best way to clean the WHOLE cage??

[xoxoimhis]

i'm talking about the whole thing. not just the tray.
like each bar and everything. our cage bars are looking....
yucky. i try to wipe it with wet towels but it seems as though
they are NEVER clean. any tips?? i'm thinking about just
taking it outside and totally spraying it with a hose.... but
i still feel like that will not quite be good enough either.
and tips on getting each little crevice sufficiently would be
of GREAT help too!! thanks in advance everyone!!

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[ticklechin]

How big is the cage? Will it fit in the shower or bath tub? You can also take it to the car wash and blast it there.

 

[squeaker123]

Depending on the size you could stick it in the tub or a large rubbermaid container and soak it. Might not be able to soak it all at once but a side at a time. You could try borrowing a pressure washer.

 

[Siany]

I use a pressure washer, it blasts everything off

 

[chechinchillas]

whats the best product to sanitize the cage first before blasting it with the power washer?

 

[bigpappatrader]

I put mine in the tub. It's a 4 level and about 4 feet tall by 3 feet wide by about 2 feet deep and it just fits into the tub. Use a large scrub brush with strong bristles on it with a narrow edge that gets into the corners. Something kind of like this http://www.rubbermaid.com/Category/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?Prod_ID=RP091100 but without the handle because the handle would just make it harder. I fill an old water pitcher with water and dish detergent. I turn the shower on full heat and let it soak the whole thing first, then wash it with the brush and soapy water, and then rinse it off with the shower running over it while I brush the soap off with a back/body brush with a long handle so I don't get soaked from the shower. The bottom door is blocked by the tub so I can't reach in there without turning the cage upside down. Let it dry completely before putting the little ones back in. I smack the sides of the cage to get the loose water to come off in the tub, let it air dry, and then give it a follow up toweling. I do this once a week and it takes about a half an hour plus air-dry time plus time to get the chinch out of the big cage and into the temporary one (which stays folded up on top of the big one when not in use).

Now that I'm thinking about it, this could probably all be done where the cage stands if it's too big and you don't mind splashing the floor a bit. You could forgo the presoak I talked about, do the scrubbing as I described, and use the brush and a bucket of water to do the rinse. Maybe put a towel down first.

I've tried power washing before but it was a lot of setup and put away of the equipment and I still felt like it was important to scrub it with soap, plus you can't do that in the winter, well maybe if you have a garage.

 

[xoxoimhis]

thanks everyone for the replies!! our cage is like.... wider than our refrigerator and about as tall as me. i'm around 5'4" i think. do you guys think a basic hose would be strong enough if i put my thumb in the flow to make it stronger??

 

[threewingedfury]

You can buy attachments for garden hoses to turn them into pressure washers. They're not as effective as a real pressure washer, but a definite cheap alternative.

I spray cages down with vinegar and then pressure wash them.

http://www.amazon.com/Water-Jet-Seen-Hose-Attachment/dp/B002RBHKSK