Best way to clean hay

[jillmaureen]

Hello, I have four daughters. They each have two rabbits. What is the best way to clean up the hay off of their carpet in bedrooms? I keep clogging up my vacuum cleaner, a wet dry vac, and sweeping takes forever and doesn’t work as well. Help!

 

[John Wick]

I just use a small brush and dust pan, but daily maintenance is generally key for me so it doesn't take so long.

I would actually say how and where you store/move around the hay can hugely improve preventing it from getting everywhere. What sort of systems do your daughters have in place for hay storage and cycling?

 

[odyssey~]

I use a dyson v6 vaccum and on max suction mode it gets hay off of my carpet

 

[FuzzyBunny ph]

You need those industrial types of vacuums!

After I vacuum, I sometimes use a lint roller as well

 

[samoth]

I pick what I can up by hand, then vacuum the rest with a high-quality vacuum that can handle fur & hay (I recently got a Kenmore pet vacuum that works very well). This is for two house rabbits.

If I had eight (!) rabbits, I'd probably go with a heavy-duty industrial shop vac with wide air flow openings. Just be careful not to suck up any small buns

 

[dogwoodblossoms]

I use a shop vac, it works really well and doesn’t clog as easily.

 

[jillmaureen]

I just use a small brush and dust pan, but daily maintenance is generally key for me so it doesn't take so long.

I would actually say how and where you store/move around the hay can hugely improve preventing it from getting everywhere. What sort of systems do your daughters have in place for hay storage and cycling?

We actually leave the hays in the bags they come in and just place it close to the cages. Is there a better system?

 

[John Wick]

We actually leave the hays in the bags they come in and just place it close to the cages. Is there a better system?

The bags are usually packed pretty tight, so I imagine lots of hay gets everywhere whenever anyone tried to get some out! It can be helpful to buy a laundry hamper or large plastic container that is slightly larger that you simply dump the bag of hay in and it's easier to maneuver than a cramped bag.

Also, depending on the age of your daughters, a pair of scissors in it can be handy. I personally have found that longer strands of hay just track everywhere and make grabbing a handful hard, so I cut the hay as I go. Shorter strands have been easier for me to manage.

 

[MMR]

I’ve been struggling with finding a vacuum that can handle all the bunny fur, hay, etc. I also have a couple of rooms with shag (yes, shag - LOL) carpets. The vacuum does next to nothing to remove bunny hair from them.

Any recommendations for a vacuum that can handle all of this? At this point I don’t mind splurging if it works

 

[TreasuredFriend]

1. Have you looked into cordless, rechargeable sweepers on amazon ? Bed Bath and Beyond might carry the Shark cordless, rechargeable, dust cup pull-out sweeper. (however they don't make sturdy, easy to push sweepers like they used to, back in 2003, which sucks).

Be on the lookout at thrift stores or at rummage sales, just in case, you can find a sturdy sweeper with a tilt-mode handle that won't easily break. The dust cup pull-out on Shark models works well for picking up small fragments of hay strands! (We sweep every night to keep any chaff or scatters off the carpet and rugs.)

2. Our main go-to for vacuuming for our crew is a Dirt Devil with Filtrete disposable bags. The hose is wide enough to suck up clumps of hay, and fur that is removed from carpet surface or the housing quads with a slicker grooming brush with soft tines.

3. Alternately, a fan-shaped plastic Leaf rake helps to gather scattered hay into a pile - then clumps can be grabbed with hands and put into portable grocery sack for emptying later in a garbage bag. A small leaf/little digger rake can be stored behind a door or in cleaning closet.

Shag carpeting would cause challenges! I relate! // There may be more threads on this topic by using the RO search function.

HTH,

 

[vonniemay]

I got a old fashioned fuller brush carpet sweeper off Amazon and it works wonderfully….easy to pull out put away and easy to empty and requires no electricity… just love it.

 

[Preitler]

I use an outdoor broom with stiff plastic bristles for my rugs, gets out a lot of fur and hay. I'm pretty laid back about cleanliness standards though .

 

[Bunnyman61]

I utilize the "old-fashioned" method of gathering all the large strands up with my hands and depositing it in a bag for disposal. Then I vacuum everything up with my Dyson "Animal Ball 2" vacuum cleaner, which is poorly designed for everyday use (it's a Dyson!) but also has enough power to capture entire galaxies at a time. This helps me to remove much pollen, which I am allergic to.

 

[Momma Luvbun]

I sweep my carpet first, then vaccum.
I have a bissel power force, but I still sweep the hay first so it doesn't get clogged.

 

[MMR]

Thanks!! You all are awesome! Very helpful suggestions.

 

[#SirThumpsAlot]

Honestly I recommend investing in a high-end roomba, you can map put just the area around their cage schedule it to vacuum daily.
I pick up the big stuff by hand but its not necessary the docking station will empty the roomba 30 times before you need to empty it so you can easily go a month or longer without any manual work. Ours keeps the area clean without any thought!

This is the vacuum and mop combo kit:
(Just be warned this is a sizable investment...)

iRobot Roomba s9+ (9550) Robot Vacuum & Braava Jet m6 (6112) Robot Mop Bundle - Wi-Fi Connected, Smart Mapping, Powerful Suction, Precision Jet Spray, Corners & Edges, Ideal for Multiple Rooms https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08DYW417...abc_69XGKQAVPCVDQKE4VFQ3?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1