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Learning how to clean rabbit water bottles properly can be life or death for your pets. Small animals are susceptible to dehydration which can quickly cause death, clean water is a must for healthy rabbits, Guinea Pigs, and other small pets.
I’m going to show you the best (and easiest) way to clean rabbit water bottles. This is a trick I use for stubborn bottles that have a tiny opening and get yucky inside no matter how often you empty them and refill them with clean water!
Cleaning Rabbit Water Bottles
You might be wondering why you need to know how to clean rabbit water bottles and the truth is that rabbits can go no more than about 24 hours without drinking.
On hot days that time is even less and in some circumstances they can only go a few hours without clean water. Their bodies are nearly 2/3 water so its a vital component to their health and longevity.
If you have never had a pet rabbit before you will quickly learn why this trick is so impotent. There is just something about the way they drink (Guinea Pigs are worse) that causes everything from slime to dirt and algae to build up on the walls of the bottles.
It doesn’t particularly matter if your animals are indoors like mine or outdoors. The bottles will likely get yucky inside and it will seem like there is no good way to get them clean.
Why can’t I just use a bottle brush?
You can certainly try to use a bottle brush to clean rabbit water bottles but in my experience this doesn’t work. Most are too large in circumference to fit into the bottles and others are unable to be maneuvered once inside the bottle to reach the edges and the sides!
What’s the secret ingredient to sparkling clean pet water bottles?
My top secret ingredient for the easiest way to learn how to clean rabbit water bottles without any stress or hassle is white rice. ANY rice will do but I usually use white rice because it’s cheap, easy to find, and is usually already in the cupboards!
How to clean rabbit water bottles with rice:
It’s a really simple process, learning how to clean rabbit water bottles will change your weekly cleaning routine. I’ll explain it step by step below:
- Empty the water bottle, if it’s been dry for a long time I’d let is soak with some hot water for a few minutes. This will help loosen anything that’s stuck to the sides!
- Put a few handfuls of rice into the bottle. This isn’t a scientific process folks, you can put somewhere around 1/4 cup of rice into the bottle (less for smaller bottles).
- Next I had a little bit of soap. I use a natural cleaning detergent from doTERRA, you can use whatever you like! A little vinegar and baking soda would work as well.
- Finally I add just enough water to cover the rice. I use hot water but it’s not necessary.
- Now it’s time to shake things up…literally. Put the cap on or use your fingers to cover the hole and shake the bottle like crazy. You’ll see the magic happening right before your eyes!
The rice acts as a scouring agent inside the bottle and with the help of the water and cleaner you can literally shake away any dirt, grime, or algae that might have built up on your bottles.
Don’t forget to clean the tops of your bottles as well. Use a cotton swab to clean the necks of the bottles and the tops! I always remove the washer if possible and clean that as well. The tops of your bottles can harbor bacteria and end up causing health problems for your Guinea Pigs and rabbits!
Can I use this process to clean Guinea Pig water bottles?
You can use this process for any small pet water bottles. Cleaning Guinea Pig water bottles is almost more necessary in our house than the rabbits bottles. They seem to get greener more quickly!
I empty the water bottles every night and refill them, whenever I notice a buildup forming I use this method to get the water bottles back to sparkling clean and spotless.
Do you have other rabbit posts I should check out?
Here are some other posts from Charlie and The Pips that I think you’ll love! We are rabbit crazy over here in case you haven’t noticed and we’d love to share more of that with you!
- Rabbits | Frequently Asked Questions
- Keeping Rabbits As Pets
- How to Bond Rabbits
- How to Litter Train Rabbits | Litter Training Rabbits
- Rabbits and Guinea Pigs Galore
- Housing Rabbits
- How to Select Your Best Rabbit Breed
- Questions You Should Ask Your Breeder before Buying a Rabbit
- Cold Weather Preparedness for Small Animals
