What's the best way to clean my pet rats' wire cage?

My rats are in a very large wire cage with plastic flooring which is fine to clean, but the cage wire looks really grubby even though i scrub it out twice a week. Does anyone have any ideas on how to really clean up the bars or to stop them corroding. It is a good quality cage but looks grubby and its only 6 months old.





Thanks for any advice.What's the best way to clean my pet rats' wire cage?
i always found my cages went that way too, it is just something that happens and not a lot can be done i don't think.


I then decided that i was fed-up with tarnished wire so i got a HUGE glass fish tank / vivarium and filled it with soil / sand/ shavings and bedding and made a wire top for it. The rats were very happy, the mess was easily hoovered up (after cleaning out) and it could sparkle if i polished the glass (outside), meaning no more tarnished wire and a better looking house for the rats.





I believe that Pets at home now sell small tanks with cage topsWhat's the best way to clean my pet rats' wire cage?
I would just say that you need to keep doing what you are doing now, I see now other way. I would suggest a terrarium because the glass is easy to clean and doesn't wear away like the bars.
in a suit of armour
Try a steamer.
wire cages are a P.I.T.A to clean, it is something you'll just have to deal with. If you have one with larger spacings simply take a cheap green scratchy pad and clean the wires. If you have one where the bars are closer together get a hard toothbruch, and clean it that way.





Good quality cages are www.martinscages.com. If your in kansas contact me, I've got one I'm willing to sell. (it's the martins cage, rat skyscrapper, it's 36x18x36 i belive)
use CLR and a grill brush... but keep yourrats in a PLASTIC box for a few hours after you clean it... your gonna need a rag too.. wash the cage off very well afterwards, because CLR can get them sick if it comes in contact with a mucous membrane...good luck!!
Wire bruh and disinfectant. Dry thoroughly afterwards..
my rat is kept in a large vivarium with a mesh lid its easy to clean i hoover last bits out n wipe glass simple and he loves his home
i wouldnt use a brillo pad, i just used a cloth with pet disinfectant.





I used to fill my old baby bath up and leave it in their to soak (mine was a flat pack) and i found it easy to clean.
I had the same problem with my rat's cage, did you get it from pets at home or some other large pet store? There is no answer to your question as it will go grubby anyway. If I was you I would take it back which I wish I had done, its a lot of money to spend on something that loses it's sparkle in 6 months. believe me it will go totally rusty soon and you will have to buy another one as I have done
Yeah, mine have all done the same thing. The only thing I found to help was scrubbing the cage with a brillo pad (the kind used to clean pots) or steel wool, give it a good scrub, but even this dosen't clean it all off.





I would recommend getting a big fish tank and filling it halfway with soil if you want a different place for them. I had this for my 2 pet rats and they loved it, I also made a lid out of 4 bits of wood and some mesh across the top, so you can hang things from it.
I would not scrub the cage so often, as the paint will take strain and will start to look grubby. For the best hygeine all around and safety for the rats, soak the cage once a month in a strong toilet cleaner. Make sure to rinse thoroughly and dry off before letting the rats near it again. The loo cleaner disinfects and cleans the cage very well. Then, weekly, just take a wet cloth and wipe it off with normal soap. Make sure the rats have a bit of ';out the cage'; time so that they are not bored and start chewing on the cage! Also give them a few things to investigate when you are out and they are alone.
I use those little baby-wipes you buy in packets, then I just feed them through and clean it. But yeah, the black wire are the WORST for cleaning, and then having them LOOk clean. Mine have calcium marks from yogurt, and corrosion (its second hand).





My last cage was better (too small). It was that white wire, but so much easier to clean.
Take it outside and put the hose on it preferably with the rat still in it then you will have done two jobs at once