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Cleaning The best thing I ever did to make cleaning my cage easier is...

CavyChrissy

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I thought it would be fun to start a thread to share your best tip for making an easy-to-clean cage. This occurred to me today when I was cleaning and changing my fleece for the first time since my cage remodel and thinking to myself, man this is so much easier! So I'll start this off. The best thing I ever did to make cleaning my cage easier is:

Simplify my cage! I removed my loft and added it on to the back of my cage - basically changing it from a 2x6 with 1x6 loft in to a 3x6 single level. I also removed ALL hidey houses and tunnels and hung a simple fleece forest instead to give them a hiding spot. I have a kitchen along one end that includes the hay boxes, water bottles, and pellet dishes. Now I can spot clean the poops off the fleece in under 5 minutes. And changing the fleece took only 10-15 minutes (which includes vacuuming the fur off the dirty fleece before putting it in the washer).

What's your best tip?
 

LoveMyPigs25

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I thought it would be fun to start a thread to share your best tip for making an easy-to-clean cage. This occurred to me today when I was cleaning and changing my fleece for the first time since my cage remodel and thinking to myself, man this is so much easier! So I'll start this off. The best thing I ever did to make cleaning my cage easier is:

Simplify my cage! I removed my loft and added it on to the back of my cage - basically changing it from a 2x6 with 1x6 loft in to a 3x6 single level. I also removed ALL hidey houses and tunnels and hung a simple fleece forest instead to give them a hiding spot. I have a kitchen along one end that includes the hay boxes, water bottles, and pellet dishes. Now I can spot clean the poops off the fleece in under 5 minutes. And changing the fleece took only 10-15 minutes (which includes vacuuming the fur off the dirty fleece before putting it in the washer).

What's your best tip?
Can you post a pic of your new setup?
 

CavyChrissy

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Sure! This is before I added the fleece forest, which now hangs off the bar that the lid rests on (FYI, the lid hinges open for cleaning). It's really simple, not very exciting, but I think that is an ok trade-off for the ease of cleaning : )


WP_20160116_022.jpg
 

LoveMyPigs25

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@CavyChrissy
I did the same thing about a month ago. I went from a 2x9 to a 3x8 no loft, kitchen on one side.
Ive been hesitant to take out all the hideys though. I did out up 2 fleece forest on cover the end of the cage with fleece 1 grid deep. It is SO much easier to clean. Do you just have one fleece forest for the 3 of them? Do they all sleep in there?
I would image yours probably sleep and hang out under the ledge on top?
 

lunarminx

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Sure! This is before I added the fleece forest, which now hangs off the bar that the lid rests on (FYI, the lid hinges open for cleaning). It's really simple, not very exciting, but I think that is an ok trade-off for the ease of cleaning : )


View attachment 78104

Your back area is basically a huge hidie. You could tack on a strip of material that stops about two inches from the floor to make it a full hidie, start from the right side half way down and do the forest from there to just before the kitchen. And if you kept the cloth white it would match the cage and any pad you made.
 

CavyChrissy

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That's pretty much what I did! I actually just hang it over the bar that goes across (that the lid rests on when it's closed). Just because that was the easiest way and fastest to change out when I want to wash it. I had some spare fleece from making my liners so I just used that. But using white to always match is a good idea!

They do hang out back there a fair amount. But all of them, especially Lucy, do take naps just right out in the open in the front part. They also favor the back corner of the kitchen too.

WP_20160125_001.jpg

WP_20160125_002.jpg

(please excuse the poops, haven't swept since this morning)
 

LoveMyPigs25

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That's pretty much what I did! I actually just hang it over the bar that goes across (that the lid rests on when it's closed). Just because that was the easiest way and fastest to change out when I want to wash it. I had some spare fleece from making my liners so I just used that. But using white to always match is a good idea!

They do hang out back there a fair amount. But all of them, especially Lucy, do take naps just right out in the open in the front part. They also favor the back corner of the kitchen too.

View attachment 78132

View attachment 78133

(please excuse the poops, haven't swept since this morning)

What is the bar made of? I like the width of it.
 

lunarminx

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Ah okay, when you mentioned fleece forest, I was thinking a full forest all the way back.
 

PeanutnCookie

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I love that so much! How wide is the cage grid-wide? I see the longer way is about 6.
 

NDarling23

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I love how your cage is set up! I was actually thinking about doing the same thing with the houses. Just ditch those and make fleece forests.
 

blessedmom

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Sure! This is before I added the fleece forest, which now hangs off the bar that the lid rests on (FYI, the lid hinges open for cleaning). It's really simple, not very exciting, but I think that is an ok trade-off for the ease of cleaning : )


View attachment 78104

What is the base of your cage made from? Some kind of white cabinet?
 

CavyChrissy

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Wow, it's been a while since I've been here. Sadly, I had to return my pigs to the rescue due to my severe (and worsening) mold allergy problems. A very sad day for my daughter and I... But I do love to remember my time with my piggies!

The cage is made out of interior doors. They are fantastic for a cage because they are large, flat, lightweight, and cheap! The only downside is that you can't easily cut them to a smaller size, so you just have to find the right size door. Here is a link to my thread about how I made the cage:

https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...plete-and-I-love-it!!!!-(pictures)?highlight=
 

blessedmom

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Wow, it's been a while since I've been here. Sadly, I had to return my pigs to the rescue due to my severe (and worsening) mold allergy problems. A very sad day for my daughter and I... But I do love to remember my time with my piggies!

The cage is made out of interior doors. They are fantastic for a cage because they are large, flat, lightweight, and cheap! The only downside is that you can't easily cut them to a smaller size, so you just have to find the right size door. Here is a link to my thread about how I made the cage:

https://www.guineapigcages.com/foru...plete-and-I-love-it!!!!-(pictures)?highlight=

That's so sad about the pigs ☹️ Thank you for sharing the link!
 

maddy harper

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The best thing i've found to clean my cage is to use the dust pan like a shuvle and scoop all old wood flakes/hay out. Thats the quickest method i've found when cleaning chocks cage out totally
 

kamkam822

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Best cleaning tip I have is litter boxes!
I know you can't litter train your pigs but I have found, with mine, they generally go potty in the same areas. I started putting a small animal litter box where they do their business and it doesn't take me as long to clean their cage now. I put newspaper and bedding in the boxes to help with odor and clean up.
 
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