What do you Clean with? + Size Differences in Gerbils

[kristinenote]

Hey

I've always used Lysol Wipes to just wipe down the glass tank after I empty it out. But I used clorox Wipes the other day and I noticed Smoke, my smaller gerbil, had some redness around his nose. It's gone now but I was totally freaked out!

I don't want to waste money but is Nature's Miracle brand worth it? I don't have any problems with smell. Though I am thinking about adopting a teddy bear hamster in the summer, and I hear they can be a bit stinky.

Also, Smoke is way smaller and thinner than Silver, my older gerbil. They're both over a year old though. Silver is over 2yrs old. Both male. Is this normal? For there to be such size differences in adult gerbils? Or is Silver not an adult yet?

Edit: I was reading someone else's thread and wanted to ask my own question: What is a good room temperature for gerbils? Do they prefer warmer weather or cooler?

[lizb]

Lysol and Clorox wipes are both toxic to animals. I use Seventh Generation. It's not cheap, but it is safe. I don't know about size difference, but temperature should be kept between 62 and 80, someone please correct me if those numbers are off.

[kristinenote]

Oh wow! I didn't know! I knew with rats you couldn't use any chemical cleaners but I didn't know that was the case with gerbils I'm so glad nothing happened to them! Luckily I use water + papertowels as well.

I have central heating in my house, so right now we're keeping the house a bit warmer because it's freezing outside. It's 70F inside right now, through-out the house. They're not near the vents or windows, but if they preferred warmed climents I could push the tank a bit closer to the vent, not directly near it but closer.

[qtoffer]

For routine cleaning, I just use warm water and paper towels. If there has been an illness, or if I'm prepping a tank for new gerbils, I wipe it down with dilute bleach. If you do use bleach, let it dry thoroughly before returning the gerbils. Bleach (chlorine) is a respiratory irritant, but it breaks down and dissipates quickly with exposure to air and light.

Gerbil temperature preference is very close to ours. If you feel too warm or chilly, your gerbils probably feel the same way. Gerbils are happiest kept in a heated/air conditioned room away from direct sunlight.
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Arwen (F) and Eowyn (F) 11/12/2011 - 20 gallon with 20 gallon topper
Goldberry (F) 11/12/2011 - 20 gallon with 20 gallon topper

[gerbillover9612]

I wipe the cage down with a baby wet wipe and them dry it with tissue everyother time i clean their cage and the other times i just used warm water and a cloth Ooo thats interesting about bleach!

[daisy]

I use Nature's Miracle Cage Cleaner for Small Animals. It comes in a large spray bottle so it lasts a long time.  It seems to work well. 

Daisy  

[ella]

You could save your money and use 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water. I think size differences are normal, but it could be that the bigger gerbil is hogging the best bits of food.

[ninestone]

Our two gerbils are sisters, and Kate has always been noticeably larger than Caroline. Recently Kate put on a lot of weight (which we've been concerned about) and now weighs more than 1 and a half times what Caroline does!

[Lily]

I use Dr.Bronners all natural soap. It's a type Of all natural camping soap and doesn't have to much of a smell. I just do three quarters soap one quarter water and vuala. Sometimes I add a titch I white vinegar,if the cage is more smelly than usual. You can also use white vinegar and water soloution. It is cheap and cut out all the smell...not sure about bacteria though that why I use soap too.

Hope I helped,
Lily

[ninestone]

I use Dr Bronner's also, though much more diluted (I'm sure Lily's dilution ratio is fine, just noting). Voila!

[reesesturtles]

I usually use a vinegar+water solution, or spray with aloe juice, then wipe down. If you need to truly disinfect the habitat, then follow the advice someone gave above for using diluted bleach (1:10 dilution) then making sure the habitat is well rinsed and dried before placing the animals back in.

[kristinenote]

I use vinegar a lot when doing cleaning projects at home. You know, like with wood, if you mix olive oil and vinegar you can get scratch marks off of some wood furniture. And like vinegar and baking soda and let it sit on a stain.

I know it's very useful but it burns my fingers if I have dry skin patch or a scratch.

What do you guys think of something like dawn or palmolive?

I just use water and paper towels right now. I've been thinking about getting the wipes (the ones they sell at Petco/smart for small animals) but they're expensive D: Buuuut I might splurge and get it. (Has anyone ever used a loan to pay off a vet bill? I just did. The interest is going to keep burning me for 4 years! LOL)

Honestly my gerbils never smell The wheel gets gross but it comes off easily.

[mothman]

Like others, I also use vinegar and water. To make life easier for me, when I clean the tank, after I've emptied it out I take it into the bathtub, dump a bit of vinegar in the tank, put some warm water in, slosh it around, and use a cloth to wipe all the surfaces down with the vinegar-water. Then rinse and dry.

[erin]

I used to use a mix of vinegar and warm water, but have since found a great product at Petsmart called Nature's Miracle small animal cage cleaner (I think I saw someone above who uses it as well) it's amazing! It cleans and deodorizes and it smells really good when you apply it, but once you wipe it clean the smell goes away so it's safe for the pets. I would definitely recommend it!