I have bought 2 second-hand hutches so the Guinea Pigs can be outside during the summer. When we started to clean them out my friend said the lino was loose so we started to pull it up and the previous owner had stuck the lino down with sticky black stuff which smells awful! My friend spent ages trying to wash it off but the wood is still quite sticky. The hutches had only had GPs in them. So, is there any way I can remove all the stickiness?
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Advice Please re Second-Hand Hutches
- Thread starter tonibun
- Start date
InspectorMorse
Wise Old Thumper
Personally I would never use a second hand hutch for any animal. But now you have them I would first try using acetone (nail varnish remover) to remove the glue .Use a scraper to get as much of the glue off as possible. Then let it completely dry out which might take several days. Once the effected area is completely dry try sanding down any remaining now dry deposits of glue using a course sandpaper. You are likely to have to repeat steps 1 and 2 a few times until all the glue deposit has been removed. I would then saturate the entire hutch using the strongest concentration af anigene disinfectant https://www.thevetstore.net/shop/anigene/ Rinse with boiling water and repeat. Use a knife to clean out any gunk in all the joints in the wood and scrub it all well. Rinse again with boiling water. Then allow the hutches to fully dry out. Getting them in a state fit for use will take some time.
Will it come off using something like a wallpaper scraper? Or at least enough so that you can sand the rest off. A solvent would help if you can find the right one. White spirit (paint brush cleaner) would be my first option, but you may have to try different ones until you find one that works. If the black goo is in patches, I would put a thick layer of kitchen roll on top and soak it in the solvent, then just leave it for an hour or so before scraping it off again. Repeat as necessary. Obviously do it in a well ventilated area.
Biological washing powder may help with removing the smell if it's ingrained in the wood.
Drying the hutches in strong sunlight will help to disinfect them - and it's ideal weather for it at the moment.
I would definitely paint the inside (as well as the outside) of the hutches to seal them once they are fully dry. Any leftover household paint is better than nothing.
Worst case - can you replace the affected floor, or cover it with another sheet of ply, once you've got as much goo off as you can?
Biological washing powder may help with removing the smell if it's ingrained in the wood.
Drying the hutches in strong sunlight will help to disinfect them - and it's ideal weather for it at the moment.
I would definitely paint the inside (as well as the outside) of the hutches to seal them once they are fully dry. Any leftover household paint is better than nothing.
Worst case - can you replace the affected floor, or cover it with another sheet of ply, once you've got as much goo off as you can?
I think I will try sanding the floor. The hutches are in good condition, hadn't been used long but who would have thought someone had stuck the lino down with whatever it is. I wish now I had had 2 made and it wouldn't have cost much more. :roll: The hutches have a lot of sun on them. Thanks everyone.
InspectorMorse
Wise Old Thumper
IME letting the glue deposits completely dry out, which can take several days, then sanding the effected area down works best. Anything that makes the glue wet again can just make getting it off more difficult as it sticks to scrapers etc.
InspectorMorse
Wise Old Thumper
IME white spirit doesn’t work, but acetone does. Takes many applications and lots of scraping though.
Oh, that sticky black residue can be a pain. I'd recommend using some rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol). It's pretty good at breaking down sticky stuff like that. Just soak a cloth or sponge with it and scrub away. It might take a bit of elbow grease, but it should help remove the stickiness.
