# Deep cleaning critter nation



## leti2pets (May 16, 2017)

Usually I just wipe down surfaces, clean bedding, and call it good. Right now though the rats have been in it long enough that it has a smell even when I just cleaned it. I want to take it outside and scrub it down and hose it off. I have read that the CN tends to rust if you do that. How else can I get it all the way clean?


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## Othello (Mar 21, 2018)

you can spray it with 50% vinegar 50% water. That will kill any bacteria that's causing the smell. Plus its safe for rats.


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## Asiposea (Dec 16, 2016)

I take mine apart maybe five times a year and rinse it in the shower. Some people wheel the whole thing outside and spray it which I think allows water to get trapped. If you take it apart you can tilt it this way and that to drain the water out of the frame. I do have a dry house so I think this helps. I have not noticed premature rusting and will continue to deep clean in this way.


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## leti2pets (May 16, 2017)

It was challenging to put together to start with. Does it get easier each time? That seems like an all day project.


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## CorbinDallasMyMan (Feb 24, 2017)

I used to take mine apart, hose down the individual pieces outside, then leave them in the sun for a few hours to dry. I would prop the components up so the water could drain out and I would rotate them a couple times to make sure no moisture was trapped in the hollow metal components. While the outside of the cage is coated with a protective enamel, the insides of the metal tubes are not, making them more susceptible to rust.

...and yeah, it was a project but not too bad if only done every few months. I was lucky in that my cage came apart and went back together pretty smoothly.


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## Asiposea (Dec 16, 2016)

leti2pets said:


> It was challenging to put together to start with. Does it get easier each time? That seems like an all day project.


My particular cage had a bent insertion point and would not go together when I purchased it. I adjusted it to straighten it out and made sure everything else was straight. You can use the cage peg that slips into that point as a lever to adjust it minimally or a screwdriver or such for severe malformations. The cage doesn't slide together like butter, but it is still decently easy. If yours was a pain to put together or if you really needed to hammer things together then your best bet would be to adjust any contact points. I do not use any tools to take mine apart or put it back together.

It takes more time taking out the innards of hammocks and tubes. I'll have to time how long this takes- maybe 40 minutes total to take it apart, scrub/rinse, and put it together again. This does not include dry time or rehanging items. I put the rats in bin cages/free range while the parts are drying for a few hours. If it was an all day project I'd trash the cage and go with a martin's cage.


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