# cleaning wheel



## Dana (Apr 2, 2009)

Hi there again,

The CWS is apparently a hit judging from the looks of the wheel today! Spikerina is a clean little one compared to most, but there is some waste on the wheel. For my cage, I have to totally take off the top wire part to get the wheel totally out. Is there anything safe to clean it with if I just get my hand in there? I was thinking of a Clorox or Lysol wet wipe thing? Does anyone know if the chemicals are toxic? I can't use anything on my amphibians housings other than very dilute vinegar at the most, so I wanted to be sure there aren't similar restrictions, though I know the mammals won't be absorbing through their skin like the amphibians. If you have any info, I'd appreciate it!

Thanks,
Dana


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## r_k_chic47 (Aug 28, 2008)

Most people here use paper towels and a 50/50 vinegar and water solution to clean their wheels. It's quick and easy =] And the poo should come off easily since you have the CWS wheel.


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## GoodSmeagola (Apr 6, 2009)

Vinager still leaves a lingering scent after use, I do not like that, same with a 10/90 Bleech dilution. I would not use any wet wipe, no telling what chemicals will affect your animals.
I use Chlorohexadine, it is a hydrogen based cleanser, which is very popular among reptile keepers.

I spray it on, and it foams a tad, it evaporates into hydrogen, and oxygen.

None of my cages ever get moved for cleaning, Weekly I empty cages, spray down, wipe down, dry down, then rebuild.

My wheel, I spray with my chloro' and then place under fast running water in my bathtub. 

Most (around here) EXOTIC pet stores sell it, you can also find it online I believe.
Many pet stores might have it, yet not know the name of it. 
It is often marketed as 'small animal cage cleaner".

Good luck


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I also use chlorhexidine, I got it from Gail, the breeder where Lily came from. I dilute it using the instructions on the bottle (2 tablespoons to a gallon of water) and keep the diluted solution in a clean milk jug. I put some into a small spray bottle, which works great for wiping down the inside of Lily's cage. I also made wipes out of it by using a large bread knife to cut a roll of paper towels in half, putting half of the roll into an old baby wipes container and pouring some of the diluted solution in. There's a tiny bit of solution left in the bottom after the towels soak up a bunch, and they stay damp. The wipes are what I use to clean her CWS.


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## Dana (Apr 2, 2009)

Thank you! I'm laughing at the chlorhexidine - we (my husband and I) are dentists and chlorhexidine is frequently used for bleeding gums! I don't think I'll use our stuff, however, as it's all fake-minty tasting...

Dana


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## Hedgierrt (Aug 31, 2008)

But Dana,
Your hedgie would be minty fresh?!? :lol:


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## Linny (Apr 19, 2009)

I've been wiping mine down with Cottonelle baby wipes, thinking they would be pretty gentle, free of harmful chemicals. Good idea or bad?


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## azyrios (Feb 2, 2009)

GoodSmeagola said:


> I spray it on, and it foams a tad, it evaporates into hydrogen, and oxygen.


I don't know where you are seeing this, but chloro hexadine doesn't have oxygen in it, and all the hydrogen are bonded to nitrogen, and under room temperature should not cause a chemical reaction to separate it.

The chemical formula for chlorohexidine is:
C22H30Cl2N10

It most likely evaporates as water vapor (which is not hydrogen and oxygen separately, but instead the bonded H2O) as the chlorohexidine is dissolved/diluted in the water. The chlorohexidine would also evaporate into the water vapor if they dilution has very little chlorohexidine concentration, otherwise it may leave residue on the cleaning surface.


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## Linny (Apr 19, 2009)

*boost*
Wiping mine down with Cottonelle baby wipes, good or bad?


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

I think they should be alright, unless they have aloe or tea tree oil in them. A for sure safe thing to use, though, is a vinegar water solution, 50/50. Just spray down the wheel, then wipe it with a paper towel.


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## Linny (Apr 19, 2009)

Lilysmommy said:


> I think they should be alright, unless they have aloe or tea tree oil in them. A for sure safe thing to use, though, is a vinegar water solution, 50/50. Just spray down the wheel, then wipe it with a paper towel.


Argh. Cottonelle has aloe in it. I wipe it down with H2O afterward thoroughly, though.
I got advice from someone here that Charmin wipes are a good option instead.
(Is aloe toxic to hedgies?).


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## Lilysmommy (Jan 7, 2009)

The plant aloe is toxic to hedgies, so most people don't risk it if something has aloe in it, like shampoo or wipes. Best to be safe than sorry. 
I haven't heard if there's any safe baby wipes, but you could check the Charmin ones and see if they're aloe-free. If you can't find any, I make my own wipes out of a disinfectant called chlorhexidine. It's completely animal-safe, and it's very easy to make the wipes. I haven't found any stores near me that carry it, but I know you can order it online, if you search for it. The bottle I have of it is a concentrated solution, so I dilute it according to the instructions on the bottle, 2 tablespoons to a gallon of water. For the wipes, I used a large bread knife to cut a roll of paper towels in half, then I took an empty baby wipes container. Put the half roll of PT in the container and pour the diluted solution in. I poured enough in so that the whole roll soaked it up, and poured a little extra in. They stay damp and work great for cleaning Lily's wheel.


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## silvercat (Oct 24, 2008)

For Sylvie's wheel I use hot water for daily maintenance & vinegar/water in a spray bottle with paper towel for major cleaning. Green works (which I use for household cleaning) now has wipes which I plan to check out next time I'm picking up cleaning supplies. http://www.greenworkscleaners.com/produ ... .php?id=gw


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