# Cleaning Schedule?



## Sky Halcyon (Sep 18, 2010)

So I've been reading around a bit, and I've seen a lot of people who clean their cages differently. My original plan was; wash wheel, replace litter and spot clean liners every morning, then wash everything (liners, covers, blankets) in the washing machine once a week. Does that sound like it'll work? Because I heard some people replace the liners every day, and while I suppose that is possible, I don't know if it's really necessary. Am I forgetting anything? Thanks!


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## abrowndog (Nov 26, 2010)

Wheel, water and food bowls every day. Top layer of liners are changed every day. Bottom layer of liners changed at least twice a week or more if I can see a urine stain. 

I know I wouldn't want to live in the smell of my own waste and as hedgies have a much keener sense of smell than I do, I think this is best. Also, the cage is in my daughter's room and she has a lot of allergies, so this is the healthiest option for her as well.


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

Your schedule describes exactly what I do except I replace the liners twice a week if they get grungy. Snarf has really bad poopy boots and won't let me clean them and hates water so there's often 'poop bits' everywhere. 

I throw the liners in with my regular laundry cuz I use a coin-laundry. If I do an extra load (BF is a mechanic, so there's ALWAYS an extra load) and have room, I will throw Snarf's liner in, as well. I don't machine-dry them, tho', cuz I don't want the laundry smell to be over-powering. They don't take long to hang dry.

When I do his wheel in the mornings, I also pick up any poop that's been launched off the wheel. It's truly amazing how far he can make that stuff fly! :shock: He's litter-trained so never poops/pees anywhere but in his litter-pan (or at least near). :lol: I use Yesterday's News in his litter-pan and pick the poop out daily; I replace all of the litter once a week.


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## Hedgieonboard (Nov 15, 2009)

I do pretty much the same  My boy hedgie is really clean so his liner gets changed out once to twice a week. My girl hedgie needs constant liner changes though because she gets them dirty quick, once a day or sometimes once every other day. She is getting better than when she was a baby and does poop in one area now but she makes a mess running and gets poop on everything lol The liner changes end up depending on how tidy or messy the hedgie is


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## Nebular (Dec 28, 2010)

Norman is pretty clean and only goes potty on his wheel or litter trays. He occasionally goes a little crazy and (somehow) throws litter all around the base of his wheel, but that's about as big of a mess that he makes. The wheel and water bottle get cleaned every day. The food dish gets cleaned whenever it's empty or near empty. And the liners and hiding shirt get cleaned once a week. I've got a few extras of those on hand so I toss in clean ones on laundry day and put the dirty stuff in the wash (after giving them a quick shake and hand wash in the sink to remove any debris that didn't get shaken out).


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## pooka dotted (Jan 5, 2011)

Well since I grew up on a farm, and Napoleon isn't very messy (Poops and pees in one corner) I clean her cage like I clean a stall. In the morning I take out the poop and the pee soaked bedding, then rotate the old bedding into the pee/poop corner and replace the empty spot with new bedding. I haven't had a chance to completely clean her cage yet because she had babies but that's what I was doing before she had them anyways.


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## karennoel (Dec 20, 2010)

I clean the wheel, bowls, and water bottle everyday. I spot clean her liners everyday. I change her liner out twice a week. I have enough liners to get me through 5 weeks if I wanted to wait that long to wash everything. I wash the dirty ones in a separate small load every 2 - 3 weeks.


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## Gibbz (Jan 17, 2011)

A question for everybody, do you think liners are necessary?


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## abrowndog (Nov 26, 2010)

As opposed to...?

You can use other things as bedding, but I prefer the easy clean up and less mess of liners. I wouldn't let my pig sleep on the plastic bottom of the crate if that's what you are asking. I know I wouldn't want to sleep on it.  

My pig has three-four layers of fleece under her bed but I imagine when the warmer weather comes I will take that down to two because it's so hot here in the summer.


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

I think liners are necessary cuz if they poop/pee anywhere, if for no other reason, it's going to stay wet and they're going to walk/sleep/roll in it and be covered all day/night and get it all over the place. 

And...somehow...to me, anyway...a cage without some sort of bedding - fleece, Carefresh, whatever, just seems so cold to me and 'un-cozy'. Snarf motors around on the rug like nobody's business, but if I put him on the kitchen floor, he goes striaght for my foot, trying to hide. 

What were you planning to use in your cage? I can't remember your cage/accessories...if no liner, what else would be in there?


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## pooka dotted (Jan 5, 2011)

Also, after I'm done with all the poopy paper towels and bedding, I put it into a garbage bag, then a box and I mail it to MissC, LOL Joking.... Or am I ?


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

pooka dotted said:


> Also, after I'm done with all the poopy paper towels and bedding, I put it into a garbage bag, then a box and I mail it to MissC, LOL Joking.... Or am I ?


I'll save it for you and return it...

...when you bring me my babies. :twisted:


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## pooka dotted (Jan 5, 2011)

Wel, if I end up taking that one girl that guy needs a home for... I cant keep one of Naploeons babies.... SOOO that means it needs a home.. MissC


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

pooka dotted said:


> Wel, if I end up taking that one girl that guy needs a home for... I cant keep one of Naploeons babies.... SOOO that means it needs a home.. MissC


STOP. IT. NOW.


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## pooka dotted (Jan 5, 2011)

It would be ready for you on Valentines day  How sweet is that?


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

You are evil. Really, truly evil.

Mt BF threatened divorce and forbade me from getting another hedgie, so now I REALLY want one. FORBADE??? He's obviously never really known me, so I won't really miss him.


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## pooka dotted (Jan 5, 2011)

Hahaha you're really silly


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## Gibbz (Jan 17, 2011)

No, I use Fresh n' Comfy.. It's like Carefresh. I'm just wondering if I should have liners underneath?


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

Gibbz said:


> No, I use Fresh n' Comfy.. It's like Carefresh. I'm just wondering if I should have liners underneath?


I don't think there's any need to have liners underneath. I used CareFresh for all of two days before it drove me crazy getting everywhere...carpet...clothes...impossible to get off his fleece hedgie bags...two months later and I STILL find it!!

Some people prefer the Carefresh type of bedding as hedgies like to burrow and they can't really do that on fleece. I think most of us who use fleece just add a digbox to give hedgie a place to dig/burrow.


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## PJM (May 7, 2010)

I've tried carefresh both with & without my fleece liner. (Hated it both ways :lol: ) With the fleece, it just stuck to the fleece. Had to take it outside & shake it before washing the liner. Hubby said "What on earth is all this white stuff?" Without the liner, you have carefresh dust that you have to wipe up.


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## MissC (Nov 15, 2010)

PJM said:


> I've tried carefresh both with & without my fleece liner. (Hated it both ways :lol: ) With the fleece, it just stuck to the fleece. Had to take it outside & shake it before washing the liner. Hubby said "What on earth is all this white stuff?" Without the liner, you have carefresh dust that you have to wipe up.


When we got Snarf, his cage was filled with yellow and purple Carefresh. :shock: Whenever I had to shake anything out, there were little bits of purple and yellow EVERYwhere outside our door (in a condo :roll: ) so as subtle as a brick.

I'm sure there are residents (and fellow coin-laundry users) still thinking "What the heck is this purple stuff all over my laundry?"


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## Gibbz (Jan 17, 2011)

Hahaha, that's funny. I guess I'll just stick to my Fresh n' Comfy. Thanks guys!


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