# Cleaning dig box rocks - bleach or vinegar?



## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I decided to clean out Lily's dig box tonight and EW. :shock: There were so many small pieces of poop and dismembered cricket legs, I just threw the box away (it was a shoebox cover). I rinsed all of the rocks and have them drying right now, but I want to sanitize them somehow. Would it be okay to soak them in a bleach solution and then rinse well and let air-dry, or would it be safer to just use straight vinegar? I know vinegar's good for cleaning, but I'm concerned it won't get them...clean enough, I guess? :? Any opinions/advice on what to use?


----------



## Guest (Aug 19, 2011)

I would do the vinegar with really hot water to sterilize it in a soak and after wards rinse the really icky ones and use and old toothbrush if it were me.

I used the litter tray that came with the CSW which you can get at the store or something similar and it holds well. I used the rounded aquarium stones cause they are easy to clean off.


----------



## Rainy (Jul 27, 2011)

I would use vinegar too. It sterilizes Harvey's wheel and is non-toxic. I would do that, rather than risk bleach.


----------



## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Yep, I'm using round aquarium stones as well. I was using the shoebox cover as a temporary box until I could find something else. I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet...I might stop by the dollar store tomorrow and see if I can find anything that would work well. Otherwise I might make another box out of coroplast like I did with her litterbox.

And thanks for the opinions on the cleaning! None of the stones are seriously icky, they all look pretty good now that they've been rinsed with plain water. But with everything that was left in the box, I really want to use something to make sure there's no leftover germs on them.


----------



## hanhan27 (May 12, 2011)

I know some people just boil their rocks. :| No clue if that works, but that's what I did haha! All the rocks I used were rocks that were collected on beaches and stuff a looong time ago, and they had no visible dirt, so I figured boiling would be better than vinegar or bleach especially.


----------



## smsaifyr (Jul 20, 2011)

Joann Fabric has these really awesome baskets they are in a pack of three. They are in the college section, and it is all on sale right now!

any ways I got my idea for Joy's dig box/ sleeping box (because she digs then falls alsleep in it.) from 
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=12610&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=dig+box 
mine is almost identical except I didn't cut mine because it is the same hight as her litter pan so she got in just fine!

Just an idea!


----------



## pearlthehedgie (Feb 15, 2011)

I'd be a bit nervous about the bleach too. If I remember correctly, I either washed my rocks with dishsoap and water or maybe even put them in the dishwasher. Then I know I rinsed them really well again and I boiled them in a pan of water on the stove. :shock: You could even use the dishwasher without any detergent. Just put them inside some meshy container or the silverware container in the dishwasher if they are big enough. :?


----------



## cylaura (Jan 13, 2011)

I did the exact same thing yesterday, and I had the exact same reaction - EWWWWW. I had to throw the shoebox cover away too, it was disgusting! I just soaked in warm soapy water, then rinsed and dried, but I will try vinegar next time! I'm now on the hunt for a new dig box container as well - the pure grossness quotient of that shoebox lid will haunt my dreams. :lol:


----------



## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Thanks for all the ideas, guys! I think I'll end up soaking them in soapy water, and rinsing really well. I'm not particularly good at boiling things... :lol:



cylaura said:


> I did the exact same thing yesterday, and I had the exact same reaction - EWWWWW. I had to throw the shoebox cover away too, it was disgusting! I just soaked in warm soapy water, then rinsed and dried, but I will try vinegar next time! I'm now on the hunt for a new dig box container as well - the pure grossness quotient of that shoebox lid will haunt my dreams. :lol:


Glad I'm not the only one surprised by how gross these things can get. :lol: I think I'm going to stop by the dollar store today and see if I can find anything that will work. Hope you find something too!


----------



## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

Vinegar is safer psychologically but bleach IS fine. Jamie has a HUGE tank with Oscars (the dirtiest fish on the planet :roll: ) and he uses bleach when he's cleaning the filters. I asked him about the safety of using bleach with...you know...poison...living creatures and he said it's perfectly safe as long as you rinse well (three full, clean water rinses).

Having said this, I don't see a need for bleaching hedgie stuff: it's dirty and gross, yes, but there's not a huge chance of harmful bacteria blooming on the toys, rocks, etc. In a fish tank, the bacteria could be fatal so bleach is necessary.

To decrease paranoia and maintain a somewhat normal level of sanity, I soak Sumo's aquarium gravel in soapy water, drain off the legs poopy bits, soak again, then rinse well and air dry on a towel. Once a month, I add in a vinegar/water soak after the soapy soak.


----------



## pearlthehedgie (Feb 15, 2011)

Wow. I guess I should dig around in Pearl's dig box. Maybe it's grosser than an think. :shock: :shock:


----------



## LizardGirl (Aug 25, 2008)

MissC is right, bleach is not going to kill her. If you're concerned with her health safety, use bleach. As long as you rinse well, seriously, it will be fine.  Otherwise if it's just general nastiness you're worried about vinegar / soap will work. But if in the future for example you need to sanitize a quarantine hedgie's accessories, use the bleach. You don't want to risk any viruses that could easily and safely killed with a bleach dip.


----------



## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

Thanks for the reassurances about bleach...I've never really used it much, so it makes me nervous using it around any kind of animal. I have the rocks soaking in soapy water right now, I won't worry about bleach except for extreme situations, or something like you mentioned, LG. Thanks again for all the answers, guys!

Oh, and I did find a new dig box - a round metal cake pan from the dollar store that's only about an inch high.


----------



## soapradream (Aug 31, 2011)

Wash them with antibacterial dish soap to remove any stuck on mess, rinse them well, then boil them for 5 mins or so, that will kill any pathogens.


----------

