Cage - How can you prevent your hamster cage from smelling bad and getting mold and such?

How can you prevent your hamster cage from smelling bad and getting mold and such?

How can you prevent your hamster cage from smelling bad and getting mold and such? I already know that carefresh takes away the smell but i actually haven't tried it to see if it works. But how can you prevent mold and such to get away from your cage. I heard you have to clean your cage or wipe it down oftenly. Please tell me if it's true or if you have any suggestions and stuff.

Public Comments

clean it
hah my sis had a hampster but she died :( i dont think you can unless you clean it out but my sis never wanted to so my mom had to do it for her.
Yes, clean it often. All the ammonia in the urine is what is causing the odor. The cleaner the better. Believe it or not, most rodents are really clean animals for the most part, your hamster will love you for keeping the cage really clean!!
Surprisingly, hamsters are very clean creatures. They organize their cages so that they have one area to sleep, another to perform bodily functions, and yet another to eat. The bedding inside the aquarium or cage should be changed once or twice a week. This involves dumping out the old bedding, and exchanging it with fresh bedding. The toys (e.g. the wheel, tunnels) should be washed in warm, soapy water once a week. The hamsters entire aquarium or cage should be cleaned twice a month. The bedding is emptied and the aquarium or cage is cleaned with warm, soapy water using a washcloth or scrubbing brush. It must then be thoroughly rinsed and dried and fresh bedding may be placed inside. At this time you can also clean the toys. Hamsters themselves do not require baths; in the wild, they bathe themselves in sand. I have tried to introduce my hamsters to chinchilla bath sand, but they do not seem to like it. It is important, if you have a teddybear (longhair hamster) that you brush his hair with a soft bristled brush. Pet shops sell brushes specifically made for hamsters
u have to clean it atleast once or twice a week and at the same time change its bedding.make ur hamsters cage as clean as u can make it.
it is true
When you clean the cage, use vinegar to wipe it out and let it sit for a while. Vinegar neutralizes unpleasant smells and molds. Never use bleach, this may harm the hamster.
You could clean it every week and it will be fine.
If your hamster is healthy then good clean once a week should prevent any strong oders. However we had a hamster that seemed to be doing well but I noticed her cage had a urine smell that continued to get stronger and stronger no matter how much we cleaned it. Unfortunatly I didn't know that indicated a kidney infection until it was to late and she became very sick and died. So if you notice the smell of urine is overwhelming then you might consider having it checked at the vet for a kidney infection. Good luck to you
Before you get a hamster, please do the right and responsible thing: Get a good, recently published book on hamsters as pets, and then read it at least once before you even consider purchasing the animal. Remember, living things all need care and you may find that you can't afford it or don't have the time! My hamster's cage literally has no odor. He is a syrian hamster (a panda, to be exact) and I keep him in a multilevel ferret-home. They do make them so that the bars are small enough to put even mice or dwarf hamsters in. He is also litter trained, and kept on cellsorb bedding, with carefresh for his sleeping area. I clean the cage out regularly, and just wipe the bottom part out with Nature's Miracle thoroughly, before replacing any bedding. Because the cage is so huge, and because he is so good about using the litterbox, I only change out the entire bedding of the cage about once a month. That is not a normal average, though. I would say, based on the space and time people spend spot-cleaning for the average hamster, you should clean out the entire home every 4-7 days. If your hamster stinks, it is either ill, a pregnant female, or you are not taking proper care of it. They are really odorless animals when kept properly. If your hamster's home has mold, you should give it to someone who should take care of the animal! I have kept small animals most of my life, and have never experienced any mold growth. The only mold problem I ever had was in a tarantula setup where the humidity accidentally got a little too high! So, here's what I would recommend for a healthy, mold-free, not stinky hamham: - book first!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - large cage (starter kits and tube houses are cruelly small, and the tube homes are hard as heck to clean and don't have enough air circulation) - unscented, paper-based pet bedding - spot clean litterbox or poopy/peepee areas with a spoon or scoop, daily. Most hams poo or pee in only one or two areas of the cage, near a corner. - clean entire cage every 4-7 days, using only water and towels, Nature's Miracle, or water and white vinegar in a spray bottle. Never use bleach, household cleaners, etc. Replace all bedding after cage is clean and dry. Just to let you know, the food and water should be changed daily. I don't know why this is, but even though these are relatively low-maintenance animals, many owners are still to darned lazy to handle their minimum care requirements! Please don't feed them just when you feel like it, or change the water when it gets empty (BIG cause of wet-tail!). Hamsters should also be handled regularly during the evening, or they can get mean (just like most small animals). They should have a couple hours a night to run in a safe room so they don't get hindleg paralysis from lack of exercise. Good luck, and enjoy your pet!
After You Clean it Out, Wash With Washing Up Liquid, Dry it and Put More Bedding in