stinkyratties answered:

Step 1: procrastinate cleaning the cage

Step 2: convince myself to clean the cage

Step 3: make a mojito to take the edge off of how much I hate cage cleaning

Step 4: ask boyfriend to clean the cage.

….. Haha. But when it DOESNT go like that….

I do an entire cage clean once a week.

This entails taking out alllll of the toys, taking the fleece off the trays, wash the trays, wash the toys, and put all new fleece in the cage (for liners and nesting).

I have a large cage, a DCN. If Im only cleaning half of it, I can bust that out in like 20-30mins. If Im cleaning the whole thing, I usually drag my feet a little and it takes me like an hour or so.

For cleaning I use warm water and a 50:50 water:vinegar cleaner. I use this on all the plastic toys and trays. I wash the trays and toys in the tub, but my boyfriend manages to do it in the sink.

If Im doing like a super deep clean for whatever reason, Ill fill up the tub mixed with vinegar and a little soap, and let the toys sit in that for 10 mins or so. Just gotta be sure to super rinse them to make sure all soap residue is gone.

To wash the fleece I first hand-vacuum it for any big chunks, and then I throw it in the wash. I use a super hypoallergenic laundry detergent, and only a tiny amt of it. Also, my cleaning times dont include the 1.5 hrs the fleece is in the wash.

Thats my once a week routine.

Then throughout the week I spot clean. I move poops into the litter boxes, and usually about halfway through the week I take out all their nesting/bedding fleece (not the tray liners) and give them fresh fleece.

I think thats about it! Not sure if this answers your question, so lemme know if there was anything else youre wondering! :)