How to Clean a Chinchilla or Gerbil Cage and Dust Bath

Chinchillas and gerbils are both clean, low odor pets, but they need very different cage routines. A chinchilla lives in a tall mesh cage with a droppings tray and takes a dust bath to keep its thick fur in shape. A gerbil lives in a deep tank of bedding, digs a network of burrows and gets stressed if you wipe away every familiar smell. This guide covers both: daily spot cleaning, the dust or sand bath, the full clean, and what to leave behind.

It follows small pet care advice from the RSPCA and PDSA, both linked under further reading. If your pet seems unwell, or its droppings, fur or breathing change, see a veterinarian who treats exotic pets.

Chinchilla or gerbil: the quick difference

Chinchilla: clean little and often. Empty the droppings tray, spot clean shelves and ledges, and wash the cage fully about once a week.
Gerbil: remove droppings and leftover food every few days, but only do a full clean out every two to three weeks, as both the RSPCA and PDSA advise. A deeper clean with all the burrowing material replaced is needed only every few months.

Cleaning a chinchilla cage

Every day

Slide out the tray under the mesh floor and tip the droppings and spilled hay into a bag for the outdoor bin.
Pick droppings off shelves, ledges and the solid resting boards. Chinchillas spend a lot of time standing on these, and the RSPCA points out that they need solid flooring as well as mesh to protect their feet, so keep those boards clean and dry.
Refill hay, wash the food bowl if it is soiled and check the water bottle nozzle is clear.
Look for wet patches. Urine soaked hay or bedding should come out the same day.

Once a week

Move your chinchilla somewhere safe and cool, such as a carrier or a chinchilla proof room. They prefer a cool, dry space, so do not put them in a warm, steamy bathroom while you work.
Take out shelves, hides, the nest box, bowls and toys.
Throw away old hay and bedding.
Scrub the tray, mesh and shelves with warm water and a mild, unscented washing up liquid. A stiff brush gets droppings out of the mesh.
Rinse well and let everything dry completely. Chinchillas do badly in damp conditions, so the cage must be fully dry before they go back.
Replace chewed wooden shelves and toys once they are badly gnawed or soaked with urine. Wood cannot be cleaned as well as metal or ceramic.
Add fresh, dust free hay to the nest box and put the furniture back roughly where it was.

The chinchilla dust bath

Chinchillas keep their fur in condition by rolling in fine sand or special chinchilla dust, not water. The RSPCA suggests a shallow tray of clean dust every day, then removing it or sieving it after use so it does not get soiled.

Use a deep sided bath house or a heavy bowl so less dust ends up in the room.
Put the bath in for a short session, then take it out. Left in the cage all day, it gets used as a toilet.
Sieve out droppings and hair after each use. Replace the dust completely once it looks clumpy, damp or dirty.
Wash the bath house with warm water, rinse and dry fully before refilling. Wet dust clumps and does nothing for the fur.
Do not bathe a chinchilla in water. Their dense fur holds moisture. If your pet gets something on its fur, ask your vet what to do.

Cleaning a gerbil tank (gerbilarium)

Gerbils dig, so a glass tank with a deep layer of bedding suits them better than a barred cage. The RSPCA recommends 20 to 30 cm of bedding so they can build proper burrows. That depth changes how you clean: you do not want to wreck the burrows every week.

Every few days

Pick out droppings and any uneaten food from the surface, especially fresh food that could go off.
Remove damp bedding from the toilet corner. Gerbils make very little urine, so this is usually a small patch.
Wash and refill bowls and check the water bottle.

The full clean, every two to three weeks

Move your gerbils into a secure carrier or a spare tank with some of their nesting material.
Set aside a handful of clean, dry used bedding and nest material. The RSPCA notes that gerbils have a strong sense of smell and that removing every familiar odor can be stressful and may even lead to fighting, so keep a little of the old bedding to mix back in.
Remove the rest of the bedding and throw it away.
Wash the tank, hides, wheel and bowls with warm water and a mild, unscented washing up liquid. Rinse well and dry completely.
Refill with fresh bedding to the full depth, mix in the saved bedding and put hides and toys back in their usual places.

PDSA adds a deep clean every three months, replacing all of the burrowing material. Clean more often if the tank gets dirty quickly.

The gerbil sand bath

Gerbils enjoy rolling in sand too. PDSA says chinchilla sand from a pet shop works for a gerbil dust bath. Use a small, heavy dish, offer it for a while, then lift it out, sieve out droppings and change the sand when it looks dirty.

What not to use

No air fresheners, scented sprays or scented bedding near the cage. A clean cage controls smell.
No newspaper or cotton wool for gerbil nests. PDSA warns that newspaper ink is toxic for small pets. Shredded plain white kitchen roll is a safer nesting material.
No stringy nest material for chinchillas. The RSPCA advises against materials that separate into thin strands. Good quality, dust free hay is the safe choice.
No strong household cleaners in the cage. If you need more than soapy water, choose a cleaner labelled safe for small animal cages, follow the label and rinse thoroughly.

Around the cage

Dust from a chinchilla bath and bedding kicked out by gerbils settle around the cage. Vacuum the floor and wipe nearby surfaces on cleaning day, and a washable mat under the cage helps. Keep the cage away from the vacuum while it runs: the RSPCA notes gerbils are sensitive to ultrasound from things like vacuum cleaners.

For other small pets, see how to clean a hamster, guinea pig or rabbit cage, how to clean a rat or mouse cage and how to clean a hedgehog cage and wheel.

Keep guinea pigs as well? See how to clean guinea pig fleece liners.

Keep cleanup supplies ready

Our Pet Cleanup Kit is made for pet stains and odors on carpets and fabrics around the home, such as a rug next to the cage. Keep it, and every other cleaner, out of the cage itself.

Frequently asked questions

How often should I clean a chinchilla cage?

Empty the droppings tray and spot clean every day, then take everything out and wash the cage once a week. Let it dry completely before your chinchilla goes back.

How often should I change chinchilla dust?

Sieve out droppings and hair after every bath and replace the dust completely as soon as it looks clumpy, damp or dirty. Take the bath out of the cage between sessions so it stays clean.

How often should I clean a gerbil tank?

Remove droppings and leftover food every few days and do a full clean out every two to three weeks, keeping a little old bedding to mix back in. Replace all the burrowing material in a deeper clean every few months.

Why do my gerbils fight after I clean the cage?

A cage that smells completely new can unsettle gerbils, and the RSPCA warns it may trigger fighting. Keep some clean used bedding to mix back in. If fighting continues, separate them and talk to your vet.