Cleaning your Guinea Pig's Cage

Guinea Pigs need a clean, yet safe environment to live in. No matter what you use as a bedding material, you should always clean them with 3-4 days from the last clean, that's around once a week. There are some smells and odours which humans cannot smell which may be on an old, or refurbished cage which you should try to remove. This is usually when Guinea Pigs are trying to mark their territory, a bit like dogs but less urine involved.

You should consider what cleaning supplies you're going to be using. Trash bags, handheld broom and dustpan and a disinfectant (Note: Some disinfectants are harmful to Guinea pigs as it could contain chemicals which may either be poisonous or generally harmful, such as coniferous tree sap, which is a natural disinfectant which can harm Guinea Pig's respiratory systems).

Your Guinea pig's cage should be cleaned at the minimum: once a week. If you're using s fleeces, make sure to have backup fleeces and wash them every 2-3 days as they'll get quite smelly. On the other hand, if you're using wood-based bedding, make sure to clean it often as it may get soggy. If you have high-quality absorbent bedding, then most of the urine and smells should be in the bedding, therefore you can take out a dust pan and dump it all in a trash bag. Remember to put your guinea pigs somewhere safe and make sure they're okay every now and again.

Personally, I would usually clean out the bedding every week, then clean the other bits and bobs such as the bottomless tunnels and hiding-places, Water Bottles and Food Bowls every 2 weeks. 

When cleaning water bottles and food bowls, I would recommend boiling some water and putting it into the bowl & bottle/s to kill any potential bacteria. Never use disinfectant for food-related items as it can therefore harm your guinea pig's health. Don't give them the boiled water from the bottle, and make sure that it's fresh when you're ready to give it back to them

Recommended Disinfectants/Cleaners:

• 50/50 Water and Vinegar (make sure to rinse away the smell afterwards)
  
• Any small pet-safe disinfectant spray.

Further Notes

Make sure that once fully cleaning their cage is dry before putting your Guinea Pigs back in. This is because when something is wet, it has a higher possibility to grow mold and therefore harm your Guinea Pig.