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Old 06-25-2019, 09:23 AM   #1
Creampuff
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Question Help With Cleaning Out Cage??

Hello Hamster Central,

I am wondering about how to thoroughly clean my hamster's cage. I have done it before, just wondering if there's a better way. I basically take everything out and throw away the bedding (but save some so it smells like her) and then clean out the bottom of the cage with soap and water. It seems to stress out my hamster. Am I doing a good job, or is there a better way to clean it out?

Thank you! Also thanks for reading this!
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Old 06-25-2019, 10:47 AM   #2
emma_teddy
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Default Re: Help With Cleaning Out Cage??

a few questions:
1. how big is the cage?
2. how often are you cleaning it out?
3. what kind of soap are you using? is it dish soap or something strong smelling?
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Old 06-25-2019, 07:33 PM   #3
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Smile Re: Help With Cleaning Out Cage??

To answer your questions:

1: Pretty sure the cage is approx. 612 square inches.

2: It depends. I haven't cleaned it out in a few weeks. I should probably do every other week but I really don't like cleaning so I don't. I do spot clean, though.

3: I believe it is dish soap I use. I think it's lemon smelling.

Thank you for responding!
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Old 06-25-2019, 07:47 PM   #4
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Default Re: Help With Cleaning Out Cage??

Definitely don't use any kind of scented soap! That'll be very stressful on a hamster as their sense of smell is much stronger than ours, so it can be very irritating to them. A better solution for cage cleaning of a healthy hamster is just a simple vinegar and water solution, this does work really well for cutting out surprisingly strong odors without being heavy on potential irritants.

Full cage cleans really don't need to be done often, in some cases they may never be necessary. Spot cleaning is adequate in almost all situations, and a cage the size of yours should probably be fine going without full cleanings for 6 months and even then it may not be necessary as you should be gradually cleaning and replacing substrate anyways, so long as you have at least somewhat decent substrate depth(6+ inches being best).
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Old 06-25-2019, 08:05 PM   #5
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Default Re: Help With Cleaning Out Cage??

your cage is certainly a great size! and you shouldn't ever need to do a full clean every other week, even not every other month, unless your hamster is ill, etc. as amityville said a full cage clean is often not necessary. the more substrate you have, the less often you have to clean it. i've only recently upgraded my syrian to a 665 sq in bin cage around 2 weeks ago, so i have only had to spot clean a few times and am nowhere near needing to do a full clean. as long as you have plenty of substrate, a good size cage and are sure not to touch her hoard or replace it if you remove it, you should be good!

best of luck with your hammy! you're doing a great job!
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Old 06-26-2019, 08:15 AM   #6
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Wink Re: Help With Cleaning Out Cage??

Thank you guys so much! All this information is very helpful! Happy that you don't have to clean the cage out that much, LOL.
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