General Info: A dirty cage brings more potentail for infection and sickness for your Hamster as bacteria grows freely in a dirty wet environment.
SOME TIPS FOR PROPER CAGE MAINTENANCE:
1. Clean the cage floor twice a week by removing the litter and cleaning the inside of the cage completely. Place newpapers all around and under the cage. Remove toys, wheels,food trays, etc.
2. Remove all the bedding and clean the bottom using the animal safe cleaner and rinse with water. Roll up the newpaper will all the bedding etc. and throw in garbage.
3. Clean all the toys food trays etc., do not use soap on food trays just warm or hot water and a rag or sponge.
4. Never use phenols or carbolic acid type cleaning chemicals like the kind you might find in the grocery store. They contain chemicals that are harmful to your pet.
5. Always follow the instructions on any chemical you may buy for you pet. If you clean on a regular basis it will reduce the need for allot of chemicals keeping your pet safer.
General Info:
Regularly cleaning the aquarium glass keeps the tank neat and attractive.
Technique:
Inside – Commercial pad-type scrubbers are abrasive enough to remove algae and other growths, but not enough to scratch the glass. The new, plastic blade scrapers are even more effective, but dull fairly quickly. Single edge razor blades are even more effective, but care must be taken not to scratch the glass or slice into a seal. Each style works best if held directly in the hand, but long-handled or magnetic models are available for those who wish to remain dry.
Outside – A squeegee works very well if there is no concern about a little water on the floor, but a soft cloth or paper towel with plain water works, too. Ammonia based glass cleaning chemicals can be carefully used on the outside of the tank, but they should be sprayed on the cloth rather than the tank itself, to avoid contaminating the aquarium. Plain newspaper, lightly moistened with plain water, gives amazingly streak-free results.
Great care should be taken to avoid scratching the glass. This is most often done by using too abrasive a cleaner, or by getting aquarium gravel trapped in the cleaning device and dragging it across the glass.
Acrylic (Plexiglas) aquariums require extra special care, as they are easily scratched by common glass-cleaning devices or chemically damaged by glass-cleaning chemicals. Use only products specially labelled as safe for acrylic.
General Info:
On (hopefully very rare) occasion, the aquarium hobbyist will find a need to “nuke” an aquarium – that is, to remove all fish, then thoroughly clean the tank and hopefully remove most of the parasites and parasites it may have contained. Such drastic measures are of course most often undertaken after a massive outbreak of disease, but may be sometimes used to prepare an aquarium for a challenging species or for breeding certain delicate egglayers. Technique:
Potassium Permanganate – is an excellent oxidizing agent that can destroy most organic compounds, then itself breaks down into quite harmless compounds. We have used Jungle’s “Clear Water” at five to ten times the directed dose with very good results. After adding permanganate, stir the gravel, then allow to percolate through the filter system until the pink/purple color begins to turn brown. Completely drain and refill the tank, and it should be ready to go again in a few hours.
Chlorine Bleach – is even more effective, but harder to remove, and more dangerous if not 100% neutralized. Add about one teaspoon of bleach per gallon of water, and let flow through the system for one hour. Then, remove all water, refill, and add any cheap chlorine neutralizer at about 10 times its normal dose. Wait another hour, then change all water and refill again. Caution: this treatment kills everything, including beneficial bacteria, so tank will certainly cycle again once fish are added. It may also fade artificial plants and colored gravels.
Aquarium Salt – is less effective than either of the above, but very safe and easy to remove. Perhaps the best way to utilize salt is to drain the tank first, then make a slurry of a handful of salt to scrub glasses and stir into gravel. Repeat until all surfaces have been scrubbed. This highly concentrated salt solution is very deadly to most parasites. After treatment, fill, drain completely, and refill the tank before using.
Fresh Water – is to a salt water tank what the above salt method is to a freshwater tank. To administer, simply drain the marine aquarium, then refill with fresh water. Allow to filter for 24 hours, then drain and refill with salt water.
Precautions:
Any “nuked” tank might go through a “New Tank Syndrome”, so the aquarist should be prepared and restart with a few, hardy fish. Also, please read product labels for directions on how to safely handle chemicals.
Aquarium filters are marvelous devices, saving aquarists a lot of work as they collect waste products for easier removal. But that “removal” remains the hobbyist’s job, and one that should not be taken lightly.
Nearly all filters, even so-called “biological” filters like undergravels and certain slow-flow canisters, perform “mechanical” filtration; that is, they collect a certain amount of solid waste. Some, like most power filters and fast-flow canisters, are specifically designed to collect such waste efficiently, rather than allow it to accumulate in the aquarium.
But collecting waste is only the beginning, with removal and disposal completing the picture. Is it good enough to just collect garbage in the kitchen wastebasket indefinitely, without ever taking it out to the garbage truck? (Men and teenagers: ask your wives or mothers if not sure about this.) Well, it’s not good enough to simply put a filter on an aquarium, and consider the job done.
For one thing, aquarium filters often double as circulation/aeration devices. As they become clogged with waste products, their flow rates drop or even cease altogether, drastically reducing the amount of dissolved oxygen available for the livestock. In extreme cases, whole tanks full of fish can be lost in a few hours. Under less drastic circumstances, fish can become more prone to disease and overall health and growth can be diminished.
But even if there is adequate circulation from other sources, there’s no good reason to allow filters to become overloaded with waste. Rotting waste in a filtration device fouls the water every bit as much as rotting waste in the aquarium itself. In fact, it can be said that a filter isn’t a filter unless it’s cleaned.By Jim Kostich
Gooch asks “How do I remove old cat feces once it has dried on a tile floor?”
There is no real fast way, however it would be easiest if you used an enzyme based cleaner. Many laundry spotters and powders contain enzymes. Make a paste and cover with a towel and water and let sit for a half hour, by the time you return the mess would have re-hydrated and wipe off easily.
“We have a small fish pond which keeps getting an algae build up. We have a pump, biological filter and a U.V.C. light filter. Any suggestions?”
Try these techniques :
The first thing to do is remove excess debris; use a pool skimmer or make a skimmer yourself by stretching an old pair a pantyhose over a wire clothes hanger.
If the pond is really bad you may have to empty the pond and clean. Do this no more than once per year by removing fish, etc., and draining the water and cleaning the pond. Be sure to use a de-chlorinating agent for the water in the bucket or wading pool you use as a holding tank for the fish (use 50:50 fresh water and pond water).
Remove silt and debris from the bottom of the pond (it makes good fertilizer).
If you have plants, remove and place in a shady area so they do not dry out.
Use a brush to scrape down the sides.
When refilling the pond, pour half of the holding tank water in the pond to inoculate the pond with healthy bacteria for the fish; fill the pond and be sure to use a de-chlorinating agent. Be sure to reintroduce the fish slowly by filling the fish holding tank with water of the same temperature as the water in the pond. Fill the 50% you emptied in the pond and empty another 50% into the pond and then fill again so you slowing are changing the water temp.
Be sure to clean the filtration system, usually just by rinsing with water – any soap residue will harm the fish.
Be sure you have removed much of the pond water before trying to net the fish – it will be easier than trying to catch them with the water full.
You should also not clean your pond more than one per year since it take time for the beneficial bacteria to build up.
If you want to clean without going to the extreme of empting the pond then use a rake and pull the debris and scoop it out, but be gentle so you don’t stir up the pond to badly.
The easiest way to keep the algae down is maybe to increase the scavengers in the pond and regular skimming of the pond to remove leaves etc. Snails, mussels and tadpoles all remove the wastes created by plants and fish, inhibiting the growth of algae. A good rule of thumb is one scavenger per square foot of surface.
Here is a tip for cleaning pet hair off anything, in particular upholstery.(submitted by Karin)
It really works and you don’t have to lug out the vacuum cleaner. Just wear a damp rubber glove and swipe over the couch, pillows clothes or even area rugs. This method will remove the hair by clumping it all together and then you can simply lift it off. You won’t believe how effective it is.
A bird’s droppings are very acidic (pH 3.5 to 4.5). When bird droppings fall on your paint, the acid begins to burn and etch the paints surface. The longer the bird droppings remain, the greater the damage.
The result of bird dropping damage is a dimple in the paints surface, often as large as an inch or more in diameter. This damage is permanent, but can easily be repaired. Repairing Damage
The only way to repair the damage caused by bird droppings is to polish the paint. You must use the polish to blending the surrounding paint, bringing it down to the same level as the damaged area. This may sound drastic, but it works very well. The only concern is that you’re making the paint thinner. So you must be careful not to polish all the way through to the primer. Do so, and you’ll have a more noticeable problem than what the bird left behind.
Any good paint polish can be used to fix the damage with a fair amount of rubbing. I’ve found that it’s better to start with a mild compound, as you would find in a scratch remover(Eagle One Scratch Remover is a good example), followed by a good hand polish.
Preventing Damage
While it’s not really possible to keep birds from bombing your car with their dirty little surprises, you can take steps to limit the damage. The most obvious protection is a car cover (please, not while you’re driving). But, even the cover won’t help you when you’re driving. To limit the damage when you get hit, you need to remove the offending slim as quickly as possible. Don’t wait. Get it off of your car.
I’ve found the best way to clean up after a bird is with a good detailing spray and a cotton terry cloth towel. As I’m a clean car fanatic anyway, I keep a little detailing kit in my trunk. It holds a spray bottle of quick detailing spray, a couple towels, and my favorite rubber and vinyl dressing. That’s all it takes for me to keep the car looking great. When a bird gets me, I spray the bird droppings with a few shots of detailing spray and wipe it off with the towel, turning the towel as necessary to keep a clean wipe on the car.
Another way to protect your paint from bird damage is to keep your car waxed. While a standard carnauba wax offers limited protection against a juicy attack, it makes cleanup much easier. Acrylic polymer sealants protect a little better against the harsh acids, but it’s not enough to create a damage-free barrier if the bird poop sits too long. You still need to remove the mess as quickly as possible.
by David W. Bynon Copyright (c), 2000, Autopia Car Care — All Rights Reserved (www.autopia-carcare.com)
Cement and plaster are alkaline compounds. They are easily removed from clothes, woodwork, your body and cars using distilled white vinegar (a mild acid).
Simply soak a sponge with the vinegar and lay it on the cement spots for a few seconds. This will loosen the cement so it can be hosed away. It may take a couple applications to remove the cement from the car. Whatever you do, don’t try to wipe the cement off with the sponge, as this will scratch the paint.
Chrome is a mixture of metals, primarily Chromium and Nickel. It is a very resilient and brillant finish that can last a lifetime if properly maintained.
Tools & Technique
To clean and polish chrome, try using a mild detergent to remove dirt and grease.
If there is still residue, try using a polishing paste or commercially available metal polish.
Once the chrome is clean, polish with a cotton rag. Old cloth diapers are the best, but any thick cotton cloth that has been previously washed will polish without leaving lint.
Never use caustic cleaners such as oven cleaner or abrasive cleansers like comet on chrome, as surface damage will result in rapid deterioration.
To maintain the luster of chrome, try applying a coat of automotive wax.
Technique:
