Guinea pigs are one of the most adorable small pets. Watching them playing in their little houses is one of the best feelings ever.
But with these little pets comes a lot of responsibilities. Out of everything, maintaining a clean space for the guinea pigs is the most important thing you should keep in mind.
A properly sanitized housing can help keep your pet safe and healthy for a lot longer.
So when it comes to cleaning the cages of guinea pigs, many people use disinfectants, so it’s natural to wonder if you can use Clorox wipes to clean a guinea pig’s cage.
But even though Clorox wipes are great for cleaning up around the house, Clorox wipes are not safe around pets, especially small pets like guinea pigs.
Luckily for us owners, there are other ways to clean and disinfect their cage that can work just as well as the wipes.
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Why Are Clorox Wipes Not Safe For Guinea Pigs?
Clorox wipes are great for easily cleaning up surfaces that are around the house but why are they not safe to use around guinea pigs?
The main reasons why Clorox wipes are not safe for guinea pigs is that it can produce fumes that are dangerous and contain chemicals that can harm your little pet.
So because a pet guinea pig usually lives in an enclosed space the fumes from the wipes have a chance to harm their lungs over time.
This can happen even if you wipe the cage down and let it air out before you put your guinea pigs back into it.
Like most other rodents, guinea pigs rely heavily on their sense of smell, so just because you can’t smell the Clorox wipes anymore that doesn’t mean that your guinea pig doesn’t smell it.
The chemicals that are in the wipes can still be harmful to guinea pigs for a while after you’ve wiped down the cage as well.
The reason why is that those chemicals can still be on a lot of the surfaces in their cage and it can get on your guinea pig if they happen to rub up against an area that you’ve recently wiped down.
So, these are the harmful ingredients that are not safe around your little pets.
I’m not saying that these products are useless and you should avoid using them though.
The point is, these are not safe to be used around guinea pigs and other animals. Clorox wipes are very much in demand due to their excellent disinfecting properties but they are not meant for small pets.
How Harmful Can Clorox Wipes Be For Guinea Pigs?
As I stated earlier, Clorox wipes can generate harmful fumes that can hurt your guinea pigs in one way or another.
Also, these little animals like to bite everything in and around their cage when they can get the chance to.
Because of that, there’s a decent chance of their face or mouth coming into contact with some of the chemicals which can be very dangerous for their health.
So if you want to help your guinea pigs live a longer and healthier life, then it’s best to never use any disinfectants that are chemical-rich around them.
There are small pet-friendly disinfectants that are available that are usually pretty cheap that do a really good job of cleaning their cage so that you don’t have to use the harmful ones.
However, if you want to take the time there are also DIY cleaners that you can use for effectively cleaning their cage as well.
The DIY cleaner is not only a little bit safer, but it can be slightly cheaper while also being pretty easy to make.
What Can You Use Besides Clorox Wipes To Clean A Guinea Pig’s Cage?
You have got a number of options to clean your guinea pigs cage. The best and one of the safest options is white vinegar because it is cheap and very effective at cleaning their cage.
All you would need to do is mix some vinegar with water and fill it into a spray bottle or use the mixture with a cleaning cloth and your homemade cleaner is ready. It works really well for cleaning guinea pig cages.
The added benefit of using this vinegar solution is, it has anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial properties which can help keep your little pet away from various infections.
Being an acid, vinegar helps clean up and neutralize the urine and other stains pretty well.
You won’t really have to worry about your guinea pigs coming into contact with it like you would with Clorox wipes because the mixture is safe for them to be around.
Cleaning With The Clorox Wipe Alternative
You can use the vinegar solution to clean the cage and the bedding because it can do a great job eliminating the bad smells.
You can wipe down the fleece with the water and vinegar solution to help remove tough stains and smells as well.
For the tough stains on the plastic parts of their cage, you can soak them in undiluted vinegar for a couple of hours.
No matter how annoying the stains are, they can start to go away over time. Just scrub a little and rinse with plain water.
But if the stains are super tough and not going away that easily then you can use pet-safe cleaners. Just make sure to dry the surface completely before your pet comes into contact with it.
Cleaning the canvas bottom can be a bit tricky especially with the DIY cleaners.
If it is in very bad condition then consider replacing it. The wet and soggy surface breeds harmful bacteria and viruses.
Keeping it clean all the time is not so easy because the pigs will urinate frequently on it.
If the fabric of canvas is not good, all the dirty liquids will seep into the surface. That’s why it’s usually a good idea to get a canvas that is water-proof.
The best idea is to use a plastic-backed, water-proof insert in the cages. You can also try using puppy pads in your guinea pigs cage that do a really good job of soaking up their pee while also locking in the odors.
Conclusion
Keeping your guinea pigs cage as clean as possible is always very important.
But these small pets are very sensitive to the chemicals. So for the sake of their longer lifespan and well being, you should keep chemical-based cleaning products away from them.
Although you can get a number of pet-safe cleaners that are available for them, the best idea is to use natural products like vinegar, baking soda, and lemon juice to be on the safer side.
But if you still want to use some pet-safe disinfectants then make sure to dry the area completely before putting your guinea pig back inside their cage.