Simple Green?

[MimzMum]

I am curious if anyone uses this biodegradable cleanser and if anybunny thinks it would be okay to use occasionally to clean bunny pens and litterboxes? (I’d never use it on their feeding/watering utensils because those I wash with mild soap and hot water.)

I notice my bunnies REALLY hate the smell of vinegar and I think I know why now. Obviously, these two had to have been ‘discarded’ Easter bunnies and they must’ve smelled vinegar cooking hard boiled eggs in the homes they were given up from, you think? ^_^

Anyway, vinegar can be rather strong and it stings my eyes and nose when I use it, no matter how I dilute it with water, I can only imagine how it must irritate the bunnies. Simple Green doesn’t have anywhere NEAR as bad a smell and that wears off quickly with rinsing.

 

Please let me know if you think this is okay for cleaning with for my bunnies. I don’t want to sicken them with anything.

Thankies!

[osprey]

Hmmm, I use Simple Green to clean my grill and the outdoor furniture.  It has a very heavy chemical smell to it, I don’t know that I’d like my bunnies inhaling it.  I don’t even like to use it inside the house because the smell is very persistant.  It does do a very good job of cutting grease on the grill, though.

 

[MimzMum]

Cleaning the grill? *grins* I like that idea. I’m going to set my hubby on that one! ^_^
Okay, scratch the Simple Green for the bunnies. Could you recommend something besides vinegar and water for keeping things sanitary then? I try to wash out their pens once a week and their litterboxes are twice a day. (trust me, they need it!) I don’t want to wipe out their scent, as that tends to make them cranky, but I do want to keep any germs away since in summertime we get humid and things multiply rapidly.

[Deleted User]

I use (on the reccomendation on someone here, i don’t remember who) Nature’s miracle. Type it into a search engine. i have a carpet cleaner for pet stains and a smell deorderizer. It’s perfectly pet friendly and I’m sure they make other cleaning products besides the carpet and odor deoderizer. I also have the nature’s miracle “wet wipes” for quick spills.

Hope this helps!

[Scarlet_Rose]

Natures Miracle is good, you can also use a very diluted bleach/water solution too.

[BinkyBunny]

I too, am not to happy with the strong simple green smell. I find that with a 50/50 vinegar solution, it does clean but can leave a strong smell (does disappear pretty quickly), but I also use a water bottle of just water to rinse. Try rinsing with water and see if that doesn’t help clear out the strong smell and irritation caused by the vinegar.

[Deleted User]

I use simple green for everything…I don’t mind the smell, but not for the buns. Natures miracle is the best stuff. We had a house full of geriatric dogs and cats so accidents did happen. We would have been sunk without it.

[Sage Cat]

This is funny – I love the smell of vinegar – I use it for all of my glass cleaning.

I have been using “Method” – non toxic & planet friendly – for all my general cleaning. It comes in great scents like cucumber or grapefruit. The company makes a big deal about how it won’t hurt you or your pets. I use to use Simple Green – I think it is a good product & I also like the smell.

Dawn dish washing soap was what was used to clean all of the animals – otters, sea birds etc. – when the Valdez spilled a “little bit” of oil in Prince Williams sound. It was the only thing the rescuers could find that got the oil off & did not hurt the animals. I have used it for all my dish purposes ever since.

Another cleaner that often gets over looked is Baking Soda. It is very gentle & safe. You can look up all kinds of recipes for cleaners on the web.

Hope this helps.

[Beka27]

i try very hard not to clean, so i never have this problem…

lol!

but seriously, i *do* clean after Meadow and i use a vinegar solution. the smell does fade away pretty quickly.

i’ve never used Simple Green but i’m surprised it has such a strong smell… hmmm.

[Scarlet_Rose]

While we are on the subject of cleaning.  Here are a few links of places I go for tips:

Good old hints from Heloise:

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/author-bio/heloise-expert-bio?src=sem&mag=ghk&dom=gog&ad=g0739&kw=ist&s_kwcid=hints%20from%20heloise|999965675

I use Borax too, although it is kind of harsh on your hands:

http://www.20muleteamlaundry.com/index.cfm?page_id=55

I like to use this one, it is about “living green”

http://alittlegreener.com/index.htm

There are lots of other sources on the internet too.

 

[MimzMum]

Oh I LOVE Heloise! ^_^ Man, I didn’t think she was still around! The last time I actually saw her on t.v., she looked really good for a 50+ yr old woman and I was thinking, “I sure hope *I* look that good when I’m that age!”
Thanks for the advice and the linkies! I’ll look up that Nature’s Miracle too, that sounds like the ticket. I just got nipped again today by Mimzy and I didn’t even have vinegar on my paper towel, I was just sweeping fur from his corner and he lunged at me a few times and connected once. It’s making me a tad testy. >.<

[Scarlet_Rose]

Mimz, I know huh?  Heloise must be 60 by now, don’t you think?  I would suggest you remove the offending nipper to another area while you clean. This behavior sounds like it may escalate. So you tell him a sharp no? Brooms look big, bad and vicous to a rabbit and they tend to react in that manner, however the nipping is a behavioral issue and really needs to stop. What techniques have you used thus far with trying to stop the nipping?

[MimzMum]

You can probably tell I hate to scold him, huh? ^_^; I always feel so bad, but there’s a limit to it of course.

Mostly just a firm ‘no’ and maybe wag a finger in his face. He gets the message. I didn’t use to have trouble with him letting me sweep a paper towel around his area while he was still in it, but I think there’s no harm in waiting to clean the cage until he’s safely in the xpen. My fingers will be happier. ^_^

He’s been rather testy since thaw began…and Pip too, but she has no problem with me cleaning while she looks on. She just hoofs it over to the litter box or goes up on her shelf to avoid the paper towel. I keep wondering if it just has something to do with their overall mood changes since Spring?

I don’t use brooms around them. My cats don’t like them either, so I can imagine the buns would hate to see that coming!

Yesterday was toenail clipping day…talk about something I’d rather defer to someone else to do! Luckily my daughter helped restrain them both, but I will never get used to having to hold them that still while I make sure I don’t catch the quick. I had quite a few long pieces to sweep up that night after they went to bed. Thank goodness the shed seems to be dying down.

They’re not tossing their litter boxes as much lately either. Another thing I can be thankful for!

[Scarlet_Rose]

Hmm, it sounds like “Spring fever” more than anything. Wait it out and see if it changes a bit, then you know you have some seasonal attitude rabbits (SAR) LOL My two are like that during the winter months and Bonsai does a MAJOR funk when the weather is going to be bad.

[MimzMum]

*giggles* SARS has a new designation! ^_^
(seasonal affective rabbit syndrome)

Mimzy gets particularly quirky when he smells that nice, fresh air coming through the window, and he wants to be out in it! Pip is happy to enjoy it from her pen shelf. ^_^

[Scarlet_Rose]

*snicker* Mimz that is just too funny!

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