# Cleaning up hay



## bowserandluna (Jan 20, 2014)

Hi guys. I am currently using a dog kennel for my babies. They are kicking their litter box hay everywhere, I got them a taller litter box to help prevent. But the side of my room their cage is on has hay and Aspen shavings everywhere! I bought a hand vacuum but it just isn't cutting it. 

What's a good cheap vacuum that works good to clean up hay and things similar? 
Thanks guys.


----------



## Troller (Jan 20, 2014)

I too am curious about a decent vacuum. I broke my Dyson cleaning after the rabbits so Im not allowed to use that anymore.


----------



## Ape337 (Jan 20, 2014)

I use a shop vac. It's really the only thing I could find that can handle large debris like hay. There's no way I'm touching that stuff with my Dyson!


----------



## Sophie's Humble Servant (Jan 20, 2014)

I don't think there's such a thing as a good, cheap vacuum. I sweep up the big pieces of hay, then vacuum the rest. Hay will clog most vacuums if you vacuum enough of it up. As stated above, a shop vac would work because it has a wide nozzle, though you'd have to find one that's small and practical enough to keep in the house. My shop vac is huge!


----------



## bowserandluna (Jan 21, 2014)

Ape337 said:


> I use a shop vac. It's really the only thing I could find that can handle large debris like hay. There's no way I'm touching that stuff with my Dyson!



Do you use a smaller shop vac? We also have a humongous one that would just be a joke to get in the house haha.


----------



## Magick_mogwai (Jan 21, 2014)

I tend to use a brush to sweep up the largest bits of hay and my dyson to take care of the rest.


----------



## PaGal (Jan 21, 2014)

I just use my regular vacuum. It is not an expensive one. I really put my vacuums to work and learned long ago that no vacuum can outlast me so it doesn't make sense to spend much on one. I do pick up some of the longer hay as that can clog.

We have two large shop vacs but cannot use them in the house. We do have a small one but it does not do a good job of picking up hay.

One trick I have learned which helps if your buns are on carpet. With Thumper's set up a lot of hay will fall out of his cage. Most of it I pick up by hand and then I vacuum. I started to wear some gloves like doctors wear when dealing with hay because of my hands itching from the hay. The glove makes it very easy to quickly run my hand across the floor to pile the hay up. If that makes any sense. Then I simply scoop it up by the handful. What I usually can't get in just a few minutes by hand is small pieces of hay which I then use the vacuum to pick up. Thumper's hay mess is confined to a three foot space though.


----------



## Ape337 (Jan 21, 2014)

My shop vac isn't small to be sure. I have to store it in the sunroom. I can see that it wouldn't really be that practical unless you have the space.


----------



## Bville (Jan 21, 2014)

I use a small 2.5 gallon shop vac. It works good until the hose gets clogged with hay! Ha Ha! The size is nice and portable though. I just have to unclog the hose and shake the filter outside to get it going again.


----------



## Chrisdoc (Jan 21, 2014)

This may be a stupid question but what is a shop vac, don't or haven't heard that in UK.


----------



## Aubrisita (Jan 21, 2014)

A shop vac is a vacuum that people typically use in garages for heavier messes, wet or dry.


----------



## Chrisdoc (Jan 21, 2014)

Thanks Aubrey have seen those, sort of heavy duty. I usually sweep as much as I can and collect the strays with the vac.


----------



## Imbrium (Jan 21, 2014)

Shop vacs are pretty awesome, especially if you get one with a wider hose. Mine is at the house, though, so I've had to do without since last May while living in an apartment. Using a broom to get up the majority of the hay and vacuuming up the smaller bits with a regular (cheap) vacuum has worked pretty well, though. I've put the vacuum through hell and it's taken it all like a champ - the longer strands are what really pose a threat to household vacuums.


----------



## bowserandluna (Jan 22, 2014)

My cage is on carpet. I think I'm gonna get a shop vac, smaller one. I think it'll be the best option!


----------

