Cage cleaning routine?!

[Homunculus]

I've decided to change up my cleaning routine for my two chinese male hams. They both live in a 20 gallon long tank- I usually clean their tank every 2 weeks. But here lately their cage isn't smelling what so ever...it doesn't even reasemble anything to dirty. I add loads of bedding into there cage, is that why it doesn't smell? I was thinking about spot cleaning it every week or two weeks and fully cleaning every month. Please refer me to a proper scehdule??

[kyrilliondaemon]

Everyone does it differently really. I do spot or partial cleans unless I absolutely need to change the substrate completely, some do full cleans every week or every month. It all depends on what works best for you and your hams so if you think fully cleaning every month and spot cleaning between full cleans will work then I'd give it a go

[Phoenix]

It all comes down to personal preference so just do whatever suits you and your hamsters. If you feel they aren't dirty and will be fine with a spot/partial clean between full cleans then I see no reason not to do so.

Personally, I clean the litter trays/toilet corners every day or second day. I partially clean any visually mucky substrate once a week and sift out any poops not in the toilet areas. I will do a larger partial change once a month, sifting out any dust that's collected at the bottom of the substrate and may also disinfect the cage itself every couple of months (always keep the substrate and nest). I just shake out the poops etc in the nest once a week (trying to keep it roughly in the same position) and discard any soiled bits then add a little extra to replace what I've removed. Since hamsters are territorial and getting rid of their scents stresses them, unless I have a reason clear out everything (illness, spilled/emptied water bottle), I prefer to let them keep as much of their substrate as possible.

If I have hamsters that share a cage, I'm even more inclined to leave as much of their scents as possible in the cage to prevent fights over "new" territory breaking out.

[Anthorn]

Bedding substrate typically only gets dirty and smelly in a couple of areas and mainly the toilet area. But poop and bits of food as well as dust from chewing the bedding falls through the bedding to the bottom of the cage. Bits of food especially can go off and even mouldy so needs to be cleaned out.

I have a toilet/potty with small animal potty litter in it which stands on a bed of cat letter so the bedding in the toilet area doesn't get soiled. Soiled litter is removed from the toilet daily and the litter completely changed and the toilet cleaned weekly.

I also make use of cat litter underneath the bedding underneath water bottles to take account of occasional leaks.

Spot cleaning as necessary daily but I don't disturb the nest at all.

Complete dismantle of the cage, complete clean using "Johnson's Clean 'n' Safe" and a rinse and fresh bedding fortnightly. Following that I put a heap of tissue paper nesting in the middle of the cage for the hamster to sort out.