Cage

How do you get the bad smell out of a plastic hamster cage?

Ok I have a cage that is all plastic and I washed it and it still smelled like hamster poo. Any ideas that won't cost me money please give me educated answers. Without spending money so buying a new cage would be out of the answer =) But that would work. My cage is pink so bleach would turn it white and also that is not healthy for the hamster.

Public Comments

1. bleach, its the only way ive found no u wet a rag and ut the tinyiest ammouint oif bleach possible... btw, mine is pourple and bleach dont turn it white
2. buy a different cage
3. Spray with vinegar, or as stated before, use bleach, but make it 1/10th of the solution (at a maximum)... If you put a new hamster in you don't want him to become sick.
4. use a really weak bleach solution- the same concentration you'd use for cleaning cutting boards and the kitchen (about 3/4-1 cup of bleach per 5 gallons). That would be a teaspoon of household bleach per 2 cups of water. If it's weak, it won't affect the color, and it's not dangerous for the hamster. Then rinse the cage well, because the bleach smell might bother the hamster. If it still smells, spritz with vinegar, and let it air dry. That's what I do with my guinea pigs' cage, as instructed by their vet..
5. bleach and soap. DONT MIX THE BLEACH IN WITH THE SOAP. first use the bleach and then the soap. also make sure that you clean the cage atleast once a week
6. To be honest spending money would be your best bet. A new cage IS needed. My boyfriends mouse just died because he was in a plastic cage and he was sufficated by the smell, even though he cleaned it, it as never enough the fumes were still there. they never really leave. You can continue to clean it, and use diluted bleach and soap, but i still think that the bleach smell will be in there,.. so do what u think, i hope my advice helps!
7. Only use a bleach solution if your hamster is not still living in the cage. This is because bleach is not animal safe it could kill the animal. What you should use is a white vinegar and water mixture. This mix is the only animal safe cleaner, and it works really well for getting rid of smell. We use it to clean up at the wildlife center and I use it on my guinea pig cage (and that can be really smelly). Good Luck!
8. Mix vinegar and water. Spray let soak and wipe off. Simple as that.