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Author Topic: question about pine shelves  (Read 833 times)

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mb30

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question about pine shelves
« on: May 12, 2014, 11:41:40 AM »

Out of curiosity, how often do you change/clean/sand them down?

I seem to sand all the shelves down once or twice a month to get rid of staining.

I used to just buy new shelves since they are cheap enough but i figured id just buy a detail sander and do that until they need to be replaced.
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GrayRodent

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Re: question about pine shelves
« Reply #1 on: May 12, 2014, 11:57:48 AM »

My veterinarian said they should be changed once a year.
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I'm a programmer not a chinchilla breeder. I learn by asking questions just like you.

kageri

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Re: question about pine shelves
« Reply #2 on: May 12, 2014, 12:26:41 PM »

I've just been sweeping the poop off.  They never pee on mine and with their poop at proper consistency it doesn't stain either.  It's no different than the houses I have which have been in use for several years.  I have new houses and a mountable house with platform coming but I have no plan to replace the current houses yet.  These will go in cages that still have plastic shelves or cheap petstore houses that barely fit a chin and flip easily from the cheap, light material.  I do need to pull a couple nails that have become visible on 2 houses we have.  We only have the tools to make plain board shelves so I have to order the houses and fancier shelves.

If you have an illness or the wood becomes dirty I would sand it, spray with bleach or vinegar, and lay it in the sun.  Both bleach and vinegar evaporate to leave nothing harmful behind and sunlight kills as many germs as any disinfectant solution.  It's a pretty standard way to disinfect many things especially absorbent ones.  If the bleach smell won't go away switch to vinegar which will neutralize bleach and then completely evaporate.
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mb30

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Re: question about pine shelves
« Reply #3 on: May 12, 2014, 10:19:11 PM »

Thats cool. My shelves seem to get stained from wetness after the chins pee.
I think perhaps they sit a little too low while peeing and the fleece doesnt absorb it fast enough or something.
But i do noice that they both wipe/scent the area leading away from the pee directly after urinating.
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