How to Clean Penguin Enclosures

In South America, Humboldt penguins burrow inside waste and make nests to lay eggs. While this might be natural for Humboldt penguins, habitats for other penguins need cleaning. Water filters clean the water. Clean other areas with pressurized sprayers and small amounts of broad-spectrum disinfectant and fungicide. Most penguins live in subzero temperatures. That makes cleaning a difficult and cold process. Wear warm clothing to protect yourself from hypothermia or other cold temperature dangers.

Things You'll Need

  • Hose
  • Sponge
  • Squeegee
  • High-pressure sprayer
  • Broad-spectrum disinfectant and fungicide
  • Waste container
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Instructions

    • 1

      Remove all penguins from the area. Penguins are known to bite their penguin keepers.

    • 2

      Spray the windows of the penguin enclosure with warm water from a hose. Scrub the windows using a sponge and rub off the algae and other deposits on the windows. Wear a wet-suit and scuba gear to clean the underwater portion of the windows.

    • 3

      Press a squeegee firmly against the floor. Push all excrement and other waste into one corner of the exposure.

    • 4

      Dispose of the waste using gloves into a waste container.

    • 5

      Mix half cup of broad-spectrum disinfectant and fungicide with 20 gallons of water in the high-pressure sprayer tank.

    • 6

      Spray the surface of the floor with a high pressure sprayer to remove remaining waste. The high pressure sprayer dislodges dirt and waste stuck in the surface of the floor.

    • 7

      Spray rocks and other porous surfaces with water using a high pressure sprayer. Spray the surface of the rocks until all debris and other waste is removed. Spray the surface underneath rocks; they trap unwanted bacteria and mold that need to be removed.