I'm very excited to say that I might be adopting 2 gliders soon!!! I'm trying to get really educated before I get them and to know exactly what I'm getting into. I'm gonna register here later but I'm kinda in a time crunch right now. Anyway.....I was wondering about your cleaning routines and how much time you spend per week cleaning. For those of you that have steamers, how long does it take to completely steam and dry the cage? Does this get rid of the odors? I plan on cleaning the pull out tray every day but I have no idea about the rest!!

They are already used to their diet. I'm not sure which one it is right now but I know that it isn't pellet food! So for now cleaning is my main question...and if the back and sides of the cage are covered with a sheet how much gunk will actually be splattered?? I have to keep the hubby from getting mad Thanks for all the help in advance!!!!

welcome you will love GC nice place and nice people on here i have pieces of fleece at bottom of my cage they get changed or shaken out every day or every other if thier bad and i bleach(not much)/water mix wipe down cage and use a steamer for tough stops once a week leaving a blanket or pouch in so it stills smells like them i find the biggest thing that gets smelly is thier wheels and i wash them once a week to

Have you thought about making a kitchen for them to eat in? Its just a plastic show box with a couple of holes cut into it. It really helps with the mess when they eat. Here is a link to a picture of one on E-Bay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...4=263602_263622

That is a GREAT idea! What about poop/pee....to be blunt and too the point. How much of that gets out onto the floor and surrounding areas? I'm a major animal lover and I want to be prepared because I want these guys to get forever homes and if I'm not up for the challenge I'd rather not put them through it!

Oh and how long does it typically take to wash down one cage really well. This cage is about 6 feet tall I believe.

I have three gliders and they don't make a lot of mess around the cage. The floor of it needs cleaned daily. I have extra nesting pouches and change them often. I love my gliders so don't mind making meals, etc. but they are a time consuming pet as well as active at night. I don't mind that as I'm a night person but that's a huge consideration if you're a light sleeper. Each of them have very different personalities.

Their smell isn't that bad. At least not if you have all the males neutered. I get pee'd and poo'd on every time I get them out of the cage and that doesn't phase me anymore. I bought some spray stuff that you put on their food to help eliminate the odor and it seems to work a little. My cages are in the kitchen so I have to make sure they aren't stinky. I change paper in the bottom about 1X a week, and wipe the wires down whenever I get around to it. In the winter it is hard to do. In the summer, I can set the cages all out and suds them up really well then turn the hose on them to get it rinsed really good. It still doesn't get off all the sticky.

I think the sticky residue is what most people are offended by. It draws gnats like crazy.

Good luck with your gliders.

Hey, I'm NEW to GC today! I got a I got some sticky velcro and stuck it to the inside of the bottom tray pan an cut some fleece to fit the tray pan and stuck that on the velcro strips and it sticks! So there's no paper towels or anything like that just clean the fleece and reuse again and sanitize the bottom of the tray and all is good! it works GREAT!

What a good idea! I will be using that one.

If you go to Glider Classifieds under Glider Cages, a member makes cage liners and they are awesome! You only have to wash them maybe once a week and shake off the dried food and poop. Absolutely no smell what so over!

I do a quicky clean up and change the paper in the bottom and wipe down the sticky spots every couple days. When I get the time to do it right, I take a couple hours and wipe down cages with some mild soapy HOT water about every 2 weeks. If there is too much soap in the water I'll rinse the wire bars with vinegar water and another hand towel. I've got 3 big cages and the worst part of it is doing the inside, the outside is easy and it gets wiped down every couple days. I try to get the bottom/floor and the inside as best as I can, but it is never spic and span clean until summer when I can take the cages outside and really let them soak.

I've tried to use sponges, scrubbies, brushes, and paper towels and the cotton hand towels seem to be more efficient.

The smell isn't as bad in the winter even with the doors and windows closed up. I think I notice the smell more when it is hot summer and humidity is really high.

Gliders don't have an acrid smell like mice, rats, ferrets, hamsters, gerbils. They will pee and poo on you so get used to that and you'll be all right.

Hey I'm New Here! I've Got 2 SG's a Grey WFB. I've got a I got some sticky velcro and stuck it to the inside of the bottom tray pan an cut some fleece to fit the tray pan and stuck that on the velcro strips and it sticks! So no paper towels or anything like that just clean the fleece and reuse again and sanitize the bottom of the tray and all is good! It works GREAT!

I am a breeder and have intact males but don't find the odor offensive. I do feed HPW which helps with the odor and I do use Chlorox non bleach wipes to wipe down the cages every couple weeks as needed. All of my cages have a pull out tray under the bottom grate that I clean with the wipes and line with paper towels. The bottoms are cleaned every few days as needed. I have a glider room and have lined the walls with dollar store vinyl shower curtains to help contain any messes and it works very well. I change out the cage sets & toys weekly too. Hope this helps.