cardboard rolls

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piggyfan

I give my piggies the cardboard rolls from kitchen rolls but noticed some people giving the roll from tissue. If it is used in the bathroom then surely it is not hygienic? When I worked with children they were banned from nurseries using them for play as they are not clean.
 
I think with schools etc now they're gone from one extreme to the other. When I was at school (a long time ago) toilet rolls were a big thing in learning to make things & Blue Peter used them all the time. There's probably no more germs in a bathroom than a piggies cage, unless you've just cleaned it out!
 
One of the reasons they say that you should keep your toothbrush at least a minimum of 6 feet from your loo is because of the bacteria that's released into the air when the loo is flushed and has the potential to fall onto your toothbrush (eurgh!), so given that loo roll is less than that distance I would tend to agree with Piggyfan!
 
Stewybus said:
I think with schools etc now they're gone from one extreme to the other. When I was at school (a long time ago) toilet rolls were a big thing in learning to make things & Blue Peter used them all the time. There's probably no more germs in a bathroom than a piggies cage, unless you've just cleaned it out!
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I agree!
 
piggyfan said:
What about people who do not was their hands.....
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Is that before or after handling your piggy?

funnehmare said:
One of the reasons they say that you should keep your toothbrush at least a minimum of 6 feet from your loo is because of the bacteria that's released into the air when the loo is flushed and has the potential to fall onto your toothbrush (eurgh!), so given that loo roll is less than that distance I would tend to agree with Piggyfan!
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Usually the inside of the loo roll is out of direct line & probably has a lot less chance of the germs landing than on the outer tissue.
 
Interesting that you've brought this up, because I was thinking of this only today. Not just the reason of hygiene but also my hubby likes loo paper with shea butter, and I'm sure it's scented, which would surely mean the cardboard roll would carry the scent too and not be good for them.

I haven't tried it yet, but like the idea of stuffing it with hay - so I think I'll stick with the kitchen roll, even if I cut it in half.

And while on the subject, do you hang it from something, or just toss it in for them?
 
Mine have toilet roll tubes with hay stuffed in and have never had a problem. I personally think it's possible to be a bit over the top when thinking about germs and bacteria. We live surrounded by them and I think it's counter-productive to use too many anti bacterial products. My toothbrush would have to be in another room too to be 6ft away. :))
 
This thread is good for thought though as I agree that probably toilet roll inny cartons can get left on the floor, dropped, and if there's a lack of hand washing going on, yikes doesn't bear thinking about! I think from now on I'll stick to kitchen ones
 
Working in a microbiology lab has given me a whole new insight into the sheer volume of bacteria out there. Chances are your kitchen counter is dirtier than your bathroom to be honest. For example, if tap water is filtered onto agar and left to incubate you would be astounded at how many different species of bacteria grow on there (don't mean to scare anyone!). I see no problem with using regular toilet rolls for piggies, they are exposed to much worse things just by living with humans that what you would find in a bathroom. Bacteria prefer moist, warm growing conditions, so as long as you don't leave them in the cage for too long, and provided they aren't wet then nothing dangerous should grow on them.
 
PipandPop said:
Working in a microbiology lab has given me a whole new insight into the sheer volume of bacteria out there. Chances are your kitchen counter is dirtier than your bathroom to be honest. For example, if tap water is filtered onto agar and left to incubate you would be astounded at how many different species of bacteria grow on there (don't mean to scare anyone!). I see no problem with using regular toilet rolls for piggies, they are exposed to much worse things just by living with humans that what you would find in a bathroom. Bacteria prefer moist, warm growing conditions, so as long as you don't leave them in the cage for too long, and provided they aren't wet then nothing dangerous should grow on them.
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I have to agree with this. My flatmate studied microbiology and would tell me some disturbing information :)>>>
 
I use toilet roll tubes but I always pull the last of the paper off so no one but me touches them anyway and I have done for the last 20 years non of mine have come to any harm. The only toilet tubes I wouldn't use are for ones with scented toilet paper as worry what goes into the tube from the scent etc....
 
Interesting discussion this. I've also wondered whether toilet roll tubes might not be unhygenic, but as I always change the roll, and am very serious about hand-washing, I haven't been too concerned. I also think it's possible to get too worried about germs (actually, as a child, looking back on it, I was probably OCD about germs, I was terrified about touching anything that might be germy, and used to wash my hands so much that they got red and chapped. I don't even know how that started, or how I finally got over it!)

What PipandPop says was very helpful. I think it was on an episode of "How Clean is Your House?", where they discovered that someone's loo brush had far less dangerous bacteria on it than their dish brush - so they'd presumably have been better off washing the dishes with the loo brush!

The cardboard inners of kitchen towels and loo rolls make good toys - most of our piggies just like chewing them, but Angelina enjoys tossing them up in the air - so sweet!
 
If you are worried about germs then pop them in the microwave for a few seconds (watch them carefully) and that sho8uld kill off any nasties you are worried about.

I never do that and my boys have never had any problems. A level of germs in life is necessary for us and piggies to gain immunity to things. Part of the problem we have with infections/illness these days is that we live lives which are too sterile and clean so we don't develop the immunity to things we would have had in the past by playing at making mud pies, using toilet roll tubes or similar!
 
Chopping boards can be dirtier than toilet seats so I dont worry. Plus if you only touch the toilet roll before wiping take off the paper and put it back you're not actually putting germs on it as such really. I'd be more worried about kithchen roll tubes especially in omniverous kitchens, as the kitchen roll could be touched when wiping up say chicken blood so have chicken germs on it from hands too!
 
Blimey is this all you're worried about? How many germs do you think are on the hay, on their bedding and on all the other toy and furnishings in their cages? Do you disinfect everytime they have a wee or a poo? Sneeze? Cough? I think you might be better off focusing on bigger things, if you have the time of course.
 
Ben and Jerry said:
Blimey is this all you're worried about? How many germs do you think are on the hay, on their bedding and on all the other toy and furnishings in their cages? Do you disinfect everytime they have a wee or a poo? Sneeze? Cough? I think you might be better off focusing on bigger things, if you have the time of course.
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No need to be rude. I care about my guinea pigs.
 
I think its each to their own, but i respect everyone is going to have differing opinions. Have used loo roll tubes for years for rats/rabbits and guinea pigs no problem...but i luckily live in a hygienic house. We always leave some loo roll on the tube anyway when we replace the loo roll...although possibly if i lived in a house with small children or people who are less cautious about hand washing ....i may be slightly more dubious. But i have to say as i live in an all adult household i am not worried.

I stick by its each to their own...and Piggyfan brought up an interesting point...if i were to get my loo roll tubes from a nursery or school i may be less keen...as i am a slight germ-a-phob lol. But at the same time i know we need germs to survive and the piggies wee/poo everywhere...so they are surrounded by germs even when we spot clean.

Very interesting thread....
 
They sell boxes of hay (so no questions about germs) and as they already have slots for pulling the hay out, my guinea pigs think its fun when they are suspended from the roof of the habitat. Hay pinatas :)
 
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