Deep cleaning the shed ready for my new rescue rabbit to move in 🏡 #rabbitcare #reset #rabbitrescue, by Sophie & Co. on YouTube. 3 min.
- Video length
- 3 min
- Time to do it
- 2 hours
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Move the rabbit into a secure carrier in another room with hay and water. Never leave it in the hutch while you clean, because fumes and damp are harmful.
Take everything out: bowls, bottles, toys, hay rack, litter tray and all old bedding. Bag the soiled bedding and put it straight in the bin.
Dry brush the walls, floor and corners from the top down. This lifts fur, dust and stuck hay before anything gets wet.
Wash all surfaces with warm water and a rabbit-safe disinfectant, or white vinegar diluted 50/50 with water. Leave it on for the time on the label.
Rinse everything with clean water and let the hutch dry completely with the door open. Rabbits are sensitive to damp and to cleaning smells.
Scrub bottles, bowls and the litter tray in hot soapy water, rinse well, and check the bottle nozzle still flows freely.
Check the structure while it dries: chewed edges, loose mesh, sharp wire ends, gaps and stiff hinges. Fix anything broken before the rabbit goes back in.
Refill the litter tray with paper-based litter and a layer of hay, restock the hay rack, and fill the water bottle or bowl with fresh water.
Let the hutch air until you can no longer smell vinegar or disinfectant, then move the rabbit in with its familiar toys and bedding.
Tips and common mistakes
Skip cedar and pine shavings and never leave bleach to dry on surfaces, as the fumes irritate a rabbit's lungs.
White vinegar and water shifts the white urine scale that builds up on hutch floors.
Spot clean the litter tray daily and do this full deep clean once a week to keep smells down.
Put a few handfuls of the rabbit's old bedding in the clean hutch so it smells like home.
Questions
How often should I deep clean a rabbit hutch?
Do a full strip-out and scrub about once a week, with daily spot cleaning of the litter tray. Deep clean more often in hot weather or if the rabbit has been unwell.
What can I safely use to disinfect a rabbit hutch?
Use a disinfectant labelled safe for small animals, or a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and water. Rinse with clean water and let the hutch dry fully before the rabbit returns.
Can a new rescue rabbit go straight into the cleaned hutch?
Yes, once the hutch is completely dry and aired. Add fresh hay, water and a litter tray, then leave the rabbit quiet for the first day to settle in.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
