How to clean a gerbil cage: a simple routine

How often should gerbils be cleaned out?

A full clean every two to three weeks for a standard-size tank, with spot cleaning in between. That is what the RSPCA, PDSA and the MSD Veterinary Manual's owner pages advise, and Wood Green says every three weeks or more often for bigger groups. Sources do differ quite a lot, so here they are side by side.

Why the spread? Tank size and bedding depth. Gerbils make very little urine, and in a big tank with deep bedding the mess is spread thin, so it stays fresh for weeks. In a small, shallow tank it builds up fast. We'd follow the UK welfare charities for a minimum-size tank: full clean every two to three weeks. In a large tank of 120 cm (47 in) or more with 25 cm (10 in) of bedding, stretch to four weeks or longer as long as the bedding is dry and there is no smell.

Why you shouldn't over-clean a gerbil tank

Gerbils spend days building tunnels and rely on smell to know their home and their family. Oregon Humane Society says it can be stressful to take away their hard-earned burrows and scent too often. Gerbil Care UK adds that keeping the tank smelling familiar helps stop gerbils falling out after a clean. So the aim is a fresh tank that still smells like theirs, not a spotless one.

Daily and weekly gerbil cage cleaning

Little and often keeps full cleans rare. This is the routine most sources agree on.

• Daily: refill fresh water and check the bottle tip flows
• Daily: remove yesterday's fresh food before it goes off; PetMD says within 10 hours
• Daily: sieve droppings out of the sand bath
• Daily or every few days: lift out damp or dirty patches and droppings from the surface
• Every few days: top up hay and nesting paper
• Weekly: wash the water bottle with soap and water and rinse well, as the BC SPCA advises
• Weekly: change the sand fully
• Weekly: wipe the wheel and spot clean wooden ledges

The RSPCA also says to remove stale food daily, because gerbils hoard. Fresh food buried in the nest can go off without you seeing it, so check the nest edges for old scraps when you spot clean.

How to clean a gerbil cage, step by step

1. Move the gerbils. Put them in a secure carrier with some nesting paper, a hide and a few seeds, somewhere quiet. Wood Green and the RSPCA both say to take them out while you clean.
2. Save some bedding. Scoop out about a fifth of the cleanest, driest old bedding and some nest material into a bag. Gerbil Care UK keeps at least 20 percent.
3. Empty the tank. Lift out the wheel, sand bath, hides and platforms, then bag the rest of the bedding for the bin or compost.
4. Clean the tank and kit. Spray with a pet-safe small animal disinfectant, wipe, then rinse with clean water. Wood Green says let everything dry fully.
5. Treat wooden items. Gerbil Care UK sprays wooden ledges with pet-safe disinfectant, dips them in boiling water and lets them air dry. Replace any that are badly chewed or stained.
6. Rebuild. Put heavy items in first, as Wood Green suggests, then layer fresh bedding and hay, mixing the saved old bedding through. Add fresh sand and water.
7. Return the gerbils. Scatter their food, put them back and let them explore. Expect a burst of digging as they rebuild.

What to clean a gerbil cage with

A pet-safe small animal disinfectant, then clean water. Gerbil Care UK uses one and rinses afterwards, and advises against household products. PetMD also gives a 3 percent bleach solution as an option, rinsed off thoroughly. Gerbil Care UK doesn't recommend white vinegar, because it removes the scent trails gerbils use to recognise their home. Plain hot water and washing-up liquid are fine for glass bottles and dishes, as long as they are rinsed well.

Cleaning the sand bath and water bottle

Gerbils often use the sand bath as a toilet, so it needs the most frequent attention. Gerbil Care UK sieves it daily and changes the sand fully once or twice a week; Wood Green and PetMD also suggest regular changes. Use a small kitchen sieve kept just for this. Our gerbil sand bath guide covers which sand to use.

Water bottles get a green film and can stick. Refill with fresh water daily, wash weekly with soap and water and a bottle brush, as the BC SPCA suggests, and check the ball in the tip moves freely. The RSPCA says to check bottles daily for leaks or blockages.

Signs a gerbil cage needs cleaning

• A smell when you lift the lid
• Damp or clumped bedding, often near the water bottle
• Fresh food that has gone off or shows damp growth
• A sand bath full of droppings
• Bedding packed flat with no tunnels
• Gerbils with greasy or dirty fur

If the tank smells soon after a clean, check the bottle for leaks first. If a gerbil has a dirty bottom or wet droppings, that is a health sign, not a cleaning one: the RSPCA says to see a vet if droppings become moist or the back end becomes soiled. Our gerbil health guide explains more.

Cleaning with baby gerbils

Leave the nest alone while pups are tiny. Bowmanville Veterinary Clinic advises waiting until pups are at least two weeks old before cleaning the cage. Until then, only remove old fresh food and damp patches well away from the nest, keep water topped up and disturb the mother as little as possible.

For the right bedding to refill with, see our gerbil bedding guide, and for the layout, the gerbil cage setup guide. Everything else is in our complete gerbil care guide.