Regular cleaning of your guinea pig cage helps eliminate the odors and stains caused by droppings or feces, urine, and uneaten food.
Guinea pigs thrive in clean cages and failure to deep clean your pet’s enclosure regularly could result in various health issues in your guinea pigs.
Most commercial guinea pig cage cleaners contain chemicals and toxins that could harm your delicate pet. They could irritate your guinea pig’s eyes and skin and may even result in breathing issues.
The good news is: you can use homemade guinea pig cage cleaners to safely clean your pet’s enclosure. The ingredients (vinegar, baking soda, lemon juice, etc.) required for making these all-natural homemade guinea pig cage cleaners are also likely available in your pantry, so you need not buy anything.
In this guide, we have 5 easy-yet-effective homemade guinea pig cage cleaner recipes for you.
How to Make Homemade Guinea Pig Cage Cleaner?
Recipe 1: Castile Soap and Baking Soda Cleaner
Baking soda and castile soap are one of the best natural cleaning agents for your little furry pal’s cage. You can use this combination to clean all cage surfaces as well its toys and accessories.
Castile soap is made from olive oil and other vegetable ingredients. Baking soda is a natural cleaning agent that has been used since time immemorial to safely clean and deodorize all kinds of objects and surfaces without any harmful side effects to humans and pets.
Ingredients
- 2 cups baking soda
- ½ cup castile soap
- 1-2 drops of lavender essential oil. (Note that almost all essential oils are harmful to guinea pigs. However, lavender oil is one of the safe essential oils for these small animals. Still, you should use it sparingly in this recipe. Make sure your pet does not sniff it directly or come in contact with the oil.)
Method
- Mix the ingredients in a bottle.
- You can make a spray by adding a bit of water to the above ingredients.
- After preliminary cleaning to remove soiled bedding, spray the mixture inside your pet’s cage and leave it on for a few minutes. (Remove your pets from the enclosure before spraying)
- Scrub after 5-10 minutes. Wipe dry.
- This will eliminate odors as well as bacteria, fleas, and other pathogens.
Also Read: Do Guinea Pigs Like Water?
Recipe 2: Lemon and Baking Soda Rinse
This simple rinse can eliminate flies, fleas, and other parasites from your pet’s cage. Moreover, it can also destroy urine odors and freshen up the cage.
Ingredients
- ½ cup baking soda
- Juice of 2-3 large lemons (at least 1-2 cups of lemon juice).
Method
- Combine the two ingredients and add water to make enough spray.
- After preliminary cleaning to remove soiled bedding and droppings, spray inside the enclosure. (Remove your pets from the enclosure before cleaning.)
- Leave on for a few minutes before wiping off the sprayed surfaces.
Recipe 3: All-Purpose Cleaner with Apple Cider Vinegar and Water
Vinegar is a powerful disinfecting and deodorizing agent. It can be safely used to clean your guinea pig’s food and water bowls, cage, hammocks, toys, etc. You can use apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar for this recipe.
Method
- In a spray bottle, combine equal parts of apple cider vinegar and water.
- Spray over the cage’s surfaces.
- Also, soak your guinea pig’s bowls, toys, and other accessories in this solution. (Use a tub or a sink for this purpose).
- Wipe off the cage’s surfaces after 5-10 minutes.
- Rinse the toys in warm water and dry them completely before placing them back in the cage.
Do this at least twice a week to eliminate mold, fungal spores, bacteria, etc.
Related – Can Guinea Pigs Get COVID
Recipe 4: Soda And Vinegar
The combination of soda and vinegar makes a powerful yet all-natural cleaning agent without the toxicity of bleach, ammonia, and other toxic chemical cleaners.
Method
- In a large bowl, mix together half a cup of baking soda and half a cup of distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Wait for the bubbling to subside.
- Soak a sponge in the solution and scrub the cage thoroughly.
- You can also scrub your pet’s nesting boxes, running wheel, toys, accessories, etc.
- Wipe or rinse the items well.
- Dry them before placing them back in the cage.
Recipe 5: Hydrogen Peroxide, Baking Soda, and Lemon Juice
Hydrogen peroxide is a natural and safe cleaner. Even the CDC recommends it for cleaning bathrooms to eliminate fungi, viruses, mold, and other pathogens. The following recipe also removes stains and leaves your pet’s cage squeaky clean.
Method
- In a spray bottle, add half a cup of hydrogen peroxide, some lemon juice, a ¼ cup of baking soda, and some distilled vinegar.
- Shake well to combine.
- Spray on stained or soiled surfaces and let sit for 5 minutes before scrubbing clean.
- Wipe with a cloth.
What is the Best Way to Keep a Guinea Pig’s Cage Clean?
The best way to keep your guinea pig’s cage clean is to remove and replace soiled bedding immediately and spot cleaning it regularly. Once a week, clean your pet’s cage accessories by soaking them in warm water and vinegar.
Also, deep clean your guinea pig cage by scrubbing all surfaces, at least once a month. You can use the homemade cage cleaner recipes given above. By spot-cleaning and deep cleaning your pet’s cage regularly, it will remain free from odors, stains, and disease-causing pathogens.
It is very important that you clean and wash all of your guinea pig’s toys, nesting boxes, toys, and other accessories in the cage regularly using vinegar, baking soda, and warm water.
From time to time, sprinkle some baking soda on the bottom of your guinea pig’s cage to absorb odors caused by feces and urine.
FAQs
What is the safest cage cleaner for a guinea pig?
The combination of distilled vinegar and baking soda is the safest for cleaning your pet’s cage. You can also use lemon juice with baking soda and water for deodorizing and removing stains.
Can I use soap and water to clean my guinea pig cage?
If you use soap to clean your guinea pig’s cage, then opt for guinea pig-friendly detergents/soap or castile soap. Castile soap is natural and has antibacterial properties. It can safely clean your pet’s cage without harming your guinea pig.
Do guinea pigs like their cage clean?
Yes, most guinea pigs get very excited when they are put back inside their cleaned cages. They run around excitedly exploring their fresh and clean surroundings.
Conclusion – Homemade Guinea Pig Cage Cleaner
There are various recipes for homemade guinea pig cage cleaner. You can use a combination of baking soda, castile soap, vinegar, lemon juice, and/or hydrogen peroxide. These ingredients are natural yet effective in removing tough stains and odors.
They also have antibacterial and antiviral properties and can be used for cleaning your pet’s cage, toys, and other accessories without any irritation or harm to your delicate guinea pig.
