The weekly cleaning

Cleaning the enclosure is probably not the nicest job to do, but it is very important for the health of the hedgehog and for you! A dirty house can become mouldy, but it is also a hotbed for bacteria, viruses and parasites. Most of these can also be contagious to humans. It is therefore important to clean the accommodation and all accessories every week. But it is also necessary to replace certain accessories in the accommodation.

The order of cleaning

The order in which you clean the enclosure may not seem so important, but it can make all the difference in preventing bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites from getting the chance to grow in the enclosure. You must first remove all visible loose dirt, then all visible stuck dirt and only then do you rinse the stay and remove the invisible dirt with a cleaner. The cage accessories must of course also be cleaned, because they also get dirty.

  1. Place the hedgehog in a temporary residence or in a transport box.
  2. Remove all accessories from the accommodation and clean them thoroughly, including everything made of wood.
  3. Rinse the accessories well with clean, hot water and dry them with a clean cloth.
  4. Allow wooden accessories to dry thoroughly before putting them back in the accommodation after cleaning.
  5. Remove the bedding and all nesting material.
  6. If necessary, use a scraper to loosen stuck-on dirt.
  7. Rinse the enclosure with clean, hot water to remove less visible, loose dirt.
  8. Use a good cleaner and scrub the housing well to remove invisible dirt.
  9. Rinse with clean, hot water.
  10. Repeat steps 5 & 6 if necessary.
  11. Dry the stay with a clean cloth.
  12. Fill the enclosure with a fresh layer of clean bedding.
  13. Place all accessories back in the accommodation.
  14. Fill the sleeping area with sufficient nesting material.
  15. Place the hedgehog back in the enclosure.

Cleaning or disinfecting?

Cleaning is different from disinfecting. When cleaning, you remove visible dirt and thus also any parasite eggs that are in it. But it actually does nothing against bacteria, viruses and you do not remove all parasite eggs with it. Disinfecting does all this. That is why it is important to disinfect regularly in addition to cleaning. At least once a month, but in the summer months this may also be needed more often. The heat makes bacterial growth better and viruses also like warmer conditions. Good hygiene is therefore important. Do you want to know how to disinfect a residence? Then click on the button below.
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