Guinea pigs are great pets. They don’t require too much work and are absolutely adorable. That being said, they can sometimes stink up a room. In today’s article, we are going to go over the best ways to get rid of guinea pig urine smell.
How to get rid of guinea pig urine smell?
The best ways to get rid of guinea pig urine smell are with absorbing bedding, regular cleaning, big cages, vinegar, baking soda, commercial cleaners, and air fresheners.
While a guinea pig’s urine will certainly let off some odor, you can manage it by using the right techniques and material.
Absorptive Bedding
The best and easiest way to get rid of guinea pig urine smell is to choose the proper bedding. You should buy bedding that is able to absorb liquid and odor. I have found that the best type of bedding for absorbing guinea pig pee is aspen shavings. They can be purchased on amazon and do a great job of masking the smell of guinea pig urine.
Another option for bedding is paper based pellets. These also do a great job of absorbing liquid and odors. This is also one of the cheapest options for bedding.
Regular cleaning
While we are on the topic of bedding, it is very important that you regularly clean and replace the bedding. I recommend that you check the bedding for waste every day. You should scoop out and discard any waste you see in the bedding. I also recommend removing any bedding that is damp.
Additionally, you should replace the bedding in the cage once a week. When you do this, you should remove all the bedding that has been soiled and clean the area underneath it. This will help remove the urine smell.
Cleaning is also important because it helps prevent ringworm in guinea pigs. If you suspect your guinea pig has ringworm, you should check out ringworm in guinea pigs pictures.
Big cages
One of the biggest problems I see with guinea pig owners is that their cage is too small. I recommend that your cage as at least 3-4 square feet for each guinea pig you have. If a guinea pig’s cage is too small, it will cause stress, and it will make the cage smellier.
If you have a big cage, it allows more air to circulate in and our of the cage. This helps dilute the smell of urine. Also, a bigger cage will allow your guinea pig to have a designated area for using the bathroom, which will make your life easier when you have to clean the cage. While it may take some time, you can train a guinea pig to only pee in a certain area in the cage. If you need help with training a guinea pig, check out my article on how to discipline a guinea pig.
You can clean the cage with warm water and a guinea pig safe soap.
Vinegar
Vinegar is a great household item that you can use to get rid of the urine smell of your guinea pig. You should mix 1 part white vinegar with 1 part warm water. After you mix it together, you should apply it to your guinea pig’s cage after you remove the bedding.
After the solution is applied, you should wipe it down with warm water. Make sure the cage is completely dry before you return the guinea pig to the cage.
Baking Soda
You can also use baking soda to remove the smell of urine from the cage. To do this, drop a little bit of baking soda in the bottom of the cage after you remove the soiled bedding. Then put the new bedding on top of the baking soda.
Commercial Cleaners
There are also plenty of commercial cleaners that are safe to use on your guinea pig cage. You can find some cleaners for less than $10 on amazon. Even though these cleaners aren’t toxic to your guinea pig, it is important that you remove your guinea pig from the cage while you spray it with the cleaner.
My personal favorite cage cleaner is the Nature’s Miracle Cage Cleaner. It costs less than $4 and does a great job of cleaning and deodorizing your guinea pig’s cage.
You should also make sure the cage is completely dry before you put the guinea pig back in.
Air fresheners
If all else fails, you can purchase a plug-in air freshener. These plug into a normal wall outlet and dispense a pleasant odor into the air. These are also relatively cheap and can last for weeks.
While you should put the freshener close to the cage, you should make sure it is at least two feet away from the cage so it doesn’t spray directly into the cage.
Closing
I hope that these instructions give you some great insight into how to remove the smell of urine from your guinea pig cage. As I mentioned earlier, it will be impossible to completely remove the smell of urine from your guinea pig cage but following these steps will help minimize the smell and prevent your whole room from smelling like guinea pig pee.
If the smell of guinea pig urine still persists, you can also try moving your cage to a different room. I would suggest moving the cage to a bigger room that has more air circulation. This will help dilute the smell of urine. You can also look into buying scented guinea pig bedding which can also help mask the smell of guinea pig urine.
To learn more, check out my article on how to get rid of guinea pig smell in a room.