Easy Cage Cleaning

Okay, I admit it...our critters' cages can be effectively cleaned with a vinegar-and-water solution. But I hate the smell of vinegar, both when it's first been used and a day or two later when my nose still picks up on the faint residual smell.

If you can stand the smell, vinegar-and-water solutions are the perfect budget-conscious cleaning option. If you don't have a hyper-sensitive sense of smell, the vinegar odor dissipates quickly enough to suit people whose noses are not so easily offended.

For the rest of us, there are other options. For me, when I have time to drag the cage off to the tub, baby shampoo, hot water, and a scrubby sponge (for good measure) is as clean as clean gets. When I don't have time, but want to make sure I've given the cage a good wipe-down, I've found a couple of favorites:

Nature's Miracle has been putting out a quality enzyme liquid cleaner for several years now. They've recently added Deodorizing Cage Wipes to their product line. Moist enough to grab at dust and particles without leaving the cage surface dripping wet, these wipes also feature a side that's slightly scrubby (not as good as my scrubby sponge, but it will do). If you use a bedding that leaves a lot of dust behind it might take a couple of these wipes to pick everything up, but a dispenser should last you a couple of months. It's readily available in most pet supply stores and online retailers.

Super Pet makes its Clean Cage products in a spray and a wipe. Like the Nature's Miracle products, these products have a mild scent, but it's neither overbearing nor unpleasant (and dissipates faster than vinegar). Both easily found online, sometimes even being sold as "kits," the spray seems to be more prevalent on store shelves than the wipes.

What have you found that works?