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CLEANING TIPS
(keeping the habitat clean)
THE FREQUENCY OF HAVING TO DO FULL CLEANS WILL DEPEND ON THE SIZE OF YOUR HABITAT, YOUR REGULAR SPOT CLEANING REGIME, AND YOUR HAMSTER'S POTTY HABITS.
ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOUR HAMSTER IS AWARE THAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO START MESSING ABOUT IN IT'S HABITAT, AND THAT HE IS PROPERLY AWAKE.
SPOT CLEANING
For the health of your hamster, certain routines have to be done regularly, but should not take more than about 10 minutes at a time.
If you keep your hand at other areas as often as possible too, it will also save you the hassle of having to do those huge deep cleans too often.
You do not have to remove your hamster from the habitat to do the following routine tasks. He'll be quite interested in what you're doing too:-
DAILY:
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Remove all pee-soiled spots from the sand (and bedding/nest if he's not potty-trained).
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Check water. Top up bowl. Check spout on bottle.
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Remove ALL left-over fresh food (check the nest too).
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Top up dry food if necessary (make sure he's not hording a lot before filling up the bowl completely).
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Do a quick general neatening up...pick up any visible droppings, clean up a few errant pieces of bedding, etc.
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Give your hamster a treat and a cuddle.
TWICE A WEEK:
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Wash water bowls/bottles thoroughly and put in fresh water.
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If you have a wheel that he pees on, wipe down with a damp cloth.
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Check the nest to make sure there's not too much poops...clean out if necessary (see below).
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Top up the sand in the potty.
ONCE A WEEK:
(Depending on your hamster's temperament or what disinfectant/detergent you're using, he can stay in the habitat. Otherwise, put him in a playpen, bath, or travel cage while you do this.)
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Wipe/wash shelves with a damp cloth.
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Thoroughly wash the wheel in hot soapy water if he pees on it. Otherwise, for non pee-ers, wipe with a damp cloth.
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Clean out the bedroom/nest. Get rid of old horded food and replace with a little fresh. Put back the cleanest of the nesting material so it still smells familiar, and add some fresh (stripped up 1-ply toilet paper).
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Empty the potty, wash it thoroughly, and refill with clean sand.
SAND MAINTENANCE
Sand potties: Per the spot-cleaning routines.
Sand baths:
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If your hamster doesn't pee in the bath, you only need a full empty-and-replace once a month.
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If he does pee in it, treat it the same as for the spot-cleaning routines.
Sandpits:
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Depending on the size, it is recommended to do a full empty-and-refill with every periodic full habitat cleaning session.
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Alternatively, with incredibly large pits, you may simply sift the sand to clear out any other substrates that have gotten mixed in, and return it to the habitat.
Note - If your hamster ever has a mite infestation:
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Change sand in baths and potties on a daily basis for the first week after starting treatment.
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Unfortunately you may also have to replace the entire sandpit in the case of severe infestation, or at least dampen & re-bake the sand.
RECOMMENDED CLEANING AGENTS
We recommend F10SC Veterinary Disinfectant for cleaning, since it is highly effective against bacteria and most viruses
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Available in concentrate, pre-diluted, & wipes. Concentrate will last many months.
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Use as instructed, but if you're using the strongest dilution let the items or habitat air out for a day, or wipe down with clean water after an hour.
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Can be used for the habitat, accessories (and even wood & stones after a good scrub in hot water).
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Also really good around your own house in general.
Alternatively, use dishwashing liquid, very hot water, and White Spirit Vinegar.
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Wash in soap & hot water, rinse/wipe with strong vinegar water, and then rinse again with clean water.
If there is a mite concern or infestation, Vetafarm Avian Insect Liquidator is recommended for spraying the habitat (inside & out) and all accessories to kill the bugs and nits.
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Let it stand for a while and then, unlike for birds, wipe down the habitat to get rid of any residue and scrub it off the items.
FULL HABITAT CLEANING
Full major cleans can take place every 3 to 4 months, or longer intervals depending the size of the habitat, how well you have kept up with the spot-cleans, and also your hamsters’ habits since the disruption is actually quite stressful for them.
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For these lengthy sessions, you will need to remove your hamster from the habitat and place him in a travel cage, safe playpen or your empty bath with some of his favourite things.
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It may be preferable to deep clean during the day so that the hamster will be inclined to sleep and not be too upset by being enclosed in a small or unfamiliar space.
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A very large habitat can even go 6 months without deep cleaning, as long as the spot-cleaning and regular neatening is well maintained. In places like Germany where they have super large habitats, they either do not do these huge cleans until the hamster passes away, or they do the habitat section by section.
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Whether you do your deep cleans section by section or all in one go, it is useful to have the following ready: a large clean dry bucket and/or a few bags, a rubbish bag, vacuum cleaner, detergents and cloths, clean substrates for top-ups (and a glass of wine or cup of coffee).
Now get started:
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Place natural items made of wood, grass, and wicker to dry in bright sunlight (after quick scrubbing) while you are cleaning the rest of the habitat and accessories.
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Remove and wash all accessories appropriately and leave them to dry properly.
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Empty out the habitat, always retaining as much of the cleanest bedding substrate as possible from the top. This will not only save you money, but your hamster will appreciate its own familiar scent, and will not be as stressed as it would be if returned to a home with absolutely no familiar smells.
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Toss the dirtiest substrates in the rubbish bag. Check above regarding the sand maintenance for pits.
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Vacuum up the bits at the bottom of the habitat.
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Clean and rinse the habitat accordingly with your chosen detergents (do not use loads of water in wood & melamine habitats because the material will split. Simply wipe with cloths).
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Once everything is nice and dry, set up the habitat as it was before with a few minor adjustments if necessary (too much of a big change will cause anxiety for your hamster). Use the retained clean substrates, and top up with fresh as required.
NOTE: It is a good idea to freeze natural items for 24 hours every few months to kill off any ganonies that may be lurking, so perhaps try to have 2 of each, or rotate such items.