F10 disinfectant and 60 degree fleece wash- will it kill mites?

[PigglePuggle]

After Jezebel floof's mild hay mite diagnosis, I wondered if cleaning the cage with F10 will help control any mites hiding in the cage crevices or whether it won't. I bought some F10 anyway in a panic-buy about cage hygiene but then I got a bit more rational and wondered if it isn't necessary. Also will a 60 degree hot wash kill any mites on the fleece bedding? I usually wash at it at 40 degrees twice a week which is fine for just for keeping everything clean but will 60 kill any mites? Or do I need to go hotter? I already melted a cheap polyester pigloo tent cushion washing at 60 so I wondered if any of this stuff is actually killing any potential mites or just ruining my soft furnishings?
I've decided to treat the whole herd with the Xeno spot-on just to be sure nobody is passing anything back to Jezebel but I wondered what the best cage and fleece clean regime is...

 

[Wiebke]

After Jezebel floof's mild hay mite diagnosis, I wondered if cleaning the cage with F10 will help control any mites hiding in the cage crevices or whether it won't. I bought some F10 anyway in a panic-buy about cage hygiene but then I got a bit more rational and wondered if it isn't necessary. Also will a 60 degree hot wash kill any mites on the fleece bedding? I usually wash at it at 40 degrees twice a week which is fine for just for keeping everything clean but will 60 kill any mites? Or do I need to go hotter? I already melted a cheap polyester pigloo tent cushion washing at 60 so I wondered if any of this stuff is actually killing any potential mites or just ruining my soft furnishings?
I've decided to treat the whole herd with the Xeno spot-on just to be sure nobody is passing anything back to Jezebel but I wondered what the best cage and fleece clean regime is...

A regular deep clean of your cage won't hurt at all; at least every few months. I do it twice yearly with my own set-up as it is such a pain to move nearly 30 piggies out of the room, disinfect everything, wash and dry all grids, connectors, and hideys, assemble everything again and then move all piggies from their temporary pens in the kitchen and the living room back again. That is about the absolute minimum for a deep clean, but it is either a very long day or a two day operation for me, depending on the time of the year.

It is recommended to wash piggy bedding occasionally at a higher temperature in order to reduce the build up of bacteria that cannot be removed by low temperature washes - and that includes ALL laundry washing products on the market.

Hay mites have become much more of a problem in the last 3-4 years with a change in industrial scale harvesting methods, which churn up the soil and allow more bugs to get into the hay sold by internationally active providers.

 

[Bill & Ted]

Freezing for 48 hours after washing is supposed to be a good way of killing pests and their eggs. Just wash everything then place in a clean bin bag and put in freezer.

 

[PigglePuggle]

I'll treat my other piggies with Xeno tonight, set saturday aside for a complete F10 cage blitz and hot wash, and keep the new fleecy furniture I bought aside until after they've all had their 3 Xeno doses... I thought of freezing but my freezer is quite small, maybe I'll take the fleecy tunnels and houses to work and put them in the lab freezer for 48 hours next week!

 

[Bill & Ted]

Good idea!