Cleaning Supplies and Equipment

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Gerbils - Care

Cleaning Supplies and Equipment

Cleanliness is not only important to the health of your gerbil, but also for maintaining a pleasant home environment for all the members of your family. Nothing can put a damper on gerbil ownership more quickly than unpleasant odors and the sight of dirty cages, food dishes and toys. You need to clean and sterilize your gerbil's cage, dishes, toys and the other items she uses on a regular basis.

Dishes

The best bet for cleaning your pet's dishes is simply washing them in hot soapy water, using an anti-bacterial soap. Some foods can harden in food dishes, so you may want to soak dirty dishes overnight to make this cleanup easier. After washing, rinse them thoroughly. You should wash your gerbil's dishes separately from those used for the human members of the family, unless you're using a dishwasher. Pre-soaking to remove those crusty bits of food may also be necessary before loading pet dishes into the dishwasher. The high heat of the dishwasher will sterilize them effectively.

It's a good idea to have at least two sets of food and water dishes, so one can be in use while the other is being cleaned. Stainless steel bowls are an excellent choice because they are durable, won't stain, are easy to clean and are dishwasher safe.

Water Bottle

It is important to clean the water bottle to prevent any fungus from growing inside. You can use a bottlebrush or old toothbrush to clean the water bottle itself and a cotton swab for the shaft.

Toys

Stuffed toys that you cannot clean effectively should be replaced with new ones when they become soiled. Other toys may be washed with hot soapy water and rinsed thoroughly. Stuffed toys that are washable can be cleaned in your washing machine.

Cages

You should clean your gerbil's cage every two or three days, replacing soiled bedding material with fresh. Her cage and toys should be washed weekly with hot soapy water and completely disinfected once a month. The best disinfectant to use is common household chlorine bleach. Add two or three drops to a gallon of water and be sure to rinse the cage, dishes and toys thoroughly with hot water to remove all traces of the bleach.

Litter Box

The secret to easily and effectively cleaning your gerbil's litter box is to scoop solids out of the box at least daily. If you are using regular litter, replace it weekly. Whenever you change litter, you should thoroughly scrub the litter box with hot soapy water and a mild household disinfectant. Be sure to rinse thoroughly with hot water to remove all traces of soap and disinfectant.