~How To Make Your Cage Bottom Like New~

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Whimsy

Whimsy

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 4, 2009
Messages
293
Location
Virginia Beach
We've all see it.

That nasty white scale that forms on the bottom of the cage that's like cement.

Protein particles adhere to plastic and metal cages and can look so nasty.

I've found a remedy that works very well and would like to share with you all.

Spray on oven cleaner works breaks the bond. Find the cheapest variety possible. The cheaper stuff tends to be a little less harsh.
Spray the pan bottom OUTSIDE and leave it overnight. Make sure to use gloves and avoid the overspray.
The next day, wash thoroughly in soap and hot water. The scale generally comes off pretty easy in flakes. If this is not the case with your cage, re-spray and leave for another day. After washing and drying, buff in a dab of vegetable shortening. This protects from further scale and helps cover and blend all the scratch marks.
You’ll be amazed at the difference.

(This commercial brought to you by Whimsy’s Menagerie & Chinchilla Rescue)

:dance3:
 
Using vinegar also works. I put the pan outside, fill with enough white vinegar to cover the protein crust, and by the next morning it's beautiful again.
 
That sounds like it's very effective, but I'm concerned about the toxicity of the chemicals, and possible embedding into the cage? I only say this because the bottom of my cage is plastic, and I know how easy it is for plastic to retain anything.
 
I've used white vinegar, as essentia recommended... I've gotten in some nasty cages with rescues, but I've found that if you let it soak... and scrub... and let it soak some more... and scrub... it will all come off. You just have to rinse a few times (and I always wash with soap and water after the vinegar) and I let it sit outside to dry to get the vinegar scent washed away.
 
If you let it soak long enough you don't even have to scrub. :p I'm lazy so I've let it soak up to two days before and never had to lay a finger on the pan other than to rinse it and dry it. Ewww, scrubbing. Haha
 
Yep, if you let it soak overnight, usually it dissolves everything so not much scrubbing is needed. Normally I want to use the pan or cage right away so I just scrub like crazy...and I have a small plastic scraper that works very well without scratching anything.

I don't know about the oven cleaner. I think it would rinse off completely, but if I were to use it I would go over it with soapy water and rinse it that way. Chemicals can stick to things in a strange way. It is possible that the oven cleaner would evaporate off the cage like bleach would, but I don't know...I've never used it.
 
AZChins said:
Yep, if you let it soak overnight, usually it dissolves everything so not much scrubbing is needed. Normally I want to use the pan or cage right away so I just scrub like crazy...and I have a small plastic scraper that works very well without scratching anything.
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Yeah, see, that's me too. I usually have a limited amount of time to do that kind of stuff, like after work or something, so I want to get it outside, get it scrubbed, get it clean, and get it inside and be able to use it that night. Not that I don't have extra cages (I must have six 3-hole runs sitting here empty which could easily be used for rescues and/or holding cages, in addition to the several large cages that sit empty unless I have rescues galore), but I'm not one for patience, that's for sure. If a rescue comes with a grimy cage, I want to put the chin in a carrier, clean the cage, and have the chin back in the cage asap.
 
I just love the satisfaction I get from cleaning a cage-especially in cages where I use bedding, and I take out the old crap and put fresh stuff in and it just looks so clean! Of course, 2 seconds later the first poo flies, but for a moment I have victory over messiness! So yeah, I could not wait even an hour, let alone overnight. Same with regular dishes (when my wife makes me do them) I can't stand letting hardened stuff soak-I just scrub like crazy :)
 
I got a nasty cage off CL one time and used simple green undiluted and scrubbed a lot.
 
I too have no time to let anything soak for long. I run the chins to another level and block it off. Then take the pan outside and pour vinegar on it add a little water and let it sit. I go vacuum out another cage half. Go back out and use the scrub brush hanging on the fence to scrub it and it all comes off. Rinse it gooood then try and have the patience to let it air dry.... most of the time I get an old towel and dry it.
I'm afraid to use anything else and it works fantastic.
I err way on the side of caution because I'm afraid of doing something that might harm one and I couldn't live with it.
I agree with the plastic maybe holding the chemicals. Occaisonally one of mine gets the urge to eat the pan!
The vinager is cheap and safe.
I'm always asking Essentia can they have this or is it safe for them to eat that. I know I drive her nuts. :)
 
I don't think oven cleaner is safe... It makes my nose burn a lot when I use it. Since chinchilla noses are more sensitive that humans and they are in a closer proximity to the surface that's been cleaned, I'd be afraid to use it. As an alternative, I also recommend vinegar. I have a spray bottle full of vinegar that I use to clean the cage. Since I use it every time, it takes maybe a minute for the vinegar to dissolve the urine spots. Then I wipe down it down with water to get rid of the vinegar smell.

If you want vinegar to work faster, you can always heat it up, but don't inhale the steam, and you might want to wear gloves. That's how I clean the lids to my aquariums and I swear it's the only way to dissolve calcium deposits in toilets without resorting to much stronger acids.
 
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I am driving home right now with a nasty old cage that I'll be cleaning tonight. I'm afraid there may even be some rust on it. How do you get rid of rust? Also where do you guys soak the cages..and wouldn't that take gallons of vinegar? I've taken apart the pieces so it would fit in the car and its just about the nastiest thing. I've seen! The poor chin that was living in it is now in a carrier for the drive home.
 
I've never had a rusty cage problem, so I can't really recommend anything safe other than sanding. We used some goopy pink stuff for our patio furniture, but it's super toxic and you'd have to make sure the cage was totally clean after using something like that. And if you do use a chemical rust remover, do a small test spot first in case the rust remover eats through the metal.

You don't need gallons of vinegar to soak a cage - just get some paper towels soaked in vinegar and drape them over the dirty spots/wire. When they start to dry out, either spray them with vinegar or soak them in more vinegar.
 
BooBoo*TheKiddo* said:
Humm, I think I'll try the vinager trick when I do my spring cleaning on the cages and if that doesn't work...try the oven cleaner.

Thanks for posting all!

Anyone know how to get the ugly nasty urine stains off of Superpet shelves?
Click to expand...

The wooden shelves and ledges?

I take them out, spray w/ hydrogen peroxide, wipe with warm water, let dry completely, then sand.

That typically takes care of any manky stains/odors.
 
What about the superpet plastic ones?

I've got one boy (who isn't chewing on them, I know the risk and such.) Gonna switch him to wood shelves once I get him using a "litter box". We are fighting this battle now. He ALWAYS pees on his shelves. I don't think he ever pees on the liner. I've actually seen him go up on his top shelf to pee then go back to the floor. :/ But his shelves are so nasty looking. I can't get them to come clean completely.
Any ideas on how to clean them?
 
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