hand vacuum to suck up any dust or poo I can't scoop. I spray the whole thing with 50/50 vinegar and water, let is sit for awhile, and then wipe it all out with paper towels. Once it's dry I refill with clean carefresh. I think this would work with most bedding types (carefresh is expensive), except you can't scoop out fleece and can just vacuum that, take it out, spray with vinegar/water, etc.

I think there are two things to consider - the pigs and the person who has to do the cleaning.

I use fleece. I have a 2x4 c&c for two girls. They use the litter box 80% of the time, so I spot clean daily and do a full cleaning weekly. I had carefrhesh but it flew out of the cage and all over the floor when they ran around. They whip around so fast I think they are going to hurt themselves. Another consideration is that they don't burrow, so it's easy to keep the fleece in place.

I'm the primary cleaner and I have access to laundry facilities whenever I need to wash the fleece. I also have a back yard to shake out the fleece periodically. And I can sew. Not well but good enough for guinea pigs. That means I could make most of the stuff myself and customize what I needed.

I think the best advice is prepare to be flexable to get the best results, whichever option you choose. You won't know how your piggies will use the new cage space, or how it will work for you until you actually start using it.

@kanojochan in my experience the newspaper helps ALOT with the smell. I hadnt heard of anyone elses experiences but my whole family noticed when i started using newspaper bc our house didnt smell like pig anymore! Lol
and i do have full access to washer and dryer at any time but im not good at sewing and i dont have anywhere to flap out the fleece. I think the dustpan idea is sooo simple and easy, i think ill go with that. My piggies dont do much so i think bedding will be fine. A C&C cage does seem so much easier, i thought everyone was exaggerating. Do i ever have to change the coroplast though? Could i also put newspaper in the cage? Under the bedding. Although im not the one who pays for anything, i am the one who calls the shots on what they need/want/like.

The coroplast doesn't need to be changed out unless it gets damaged. It's a resilient material though, so you shouldn't need to replace it often.

You could use newspaper under the bedding if you want. I don't know that many people use it, though. It really depends on the type of bedding you use and what works for you. :]

Most people think peed-on newspaper makes the smell much worse rather than better.

Maybe my whole families noses are just weird then lol but nobody comes to our house anyway so its not a big deal.

This isnt on the topic of cleaning the cage but about the grids. Would it be worth it to buy a cover from this site? Im planning to get a 2x5 for my two piggies and then keep my third pig in his already existing cage and put his cage above the 2x5 but it just worries me since the cages can be pretty heavy and i dont want a cover caving in. If i make the cover with other grids i buy in-store and make them tight enough with zip ties would it still be safe or should i get a actual cover?

Krystaleb97 said:

This isnt on the topic of cleaning the cage but about the grids. Would it be worth it to buy a cover from this site? Im planning to get a 2x5 for my two piggies and then keep my third pig in his already existing cage and put his cage above the 2x5 but it just worries me since the cages can be pretty heavy and i dont want a cover caving in. If i make the cover with other grids i buy in-store and make them tight enough with zip ties would it still be safe or should i get a actual cover?

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Wire closet shelving works great for a cover, and it's cheaper and easier than the ones from the cages store (plus it's more aesthetically pleasing, IMO).

Where could I get it? Bed bath and beyond? Ive never seen wire shelving

You buy at it home improvement stores like Home Depot, Lowe's, etc. It looks like this as a cage lid:

Oh cool, that does look so much better. Cute! Im going to home depot this weekend to buy the coroplast, ill look around for that. Thanks @pigger123

Krystaleb97 said:

My piggies dont do much ...

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You might be surprised what they will do when they have enough space to do anything.

@DewOver my piggies really dont. Even during floor time, my black pig just walks/jogs around. My other pigs do do crazy/funny things