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Old 03-20-2016, 06:26 AM   #1
CalebsMom
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Default Cage cleaning

When you have a new hamster, when do you do your first cage clean? My new Syrian boys are in 450 square inch cages. I spot clean regularly but when should I do a full clean?
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Old 03-20-2016, 06:53 AM   #2
cypher
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Default Re: Cage cleaning

I would wait at least a month & then only do a partial clean, either just clear away the top layer of substrate or do half the cage at a time, always leaving some of the old nest & food hoard or you can just put some fresh mix where the hoard was.
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Old 03-20-2016, 07:36 AM   #3
AmityvilleHams
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Default Re: Cage cleaning

Wait,boys?A 450 square inch cage?Sorry but I'm confused.Are your hamsters in the same cage?Don't take this the wrong way if they aren't but it's just confusing with the wording and such.Anyways,wait a month if you recently changed the cage or just got the hamsters and on a regular basis you could do a partial clean every 2 weeks just of the top layer of substrate and the areas they commonly use to do their business.
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Old 03-20-2016, 08:44 AM   #4
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Default Re: Cage cleaning

My hammies burrow all the way to the bottom of the substrate (about 5 in) so if I take off the top layer I'm removing 1/2 of their tunnels plus the cage still smells. So I just do a full cage clean every 3 weeks and put in fresh Carefresh. I use Dawn dish soap and vinegar to clean the tanks, they are in smaller 20gal long tanks so this makes it harder to do partial cage cleans since they are in smaller cages. The hammies seem happy with they cage cleans and they get lots of attention at the same time. (all dwarf hammies)

Last edited by Cinnamon Bear; 03-20-2016 at 08:49 AM.
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Old 03-20-2016, 12:23 PM   #5
CalebsMom
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Default Re: Cage cleaning

Thank you. To clarify, the boys are in separate cages. each of their cages are about 450 square inches. I plan to upgrade them to 40 gallon breeder aquariums come the next petco dollar per gallon sale. That way they will each have over 600 square inches of living space.
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Old 03-20-2016, 09:47 PM   #6
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Default Re: Cage cleaning

A 40 gallon breeder will be a great upgrade!Also I'd just like to add in that with deeper substrate for hamsters the odor is easier to control and it wastes less substrate and also makes you have to clean the cage less frequently.If you had for example a cage over 1,000 square inches with substrate at 12 inches deep or more,you could easily go a month or longer without a full cage clean.Cage size and substrate depth do play a huge part in cage cleaning,and you'll probably find that out even with the difference between a 40 gallon breeder and your current cages.
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Old 03-21-2016, 07:53 AM   #7
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Cage cleaning

As the others say I would just spot clean as long as possible. I only do a full clean if it really needs it. It never does! Our hamster uses a potty and doesn't pee anywhere else. So I do a partial one about every 3 months. I found Erin's Hamsters cage cleaning tips video really helpful as our hammy got so stressed by anything changing in his cage. Now I do the thing of just replacing the top third to half of substrate, keeping the bottom half and mixing it in with the new.

You can vary this if you have a situation like Cinammon Bears where a hamster burrows to the bottom and pees down there - in just keeping the dry half of the substrate Or the top part or middle part if it's dry. The main thing is that there is still some of the hamster's familiar scent when they go back in the cage. So my partial clean means doing the toys and wheel at a different time (maybe a week or two later). If everything has lost its scent overnight they find it quite stressful and it doesn't seem like home any more. After I clean Charlie's wheel he won't use it for days! So I put a treat in and that gets him using it again.

Warm water is usually fine for the base of the cage unless there has been some infection.

Nothing too scented anyway as they have a much stronger sense of smell than we do and are prone to respiratory issues.

So for now - I would just spot clean and introduce a potty litter tray if they don't have one.

This is Erin's video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jVnEjrXbww
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Old 03-21-2016, 09:35 AM   #8
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Default Re: Cage cleaning

I wouldn't recommend anything stronger than vinegar water solution for full cage cleans that need disinfecting,but if it is a serious illness I would say maybe bleach.Normally though it isn't even necessary to use anything stronger than warm water or a vinegar water solution.Vinegar water is also really good for hamster litter trays and such,as well as really disinfecting gross areas around your home without ruining the beneficial bacteria since most disinfectants kill any and all bacteria.
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Old 03-21-2016, 09:57 AM   #9
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Default Re: Cage cleaning

Quote:
Originally Posted by AmityvilleHams View Post
I wouldn't recommend anything stronger than vinegar water solution for full cage cleans that need disinfecting,but if it is a serious illness I would say maybe bleach.
If bleach is ever used it needs to be one cup of bleach per 9 cups of water. NEVER use bleach on toys or undiluted to clean tanks.

Make sure there is no smell of bleach remaining, if you do use the 1 cup per 9 cups of water to disinfect this way. You would need to do this in a well ventilated area as the bleach fumes are very strong.
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Old 03-21-2016, 09:59 AM   #10
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Default Re: Cage cleaning

Quote:
Originally Posted by Cinnamon Bear View Post
If bleach is ever used it needs to be one cup of bleach per 9 cups of water. NEVER use bleach on toys or undiluted to clean tanks.

Make sure there is no smell of bleach remaining, if you do use the 1 cup per 9 cups of water to disinfect this way. You would need to do this in a well ventilated area as the bleach fumes are very strong.
Forgot about that!I thought it was common sense,but thanks for adding it in
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