# How to clean cage accessories?



## abbys (Oct 13, 2012)

I tried searching this forum but couldn't find the answer, so my apologies if these are repeat questions!

I use a small (maybe 6oz-ish) hanging water bottle and I change the water daily, but I'd like to wash it thoroughly just in case there's buildup on the inside. Is it ok to use regular Dawn dishsoap and scrub it with something like a toothbrush, or is there a better way?

Also, what's the easiest way to clean the wheel daily? Right now, I run it under really hot water in the tub, wipe it down with an anti-bacterial wipe, run it under the faucet again to wash off any cleaning solution, then dry it thoroughly. Do I need to be scouring it every day (I admit I can be a germophobe with Piggy's poopies), or is it ok to do a less-intense daily wipe-down and then a more thorough one weekly?


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## Shell (Aug 23, 2012)

I'm a clean freak too, but I use vinegar and water mix daily with a soft cloth to wash the wheel. On Sundays I'll use bleach and water to sterilize it, then I use dawn dish soap to take any chemicals off. As for the water bottle, I can see them being hard to clean and I only use ceramic dishes which are easily cleaned with dawn dish soap and rinsed very well.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

A baby bottle brush works really good to clean the water bottle.


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## Erizo (Jul 25, 2012)

You'd think that they would make a 'wide mouth' water bottle. (Maybe somebody does.?) Keeping them clean over time is a big problem that nobody seems interested in fixing. For various reasons, I use a 1" high x 5" diameter crème brûlée dish. (She doesn't walk in her dish, so the large diameter isn't a problem.)

The easiest way to clean the wheel depends on the wheel. A lot of breeders like comfort wheels because they can dump them in a bin for soaking before a mass wash. That won't work with the CSW that so many owners prefer. The inline skate wheel has to be protected from getting wet.

I spend 23:40 seconds (mostly boring; sorry) talking about how I clean Sophie's CSW; a process that in actual practice takes less than 5 minutes a day from start to finish.

wheel-wash-12-12-17.mp4


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## JulieAnne (Sep 3, 2012)

For the kind of wheel you have.. I have one of them.. I use my sprayer on my shower to spray it down then use some vinegar and water to clean it with a rough sponge. Then I rinse...dry and done.


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## shaelikestaquitos (Feb 2, 2010)

I use a sponge and dish soap. Sometimes I'll use an enzymatic cleaner depending on how stinky things get


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## Hedgehogluvr386 (Jun 16, 2012)

Erizo said:


> You'd think that they would make a 'wide mouth' water bottle. (Maybe somebody does.?)


We have a wide mouth water bottle for the guinea pigs which make it soooo much easier to clean... they really aren't that common though... :/


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## AlexONeil (Nov 14, 2012)

JulieAnne said:


> For the kind of wheel you have.. I have one of them.. I use my sprayer on my shower to spray it down then use some vinegar and water to clean it with a rough sponge. Then I rinse...dry and done.


I also have that wheel for Houdini. We prop it up in the sink so the wheel won't get wet, and let the hot water run on it for a minute or two, turn it, and repeat until the whole wheel has been soaked. It cleans up pretty easy. I'm not so worried about the germs.

I'd recommend not using a rough sponge on it, because it can leave little grooves in the surface of the wheel after a while. That's when you have to start worrying about how clean it's getting. A soft sponge works great for us.


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## abbys (Oct 13, 2012)

Thanks, everyone! I'll give some of these things a try


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## Christemo (Oct 5, 2011)

I use Whip-It for light cage cleaning. It's kind of useless for a few day old wheel poop, but it's nice for the bottoms and toys and such. It's edible (I wouldn't recommend... it's quite... gross) and all natural. I picked up a massive jug of it at BJs.


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