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[Hoppinchins]

I'v been wondering for awhile why you have to use vinager to clean they cage. I just haven't had time to post it. Does anyone know why? 

[Sprinkles]

Vinegar is a natural cleaner that doesn't seem to harm chinchillas.  That and the bitter taste will generally keep them from chewing everything to bits. 

[Jo Ann]

   Vinegar is not toxic like many cleaners are.  Bleach and other cleaners can leave a residue that can make your chin sick.    
 
On the metal parts of the cage I use an iodine/hot water solution in a tub to clean them.  With this, you have to soak the cage at least 20 minutes, rinse it thoroughly and allow it to air dry in the sun before you can put you little one back in it.  This needs to be done in a large tub ... out side and with rubber gloves ... it sterilizes the cage, but it also stains your hands and can stain the walls.  We had a purple bathroom (but only when we took a shower) every time the walls got wet from the steam for about 6 months ... after I tried to rinse the cages in the bathroom.   

Regardless of what you use to clean the cage with, always make sure you rinse it thoroughly and that it is completely dry before putting your chin back in it.

   Jo Ann

P.S.  Vinegar is a good cleaner most anywhere ... it cuts the grease on stove tops ... cleans the film off of glass windows ... cleans carpet.   If you are cleaning carpet or an area rug ... put one to 2 cups of white vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon dishwashing liquid, fill the container with hot water and shampoo the rug.  It takes up pet stains and odors better than any cleaner I have been able to find (and is a whole lot easier on the pocketbook - I buy it by the gallon).

Vinegar is also used to eliminate odors and stains left by cats and dogs on carpet when just spot cleaning ... it leaves a vinegar odor for about 24 hours, then every thing smells clean once the vinegar odor is gone.

[Hoppinchins]

Thats cool. I didn't know you could use vinegar for all that stuff. 

thats funny about your bath room

[cadillactaste]

I've used vinegar to clean our turtle's enclosure for 8 yrs. now...Wasn't sure why either...except that it worked and didn't harm them...now...no one seems to use it with cleaning of snake cages though...I wonder why... Something I'll have to ask on the snake forum. For I'm curious if it is good enough for chins and turtles...why not a snake?

Good post question...

Um-mm purple walls...Well...that was interesting for sure the first time you noticed it...the look on your face would have been priceless...for I can just imagine how I would have looked when noticing it for the first time...

[Jo Ann]

thats funny about your bath room

It was definitely different!  My hubby didn't think it was so funny, but he was glad I'd kept the bathroom door closed and the vent on when I did it ... or we could have had purple walls through out the house.   

Check out these sites ... you might be surprise!  http://www.versatilevinegar.org/usesandtips.html
http://www.vinegartips.com/
http://www.angelfire.com/cantina/homemaking/vinegar.html
http://www.apple-cider-vinegar-benefits.com/
http://www.earthclinic.com/Remedies/acvinegar.html

Um-mm purple walls...Well...that was interesting for sure the first time you noticed it...the look on your face would have been priceless...for I can just imagine how I would have looked when noticing it for the first time...

All I could say was "I sure hope it goes away."  and "How much do you think it will cost us to repaint it?

I have a booklet on vinegar that was published in the 1940s.  It's unreal all the uses for it.  We buy the white vinegar at Sam's ... it comes in 2 - 1 gallon bottles to the box.

   Jo Ann

[Hoppinchins]

Yeha, who would have thought you could use vinegar for so many different things.

[Hoppinchins]

I have to say this is my fav one.. I wish I would have known this when I had a dog.

Get Rid of Odor on a Smelly Dog
Wet the dog down with fresh water.  Use a mixture of 1 cup white distilled vinegar and 2 gallons water.  Saturate the dog’s coat with this solution.  Dry the dog off without rinsing the solution.  The smell will be gone!

[cadillactaste]

Our vet uses women's douche  on dogs that were sprayed with skunk...Or so I was told by the vet tech...Since we're now mentioning stinky dogs...

[Hoppinchins]

Lol. One time our dog got spraied my a stunk. That def wasn't pretty to smell. I live close to a main road and sometimes if a stunk gets hit you can smell it in our house and it sucks.

[Jo Ann]

   We use to keep a couple of gallon size cans of tomato juice (ones like they used in restaurants) when we lived in the country ... tomato juice will also remove the skunk smell from animals and humans.   

Tomato juice and vinegar both have a high PH/acid properties.  The acid tends to clean away the oily skunk sent and neutralizes the smell.   

   Jo Ann

[Hoppinchins]

Thats interesting 

[ahappycamper]

  Vinegar is not toxic like many cleaners are.  Bleach and other cleaners can leave a residue that can make your chin sick.    
 
On the metal parts of the cage I use an iodine/hot water solution in a tub to clean them.  With this, you have to soak the cage at least 20 minutes, rinse it thoroughly and allow it to air dry in the sun before you can put you little one back in it.  This needs to be done in a large tub ... out side and with rubber gloves ... it sterilizes the cage, but it also stains your hands and can stain the walls.  We had a purple bathroom (but only when we took a shower) every time the walls got wet from the steam for about 6 months ... after I tried to rinse the cages in the bathroom.   

Regardless of what you use to clean the cage with, always make sure you rinse it thoroughly and that it is completely dry before putting your chin back in it.

   Jo Ann

P.S.  Vinegar is a good cleaner most anywhere ... it cuts the grease on stove tops ... cleans the film off of glass windows ... cleans carpet.   If you are cleaning carpet or an area rug ... put one to 2 cups of white vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon dishwashing liquid, fill the container with hot water and shampoo the rug.  It takes up pet stains and odors better than any cleaner I have been able to find (and is a whole lot easier on the pocketbook - I buy it by the gallon).

Vinegar is also used to eliminate odors and stains left by cats and dogs on carpet when just spot cleaning ... it leaves a vinegar odor for about 24 hours, then every thing smells clean once the vinegar odor is gone.

Hi Jo Ann, I always thought that rinsing after oyu use vinegar to clean something isn't necessary? The reason I am going to start using vinegar to clean everything, including Po's cage, but for my tables, windows, etc, when I spray, I would still have to rinse it off so when I let Po run around he won't get sick? Is the vinegar dangerous to chinchillas if not rinsed completely?

[Jo Ann]

    I just have this thing about rinsing away any residue from any cleaners I use around chinchillas.  Chinchillas have very sensitive systems.  I never rinsed the vinegar solution until my husband said, "Vinegar's not all natural, it's man made too."  Then silly me started rinsing it off, too.  I never saw anything bad happen before, when I did not rinse it.  Go figure.    

... The reason I am going to start using vinegar to clean everything, including Po's cage, but for my tables, windows, etc, when I spray, I would still have to rinse it off so when I let Po run around he won't get sick? Is the vinegar dangerous to chinchillas if not rinsed completely?

 
Personally, I don't think a little vinegar and water solution residue would harm a chinchilla.

 
When you say "when I spray" ... are you referring to spraying a vinegar and water solution, or spraying a different cleaning chemical?

   Jo Ann

[ahappycamper]

white vinegar and water...a 50/50 solution 

I did this yesterday on the cages and i left the vinegar on for like an hour, rinsed it...and found out that my cage was starting to RUST!! i needed to get a new cage anyways but still, i will build my own cage with stainless steel, i think the cage rusted because it was galvanized steel and maybe i left the vinegar on too long? Do you usually leave the vinegar on for a long time before rinsing it?