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Pebbles82 · 06-22-2017, 06:36 AM

With something the size of a detolf you will have a lot of substrate so I agree you would rarely need to do a full clean. Spot cleaning as and when necessary I would say (maybe once a week or just go by whether it's whiffy!) and a partial clean maybe every 3 months or just as and when. For a partial clean I tend to just replace the top half of the substrate plus a bit of spot cleaning if any lower half is soiled. So I take the top half out in one bag, the bottom half out in another bag, wipe the cage base with a damp cloth, let it dry, replace the bottom half and add some new and mix it all in.

Having said that - it may well depend on how deep the substrate is. If it's only 2 or 3 inches deep the bottom of the cage could get pee'd on and need wiping more regularly, and more regular spot cleaning. If the substrate is 6" or more then you should rarely need to do a full clean.

Keep an eye on any fresh food that might be hoarded every few days maybe, but I find our hammy doesn't hoard fresh food - he eats any veg straight away. Dry hoarded food is fine left for really quite a long time, as long as it isn't pee'd on. If you have to remove any hoard though (eg if pee'd on) then always replace it with new dry food in the same place. If they think someone has pinched their hoard they can start peeing on it which becomes an itch scratch cycle!

I tend not to remove the nest as well unless it's pee'd in. There's no need to use disinfectant when cleaning the cage, unless there has been illness or disease, but if you do use one, then make sure it's a hamster/petsafe one like the Johnsons one, and let it air well so the scent is dispersed before putting your hammy back. They have a very strong sense of smell and scents can bother them.

With something like a detolf, it can be nice to have different textures - eg areas of different types of substrate - but it's also absolutely fine just to use one type. If it's pine shavings, just check the packet says they are dust extracted and kiln dried.

Fitch, mentioned above, is dust free and can work out quite economical as you buy it in bulk. It's recycled food grade paper.

06-22-2017, 06:36 AM
Pebbles82 Hamster Antics Join Date: Sep 2014 Posts: 23,533	Re: How often to clean out? With something the size of a detolf you will have a lot of substrate so I agree you would rarely need to do a full clean. Spot cleaning as and when necessary I would say (maybe once a week or just go by whether it's whiffy!) and a partial clean maybe every 3 months or just as and when. For a partial clean I tend to just replace the top half of the substrate plus a bit of spot cleaning if any lower half is soiled. So I take the top half out in one bag, the bottom half out in another bag, wipe the cage base with a damp cloth, let it dry, replace the bottom half and add some new and mix it all in. Having said that - it may well depend on how deep the substrate is. If it's only 2 or 3 inches deep the bottom of the cage could get pee'd on and need wiping more regularly, and more regular spot cleaning. If the substrate is 6" or more then you should rarely need to do a full clean. Keep an eye on any fresh food that might be hoarded every few days maybe, but I find our hammy doesn't hoard fresh food - he eats any veg straight away. Dry hoarded food is fine left for really quite a long time, as long as it isn't pee'd on. If you have to remove any hoard though (eg if pee'd on) then always replace it with new dry food in the same place. If they think someone has pinched their hoard they can start peeing on it which becomes an itch scratch cycle! I tend not to remove the nest as well unless it's pee'd in. There's no need to use disinfectant when cleaning the cage, unless there has been illness or disease, but if you do use one, then make sure it's a hamster/petsafe one like the Johnsons one, and let it air well so the scent is dispersed before putting your hammy back. They have a very strong sense of smell and scents can bother them. With something like a detolf, it can be nice to have different textures - eg areas of different types of substrate - but it's also absolutely fine just to use one type. If it's pine shavings, just check the packet says they are dust extracted and kiln dried. Fitch, mentioned above, is dust free and can work out quite economical as you buy it in bulk. It's recycled food grade paper.