Thread: New hamster.
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Old 03-09-2020, 12:35 PM  
AmityvilleHams
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Join Date: Mar 2016
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Default Re: New hamster.

Rinsing helps to remove any excessive dust, as well as being one of the two initial steps at preparing and sterilizing play sand. Yes, even "sterilized" or similarly labelled sand must be treated this way. It is well worth the effort to remove any dust, bugs(as bugs can get into any packaging especially sand bags and these bugs can introduce harmful things such as pesticides into your hamster's body - also why wild insects should never be fed to any pet), and the odd foreign bits that sometimes end up in sand.

Baking is only 1/3rd of the sand preparation and while it helps a lot in terms of bacteria and physically killing off bugs, you still need to rinse and sift to physically remove said bugs and any dust, foreign objects if present, etc.

Argos sand specifically is not heat treated despite being washed(even washed sand and/or heat treated sand still needs to be rinsed, sifted, and baked as contamination from bugs etc tends to happen after the product is manufactured such as in storage at your local store).
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