# Cleaning supplies



## Tavia06 (Apr 23, 2012)

Hello All, Im curious to know what brands and mixes everyone uses for cleaning purposes. 
-what do you use to clean the cage? other then just spot cleaning, Ive heard 50/50 water vinegar but also heard that vinegar is strong for hedgies noses.
-what type of laundry soap do you guys use? what brand? I know unscented but what other requirements and types are good?
-what brand of "soap" do you guys use for hedgie baths?? some things Ive read say not to use anything at all and just use an old tooth brush and some others say no tears baby shampoo. whats your verdict and what brands?


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

Any unscented detergent will work - that's the only requirement. Most people use Aveeno oatmeal baby bath for the actual bathing. Plenty of people use the water/vinegar mixture, though I haven't myself. I personally use Simple Green, though the one I use is a concentrate that you mix about a teaspoon of it with water. Simple Green also has a lot of ready-to-use products. It's non-toxic, which is the main reason we chose it.


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## Tavia06 (Apr 23, 2012)

do you know which simple green product? whats the full name?


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

The one I use is Simple Green d Pro 5. http://industrial.simplegreen.com/ind_p ... _pro_5.php

It's specifically designed as a disinfectant, also a deodorizer. Safe for hospitals, food processing, and also kennels/cages/animal hospitals. I bought the gallon size for a little under $30, but there's a smaller size which would be more than enough for just one hedgehog. The dilution is something like 1.5 teaspoons per 32oz of water (I'm pretty sure; it's not nearby at the moment but that info is on the bottle) so a little bit goes a reeeally long way. It works great, too.

Edit: it also doesn't have a scent.


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## nikki (Aug 28, 2008)

I have always just used vinegar and water and its worked great. As soon as its dry you can't smell the vinegar anymore and the vinegar seems to help disolve the poop better than anything else I've tried.


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## kailey lane (Apr 7, 2012)

I use Dr bronners Castile soap,its cruelty free and all natural you can get it in fragrance free its the baby mild one.i use alot of this in my houseit has worked great for cleaning all my animals cages and enclosures and leaves no scent or residue.i use it for everything because it super concentrate ,i put a small amount in a spray bottle and dilute with water and use for all the things in my house,this stuff has like 20 uses.you can use it for your laundry,shampoo,disinfectant, and even on your toothbrush and the list goes on.i highly recommend this stuff in general.you can get it at walmart/miejer or any big super store or order on line

here is a descriptions from the site ". A combination of organic extra virgin coconut, olive, jojoba and hemp oils, together with pure essential oils, creates a unique soap that cleans effectively without being aggressive" and heres a link to the site http://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/LS.htm

i work at pet grooming salon and we use peppermint shampoo for flea baths,it kills fleas faster than anything else and its harmless to the pets! so there's another plus,i use the peppermint Castile soap on everything in my house and bugs tend to stay away from my pets,iv seen flea/tick and fly numbers go way down from before i used this stuff.

i switched over to all vegan and cruelty free products in my home,this has been over all a great product

i also have a zoo grade disinfectant i ordered from a doggy daycare i worked at but its not for sale for the public sadly


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## MLHollywood (Apr 22, 2012)

kailey lane said:


> here is a descriptions from the site ". A combination of organic extra virgin coconut, olive, jojoba and hemp oils, together with pure essential oils, creates a unique soap that cleans effectively without being aggressive" and heres a link to the site http://www.drbronner.com/DBMS/LS.htm


Just don't get the tea tree one if you get one with oils. I might would go for the mild one for hedgehogs since they're so sensitive to smell.

EDIT: Lol, you said fragrance free the first time. I just wanted to point out tea tree!


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## GoodandPlenty (Feb 4, 2012)

Sophie's wheel gets washed every day with dish soap. I use 'Ivory, Original Scent' because it was recommended. Doubt it makes much (any) difference; her stuff gets so well rinsed. Her house, PVC tunnel, and dishes get washed every week (rinsed daily). If she is spending more time in the tunnel, it may get washed mid-week as well.

Miscellaneous cage stuff (e.g., thermostat) gets sanitized with vinegar/water, rinsed with water, dried, once a week.

I made a cloroplast litter pan (2", clear, heavy-duty packing tape makes the box) and it gets spritzed with 50/50 vinegar/water, then wiped with a water rinse, then dried.

Spot clean poop daily. This just takes a few seconds. There's just not much to clean.

Her cage gets stripped once a week. I spritz the coroplast box very well with the vinegar mix, rinse it very well with water, and wiped dry.

It is my understanding that the USDA regulations specify that breeders use bleach for sanitizing. It is said to be the best choice for use against bacteria. Solutions vary from 1% (mild disinfectant) to 10% (kick-ass powerful), depending upon the task. As little as I need in a week, I'm not sold that bleach is worth the trouble. (At least not for just one animal that has all of its stuff kept in excellent condition all the time.)

Cage liners (two a week), litter pan liners (changed every other day), house cover, fleece strips and squares, lap blanket, hedgie sack make up one load of laundry a week. 'All, Free + Clear'.

She hasn't had a full bath yet, but she's gotten a lot better with the plain water foot baths. I've increased the water considerably, so she's getting a full belly bath at the same time. Plus, she seems to like getting her quills brushed, so they sort of get a light cleaning/rinsing. (I just a use a toothbrush for brushing her legs and feet, and her quills.) The bathroom sink is not ideal, but the best option so far. It's handy to be able to empty and refill with fresh water (warm) right quick. I have 'Aveeno Skin Relief Body Wash, with Oatmeal' for whenever she gets her first official full bath.

Her play area is a 14' x 7' zone behind my office desk. I check the area each night for anything that might have fallen that she might pick up and try to eat. Vacuum the area with a rug weekly. Sweep and damp mop the area with hardwood floor weekly.


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## Christemo (Oct 5, 2011)

I use Palmolive Free and Clear on the wheel and Method's Free and Clear all purpose cleaner for the rest of the cage.


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## VolcanoView (Apr 5, 2012)

GoodandPlenty said:


> It is my understanding that the USDA regulations specify that breeders use bleach for sanitizing. It is said to be the best choice for use against bacteria. Solutions vary from 1% (mild disinfectant) to 10% (kick-ass powerful), depending upon the task. As little as I need in a week, I'm not sold that bleach is worth the trouble. (At least not for just one animal that has all of its stuff kept in excellent condition all the time.)


I checked my USDA regulation book (p.106) and it lists 3 options: Hot water wash (180F) followed by soap, or soap 'followed by a safe and effective disinfectant', or by cleaning all surfaces with steam. Bleach would qualify, but I don't think it's the best.. it stinks, and discolors.


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## Guest (May 6, 2012)

i use vinegar and water for wheels and cages and a basically no chemical, no scent detergent made by Norwex for laundry.


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## GoodandPlenty (Feb 4, 2012)

That's interesting. Thank you. Definitely differs from what I was told. Is that 'regulation book' downloadable somewhere, maybe as a PDF. I've tried some searches for something like that, but haven't found anything. I would expect it be on .gov website somewhere.?

I agree that bleach is pretty nasty stuff to work with and have used vinegar for many things over the years. Vinegar. Hydrogen peroxide is pretty hand stuff too.


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## moxieberry (Nov 30, 2011)

GoodandPlenty said:


> That's interesting. Thank you. Definitely differs from what I was told. Is that 'regulation book' downloadable somewhere, maybe as a PDF. I've tried some searches for something like that, but haven't found anything. I would expect it be on .gov website somewhere.?


It'd be nice if they did, but I was never able to find it. The USDA site has some very basic information about what they look at when they evaluate the facility, but not the details for each section. We got our copy from our mentor, who had a spare.


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