Mites!

Netcommerce

My male was diagnosed with mites.  He received his first ivermectin injection and I want to perform a thorough cleaning of his Guineadad cage liners.  Can the liners endure being washed in a super-hot wash cycle?  Can they endure bleach or hydrogen peroxide?  Any advice would be appreciated!

Comments

2 comments

  • Comment author
    Paula Kelly

    It's best to avoid using bleach or hydrogen peroxide when cleaning your guinea pigs fleece liners, as these are harsh chemicals and can cause skin irritation and can be toxic if ingested. Instead, try washing the liners in hot water with a mild detergent, and make sure to rinse them thoroughly. Hot water will not harm our liners but do not dry them on high heat in your dryer because that can harm the liner by shrinking it and or making it less absorbent.  Instead dry on the lowest temperature.  You can also use a light solution of vinegar and water to disinfect the liners and the bottom of the cage as this will help to kill any remaining mites. Be sure to completely dry the liners before putting them back in the cage.  Hope this helps.  Let us know how it goes! 

    0
  • Comment author
    Netcommerce

    I am lucky to have a fairly new front-loading washer and dryer.  Per your advice, I'm washing the liners using a no-scent/no-dye detergent, a downloaded "diaper" setting that includes a 10-minute pre-wash, uses hot water, plus an additional rinse cycle.  The washer also has an allergy cycle that uses steam, but I'm hesitant to use it as I don't want to damage the liners.  That said, I think the diaper cycle should be adequate.  I always use a "less-dry" setting on the dryer for the liners anyway.  Thanks for your help!

    0

Please sign in to leave a comment.