American child psychologist James Dobson once described a typical scenario that many parents have encountered: you come into the bedroom and find a lipstick-covered toddler smelling of Chanel No. 5 smiling beatifically at you surrounded by a chaos of smeared foundation, mascara, talcum powder and moisturizer all over the place. What he didn’t describe was what to do next, especially when it comes to cleaning up the mess.
Cleaning up the meddling little monkey is the easy bit. Cream cleanser will get the lipstick off him/her, even if the child in question didn’t slather on moisturizer first. Deep reds or long-lasting lipsticks may leave a slight stain, but this will wear away in a day or so.
Worst things first for the clean-up job. In many ways, it may be better to leave cleaning up the child until last. This is especially true if nail polish has been involved in the chaos. Deal with this one first, especially if it’s on the carpet.
According to one household expert, you should use a metal comb (the sort used for dealing with headlice), tissues cotton wool and acetone (nail polish remover). Wrap the tissue around the comb so that the teeth poke through it. Use the comb to lift the pile of the carpet up slightly – slide it right into the carpet so it forms a barrier between the top of the carpet and the bottom. The tissue will soak up any excess. Then dab on a little acetone – not too much, as it can melt plastic and plastic derivatives in artificial fibres – and use the cotton wool to blot, rub and wipe the nail polish off. Don’t try do the whole stain at once; work through it bit by bit, moving the comb along as you go and changing the tissue when it gets wet. This method is also supposed to work with superglue.
If the nail polish is on cotton cloth, the job is much easier. Simply dab it in acetone. Artificial fibres are more difficult, as acetone will melt plastic-based substances. This is a job for a professional, so take whatever-it-is down to the dry-cleaning agency. However, if the nail polish hasn’t quite set, you can remove the excess by scraping as much as you can off, but make sure that what you use to scrape it off can stand a little nail polish on it, as the polish will now stick to it.
To remove lipstick from carpet, dab on a little dry-cleaning fluid with cotton wool. This will fade the intensity of the colour a bit. Then shake bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) over the stain. Then all you do is vacuum.
For foundation or other liquids containing oil on carpet, first tackle the oils by scrubbing it with a toothbrush using a mixture of cold water and dish detergent. Blot dry. If the stain still remains, use a proprietary carpet cleaning solution. If the stain still lingers, get the carpet out into bright sunshine if you can, as the UV light will fade the stain. If you can’t get the carpet outside into the light, then apply a little lemon juice to the stain as a bleach, or hire a UV light and focus it on the stain for a few hours.
Methylated spirits will remove most makeup off things like sheets or clothing. Dab a moderate amount (enough to soak through the cloth) onto the stain, then leave it to soak before washing in the machine. It’s best to use a cold water wash in case the hot water sets any stains.
Talcum powder goes everywhere, but it easy to clean up. Just dust it up with a duster as you would for any other type of dust, or else vacuum. Scented talcum powder in the vacuum cleaner will mean that the vacuum cleaner will give off that scent until you change the bag or empty the container – a nice bonus.
Better still, avoid the problems and keep your cosmetics out of child-reach. Or shut the bedroom door when you’re not there!
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Well done – you’ve finished all your house cleaning and your house is sparkling. And what better motivation for having a good clean up than preparing for an elegant cocktail party? But what are some good cocktails to serve at a cocktail party, including some for the designated drivers or teetotallers who would rather stay off alcohol? Here’s a few classic recipes.
Alcoholic cocktails:
* Manhattan: seven parts rye whisky to three parts sweet Martini. Mix over ice then add a dash of Angostura bitters. Stir together, then pour into a chilled glass. Traditional garnish: a cherry.
* Martini: 9 parts gin to 1 part dry vermouth. Stir together (unless you are serving the martini to James Bond, in which case it should be shaken, not stirred) and pour into a chilled glass. Traditional garnish: a twist of lemon (peel and maybe a bit of the juicy part) or a green olive on a toothpick.
* Cosmopolitan: 3 parts vodka, 3 three parts cranberry juice, two parts triple sec/Cointreau, two parts lime juice (not lime cordial). Shake together with ice and pour into a chilled glass. Traditional garnish: a slice of lime fitted over the side.
* Margarita: 4 parts tequila, 3 parts triple sec/Cointreau and three parts lime juice, with a splash each of egg white (which will make it froth slightly) and sugar syrup. Shake together. Traditional garnish: dip the rim of the glass into lemon juice then into salt – do this before pouring the margarita in.
* Pisco sours: 8 parts Pisco (a variety of Peruvian brandy – you can use whisky, in which case, you are making whisky sours), 4 parts lime juice, 3 parts sugar syrup, white of one egg. Shake together, then garnish with a splash of bitters, if desired.
* Mojito: Put a handful each of fresh lime (chopped) and mint leaves into a tall glass. Put in two parts of sugar, then add in six parts white rum and two parts lime juice. Fill with ice. Traditional garnish: a sprig of mint.
* Bloody Mary: 3 parts vodka, 6 parts tomato juice, 1 part lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper. Shake together, then pour over ice and add celery salt. Traditional garnish: a celery stalk.
* Sangria: red wine (plenty), orange juice (moderate amount), sparkling mineral water (optional) and brandy or triple sec (smaller amount). Mix together in a large jug and add chopped fruit, usually apples and oranges, but you can also try peaches, kiwifruit and banana. The brandy or spirits can be omitted for a less potent version that contains so many antioxidants it’s almost healthy.
* Piña Colada: 3 parts white rum, 3 parts coconut cream, 3 parts pineapple juice. Shake together with ice. Traditional garnish: a slice of pineapple and a cherry.
* Daiquiri: 9 parts white rum, 4 parts lime juice, 1 part sugar syrup. Garnish with a wedge of lime.
Non-alcoholic cocktails:
* Virgin Mary: 6 parts tomato juice to 1 part lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper. Shake together and serve over ice, and add celery salt. Garnish like a Bloody Mary (which it is based on).
* Virgin Piña Colada: equal parts coconut cream and pineapple juice. Serve with ice. Garnish like a regular Piña Colada.
* Shirley Temple: two parts ginger ale, one part orange juice and a splash of grenadine. Shake together. Traditional garnish: a cherry or a slice of lemon.
* Roy Rogers: a mixture of grenadine and cola. Traditional garnish: a cherry.
* Dolce and Gabbana: a variation of the Roy Rogers, using diet cola instead of “regular” cola.
* Jefferson: iced tea and orange juice.
* Faisal Ali: equal parts orange juice, ginger ale and cranberry.
* Pomme Noir: apple juice and cola
For a good cocktail party where people don’t get too messy, it’s important to make sure that you have plenty of nibbled handy, and think beyond the traditional nuts and prawns – some people are allergic to fish and/or nuts.
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If you are using a window cleaning company to have your home or office cleaned regularly, you are probably thinking that since this is something that the cleaning company will be doing anyway, there’s no need for you to bother about this. Please don’t jump to conclusions and read on.
Blinds reflect the condition of your home or office both internally and externally. A person looking at your windows from outside and seeing dirty blinds will jump to conclusions about the state of the interior and a person seeing dirty blinds inside will focus on that and not on the rest of the room, no matter how clean it may be.
The problem with blinds, especially in a place like London, is that open windows and pollution often wreak havoc upon them. It may at times be necessary to clean the blinds before the visit of a London cleaning company is due.
Here are a few tips on how to go about it with the minimum of effort. These apply to all blind materials Ð wood, vinyl, fabric or aluminum.
Start by vacuuming the blinds using a brush attachment. If need be wash the brush before use so it does not leave more dirt than it removes. Always move the vacuum cleaner nozzle in an up to down movement because doing it upwards could cause the blinds to un- hooked at the top.
Once the vacuuming is done, use a clean lamb’s wool or feather duster on the slats, once again using an up to down movement. If after this you see some stains or spots on the slats, use an all purpose cleaner to remove them. Never spray or apply the cleaning product directly to the slats. Dampen a cloth and rub the stain the remove it. If the stain does not come off, leave it alone and either wait for the cleaning company next visit or get a professional blind cleaning service to do the job for you. Many London window cleaning companies will offer blinds cleaning as a part of their services portfolio.
Please note that blinds should never be soaked as this will lead to the loss of the fire retardant and grime repellant chemicals they are coated with. Fabric blinds may also shrink. Also never wipe blinds with hot water as this may cause fabric colours to run.
For fabric and vinyl blinds use a dry sponge to scrub away stubborn dust and grime. Be careful not to rub too hard or you could damage the surface finish of the slats.
Despite the drive towards paperless offices, the fact remains that most are still full of paper files and books. While the files usually have a defined life after which they may be thrown away, books are things that are kept. But they are also susceptible to decay and damage and need to be looked after. You never know when you will need some information that is only in a book and not on your hard drive. While your domestic cleaning company will clean the bookshelves as part of their cleaning service, cleaning old and valuable books is something you should do yourself.
There are two steps to cleaning books.
Cleaning the Outside
Wipe the surface with clean paper or a soft dry cloth to remove any dust. Do not allow any dampness or chemicals to touch the paper as it may damage it irreparably. If the book has a glossy cover you can use a little window cleaning spray that is applied to a soft cloth that is then used to wipe the cover. Never spray the cleaner directly on to the cover. If the cover or the pages get damp, place the book in the sun to dry do not place it near a fire or use a hair dryer – these could damage the paper.
For leather bound books, place a little petroleum jelly to a soft cloth and apply it to the leather. Then use a dry soft cloth to rub it to a shine. Do not use any cleaning sprays or polishes on leather bound books not only could they damage this delicate leather, the spray or polish, if it gets on the pages, can damage the paper.
Cleaning the Inside
Use a piece of dry white bread to clean the edges of the pages. Keep the book closed and wipe around the sides of the pages with the bread which will absorb the dirt. You can also use a vacuum cleaner to suck the dirt out of the books. Be careful when doing this with old and fragile books as the suction force could tear the old paper or damage brittle covers. Do not use any sprays of liquids on the paper. If there are marks or stains on the pages, you can try either:
* Using a white vinyl eraser to rub at the stains Ð always rub from the inside to the out, being careful not to tear the paper.
* If it is a grease or oil stain, place a paper towel on the stain and close the book. Lay it flat with a weight on top of it. Leave it for a few days and then remove the paper towel which should have absorbed the grease.
If you have never used a dishwasher before, they seem like magic. They hide all those nasty, dirty plates away out of sight so your house looks instantly cleaner like you had a professional domestic cleaner around and so that flies (and badly behaved cats) aren’t attracted to the scraps left on the crockery and spread disease. And they save you about twenty minutes or more a day by getting your dishes spotlessly clean for you. And, according to one study, they do a better job of getting things clean (even if you’re hyper-meticulous) so you’ll have a healthier home.
On the flip side, a dishwasher does require strong alkaline powder to work (although see below for some alternatives), and they use a bit more electricity and possibly more hot water, which may put a bit more on your power bill. And if you’ve never used one before, they can be a bit daunting and confusing. Even the instruction books that come with them may not be super-helpful, although you can get an idea of how to load them from the books.
* Check all items before you pop them in the dishwasher. Some things may not be dishwasher suitable, and others may say “top rack only”. Follow these instructions, or you will end up with a mess of melted plastic and/or warped kitchenware.
* It’s probably not the best idea to wash massive saucepans in a dishwasher, as they take up too much space.
* The most economically efficient way to run a dishwasher is to only run full loads and to use a lower temperature setting, if you can. This also applies to washing machines.
* Don’t expect miracles. You should scrape and rinse excess of plates and saucepans first. Really dirty pots and pans with burnt on bits should be soaked overnight, scraped and rinsed before going into the dishwasher. This will also mean that you can avoid using the heavy duty cycle on your dishwasher, which helps conserve power. After all, if only one pot needs heavy duty treatment, why do you need to wash the knives and cups on heavy duty as well? As a hint, a tiny dash (half a teaspoon) of dishwasher powder does wonders for burnt on bits when added to the soaking water overnight. You only need to use cold soaking water.
* You can make your own dishwasher powder that is an environmentally friendly cleaning product and uses fewer toxins. Mix borax and baking soda, then use white vinegar for the rinse cycle. It may not get everything quite as sparkling, but it will get things clean and sterile – it’s the water that does most of the work, after all.
* If you stick with conventional powder, you will release fewer toxins into your environment if you let the dishwasher cool down before you open it to unload. This avoids the cloud of alkaline-laden steam being released into your face when you open it.
* Store conventional dishwasher powder out of reach of children, as it is really dangerous – more so than the liquid used for washing dishes by hand.
* You can cut costs and chemicals by not using the rinse aid. All this does is to put a bit of extra sparkle on your glasses. If you skip it, everything will still be clean and hygienic.
If you have lived most of your life with a dishwasher, you probably learned what does and doesn’t go into this machine around the same time as you learned your ABCs, if not before. And you probably take your dishwasher for granted. If you have only recently been introduced to these magnificent machines, they will seem like utter magic as they take the load of washing dishes off your back.
However, they don’t take this load completely off your back. Nor can you kiss your rubber gloves, scouring pad and long-handled dishwashing brush goodbye. Some things can’t go into the dishwasher. A dishwasher’s ability to get the ordinary plates, knives and cups clean seems like magic, but a dishwasher cannot do miracles.
Some people prefer not to do the loading and unloading of the dishwasher themselves and they find a local cleaning company to send them a domestic cleaner.
* Don’t put heavily soiled items in the dishwasher. If you do, the dishwasher will blast the gunk from the porridge pot all over the drinking glasses. Everything should be rinsed off under the tap – a quick blast is all that’s really needed – before going into the machine. If you still see masses of gunk on whatever it is, then soak the item overnight to loosen that gunk. Tip for saucepans with burnt-on stuff: put a little (about ¼ teaspoon) of the dishwashing powder into the saucepan along with the soaking water. This helps loosen the gunk. After soaking, scrape the gunk out.
* If you are lucky enough to own cutlery with ivory handles (it had better be antique or vintage – ivory is somewhat on the hit list for naughty items coming from endangered animals alongside furs coming from baby seals), then don’t put these in the dishwasher. Some ivory-handled items are supposedly dishwasher safe, but it’s best to be on the safe side and wash these by hand. It won’t take you long!
* While you should indeed rinse or wash out tins, glass jars and the like before putting them out for recycling, you should not put these in the dishwasher. Yes, I know that these jars, etc. are often only lightly soiled, but they have paper labels. Your dishwasher is likely to whip off the paper labels and blast them all over the rest of the wash load in a form of annoying papier-mâché. It’s kind of like putting your jeans into the washing machine with the pockets full of tissues – don’t do it!
* This is more of a personal don’t rather than a general don’t, so ignore this if it doesn’t fit your situation. I don’t put big, bulky saucepans into the dishwasher for washing, even if they’ve got only a little bit of dirt and grease to wash off. This is because I can get a whole day’s worth of dishes into the machine if the saucepans stay out. This means I only have to run the dishwasher once a day, which helps keep the power bill down. However, as running a full load is the most economical way of using a dishwasher and because items shouldn’t sit unwashed in the dishwasher for more than 24 hours (pong!), you can put the big saucepans in the dishwasher if you only have one or two people in your household.
* Some types of plastic don’t like going in the bottom shelf of dishwashers and can only go in the top drawer. This is all very well for smaller items like plates and cups, but if you, like me, own a larger item made of this type of plastic, it may not fit in the top shelf. Don’t risk it in the bottom drawer – wash it by hand.
If you’re new to the world of natural cleaning products for your house, it can seem a bit overwhelming at first, especially if you’ve still got a cupboard full of commercial cleaners. You possibly feel a bit unsure as well. Can these products really do the job of killing germs? Can you really clean the toilet with natural products? Do you have to spend a small fortune shopping online for soap nuts and Enjo cloths (which, incidentally, are sold on the party plan)? What do you actually need to get started cleaning naturally?
* Start small. You don’t have to change everything all at once, unless there’s an urgent health reason for doing so. Just make little changes here and there at first. For example, start by using baking soda to clean the bathroom sink and the bath. Then extend it to cleaning the fridge or the microwave. Then make another change – vinegar for window cleaning?, maybe. The places that are usually the last to switch to natural cleaning products are the toilet (overcoming a deeply ingrained belief that this is a stronghold of germs that needs commercial strength disinfectant to sanitize), the dishes (dishwashing liquid and powder does do a good job, and that foam while you handwash dishes is very satisfying and adds some fun to the work) and the laundry (laundry powder works better in cold water than soap does).
* Use the bottles and containers left from the commercial cleaners to house your new home-made products. Rinse them out well before use. You may also want to re-label them so others in your house know what they’re for. The spray containers are particularly handy, but you’ll need to pump an entire bottle of clean water through the spray system to get it clean.
* Start with common products. You probably already have vinegar and baking soda in your cupboards for use in cooking. Start by using these – you can clean an awful lot with them. Later on, you can add in other ingredients such as essential oils, borax, soap nuts, Enjo cloths, etc.
* Remember that you don’t have to have one product for the kitchen and another for cleaning the bathroom. Most natural cleaning products are very good at multi-tasking.
* If you’re not sure whether a certain natural cleaner is OK to use on a particular material, don’t. However, remember that water is pretty safe to use with anything, so you can fall back on this as a standby.
* Don’t get too worried about the “right” essential oil to use. Many recipes for natural cleaning products specify which oil to use. However, these oils can often be left out, as they are mainly there for smell and added disinfectant power (the other ingredients are often also disinfectants in their own right, e.g. vinegar, salt and vodka). And you can also substitute one oil for another – if you can’t find lemon essential oil, you can probably find tea tree or lavender oil without too much bother.
* If you add essential oil to vinegar, keep this separate from the vinegar you use for cooking. Essential oils may be natural, but they should only be taken internally with the advice of a qualified practitioner in alternative medicine (i.e. a doctor).
* Don’t feel guilty if you use commercial products occasionally. Just remember to wear gloves and not to breathe the stuff in. This writer admits to using a commercial wood polish because the smell brings back good memories – the excuse is that positive memories and enjoying doing the work boost the immune system.
Carpet cleaning can be something of a nemesis. If you’re renting, you can bet your bottom dollar that you’re going to have to clean that carpet – possibly by hiring a professional cleaner or by getting in one of those steam cleaning machines – when you do the final tidy up before moving house. And if you’re not renting, well, you probably want to keep your carpets in good nick because the house is YOURS and you can’t blame anyone else for grotty threadbare carpets. Anyway, carpets can be a pain to clean, no matter where you live, mostly because they continually have feet marching all over them and those soft, fluffy fibres trap dirt.
You could, of course, do without a carpet and leave some areas in your house with polished wooden boards warmed up by the occasional mat. However, you will find that this allows more dust to fly around the place and you will need to wield the duster that little bit more often.
Tips for cleaning carpets and keeping them clean:
* Provide decent doormats that actually scrape bits of stray mud off at both your front and back doors and stop a lot of the dirt getting inside in the first place.
* Encourage children (and other family members) to have “outdoor shoes” that never come inside. Have a place for folk to change into and out of these shoes near the door, and allow for plenty of space to store Wellington boots, rugby boots, gardening clogs, etc.
* Take a tip from Asian culture and remove all shoes at the door. This is becoming more and more common. Going barefoot on carpet is a sensual delight, and if it’s chilly, wear thick socks or a good pair of slippers to keep your toes from freezing.
* Vacuum frequently – weekly is the bare minimum.
* Treat all spills, stains and smears as soon as possible after they occur to stop the dirt “setting” into the fibres of your carpet. In many cases, you don’t need a fancy carpet cleaning products – flooding the spot with fresh water (but make sure that the stain doesn’t spread everywhere, which it will if you use too much) followed by blotting with a thick towel.
* Really nasty patches of dirt can be cleaned using natural cleaning methods. The very best is… warm soapy water. Don’t use hot water – you may have a bit of protein-based material in the ick that you’re trying to clean, and hot water will set this stain in. Use a medium-stiff scrubbing brush (harder than a toothbrush but softer than what you’d use for scrubbing a tile floor – if you have a brush you use for scrubbing clothes, use that). Make the soapy water foam – this lifts the dirt up and away.
* While soapy water is good for cleaning carpets, don’t use too much and get the carpet absolutely flooded. Too much water will take ages to dry, and while the water’s down there, it will attract more dirt and make a happy home for mildew. The best way to apply the warm soapy water (or any other carpet-cleaning product, home made or otherwise) is to dab a scrubbing brush into a bowl or bucket of the liquid, then letting the excess drip off before scrubbing the surface of the patch to be cleaned.
* It’s best to hire a cleaning machine from a professional company for cleaning large areas of carpet. These days, you’d be mad if you tried cleaning a whole room of wall-to-wall carpet by hand with a scrubbing brush. Honestly, you have better ways of spending your time!
* Some experts recommend using a broom to sweep over the area of carpet to be cleaned to lift the pile of the carpet and allow the trapped dirt out. You can get a similar effect by using your scrubbing brush dry on the spot before applying the warm soapy water. But use the broom for a once-over if you are cleaning the whole carpet with a steam cleaning machine.
All homes need some basic rules to make sure that everything runs smoothly and (ideally) so that one person doesn’t end up doing more than their fair share of the work. Not all homes have the rules written down, but judging by the amount of quarrels about who does what (or who hasn’t done what), writing them down wouldn’t hurt. Here’s a sample:
* If you’re not actually watching the TV/listening to the radio, switch it off at the wall. Standby still uses electricity.
* Turn off the light if you’re the last one to leave the room.
* If you spilled it, dropped the crumbs, smeared it, etc., you clean it up, preferably as soon as possible, because things get harder to clean if you leave them for when your regular cleaner.comes for the .
* If you want it washed, put it in the laundry basket.
* Rinse your plates, knives and cups before putting them in the dishwasher.
* Make your bed as soon as you get out of it – or strip the sheets off ready for washing, if needed. You have the option of getting dressed first.
* Only fill the kettle as much as you need if you’re going to boil it, but make sure that the element is covered (which probably means that you’ll have enough hot water for two people, so why not see who else wants a drink while you’re at it?).
* Turn the element off once you’ve finished cooking. No exceptions – the oven is not a form of home heating.
* Take your shoes off at the door – this avoids tracking mud and extra bits through the house. And put them on the shoe rack, if you have one, rather than leaving them scattered all around the doorstep for the next person to trip over.
* Put things away rather than just down in a corner. Otherwise, you’ll waste quite a few minutes a day looking for things that weren’t put away properly.
* Don’t throw food scraps in the rubbish bin – put them in the compost bin or in the doggy bowl.
* Don’t stand there with the fridge door wide open considering what you might like to eat. Think about what you want before you open the door.
* If you use the last of something, write it down on the list, or at least let the person in charge of doing the groceries know.
* If you used the last bit of toilet paper, put a new roll on.
* Rinse out tins, stick the lid inside them and crush them before putting them into the recycling bin.
* Take jelly beans, bits of paper and coins out of your pockets before putting them into the wash. Removing underpants from inside trousers is also a nice touch.
* Wash your hands before eating, preparing food, after handling animals, after going to the toilet, after handling noxious substances and after doing dirty jobs like gardening and house cleaning.
* If you’re just scribbling down a list or doodling, don’t use the good paper – use the GOOS (good on one side) paper.
* Don’t run the tap while you’re doing your teeth.
This advice is directed at cleaning a guinea pig cage, but the same advice can be used for cleaning cages for other pets such as mice, rats, rabbits, hamsters and the like. Mice are the worst pets for having to clean up after, as (so I have been told) they have no sphincter muscles on their little bladders, so they pee anywhere and everywhere. This is why (a) mice are such unhygienic pests if they are wild and infesting your house (b) you can’t housetrain mice. Rats, however, have enough intelligence to be housetrained. Some people have even managed to train pet rats to help them clean the kitchen – they certainly do a very good job of getting rid of every single crumb.
Anyway, back to the guinea pig cage. You will need lots of old newspaper, some bedding, a scrubbing brush, some warm soapy water, and a dustpan and shovel. Do not use harsh house cleaning chemicals for cleaning pet cages, as these can irritate the skin and eyes of your pets. Use natural cleaning methods.
Start by removing the pets from the cage. You don’t want them in the way while you’re cleaning. Put them somewhere safe where they won’t escape. Larger pets can be put in a laundry hamper, but smaller ones (mice) may need to go in an ice cream container with holes in the lid.
Next, remove the old bedding and all the droppings, using the dustpan and shovel to scoop up as much as you can. This old, soiled bedding makes first-class compost, so don’t waste it! Also make sure that you get rid of any uneaten or spoiled food as well.
Now scrub out the bottom of the cage using warm, soap water. This is easier to do with plastic-bottomed cages. Wooden cages absorb a bit more smell and urine, so these may need to be turned on their sides and allowed to dry. However, if you are cleaning a rabbit or guinea pig hutch that is made of wood and is up on legs, this is less of a problem, as the air beneath will dry the wood out.
Put down a thick layer of old newspaper down the bottom of the cage once the bottom of the cage is dry. This will make the next domestic cleaning session much easier. Once you have put this in place, put the guinea pig bedding down. You can now return your pets to their cage.
You will also need to clean out food dishes and water bowls or bottles. Do this exactly the same way as you would clean your own food dishes and drinking vessels. Wash them by hand in warm soapy water, followed by thorough rinsing and drying. Alternatively, put them in the dishwasher, assuming that they are dishwasher safe, and again make sure that they are properly dry before re-filling the dishes with fresh food.
Make sure you give your pets a cuddle after you’ve cleaned their cage. It’s good for them and it’s good for you.
