Hamster wheel smells? Any good remedies?

Question

I just got a hamster last Friday. Her wheel is stinking up her entire cage! I have no idea why; maybe she uses it as a restroom? Anyways, does anyone have any good cleaning techniques? I bought some cage cleaner, and it worked well on the actual cage, but when I used it with my hamster's wheel it just mixed the cleaner smell with the original smell.

All that to say: does anyone know any tricks to cleaning a wheel in a hamster cage? Any good remedies? Help is much appreciated! Thanks in advance! :)

Answer 1

both metal and metal mesh can hurt your hamster plastic is the safest.  I wash mine ever couple of days with hot water and dish soap.  just make sure you rinse it really well.

Answer 2

Don't use chemicals. It can hurt/kill the hamsters.

Just try warm, soapy water. It shouldn't hurt your hamster to use the soap. Just as long as after you soap it clean it out with water again so no soap dries on to it. That will hurt them. It doesn't really matter what soap. Dawn would work. I use that and it works on my cage. just make sure there is no soap stuff left when you put them back in the cage.

Keep using the cleaner too. It should help a little bit. Just scrub down hard and it should work also.

Talk to the people who work there at the pet stores. They might have idea's on how to clean it and stop your hamster from going to the bathroom on it. They usually are pretty smart  

Hope i helped!

Answer 3

Just plain soap and water, thats what I use to clean my hamster entirecage.

Answer 4

nothing with chemicals. Use baking soda.

do this:

3 to 4 teaspoons of Baking Soda

a cup of water

mix it in a spray bottle. use when is fresh!!!(when bubbles still come out)

Answer 5

i usually take it off and wash it then wipe it with dettol or cage deodorant spray it always works for me.

i find normal soap just works fine but dry it before you put it in the cage aslo i use a plastic wheel and i don't think it's bad.

Answer 6

I always found it hard to keep a plastic wheel clean.  If you can, return the plastic wheel to the store and buy a wire wheel with horizontal bars (not mesh).  Those are a lot easier to clean because your hamster will not pee on it so it will not smell.

Though if you are set on keeping that, you may want to try this:

For hamster urine, I always found it more helpful to use COLD water and soap rather than warm or hot.  At night for one night, take your hamster's wheel into the bathroom.  Fill your sink with cold water and soap.  Leave it in there over night and pat dry, let air dry the rest of the way.

If that doesn't work, you could try taking a paper towel, folding it a few times into a square and putting white vinegar on it and it rubbing it all around the inside of the wheel.  It would probably work best after cleaned like I mentioned.

If that doesn't work, baking soda.  That's the last thing I have to offer.  If neither of those three things work, the pee may have soaked into a part of the wheel where you can't reach.  In which case, you wheel could possibly stink forever.  Like I suggested, try buying a wheel that looks something like this:

http://www.socialtech.ca/ade/misc/hamste...

Most don't have the bar through the middle, but the bar design is what I'm after.  I had hamsters and gerbils that ran in there perfect.  You shouldn't get mesh because their little toes could easily get stuck in one of get hurt.  These bars are easy for them to pull their foot out even when they get hurt.

Answer 7

Clean it with vinegar and baking soda and a little lemon juice..

Answer 8

I'd say warm soapy water. You don't want to use any chemicals that will kill the hamster.

Answer 9

amonia

Answer 10

That wheel is dangerous to the hamster. He can get his feet stuck in the wires and hurt himself. FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR HAMSTER please get a new wheel with wire mesh.

Answer 11

Some hamsters do tend to use there wheel as a restroom so dont worry about that.

For the cleaning try steaping it in boiling water for 30 mins once a week.

If it still smells clean the wheel everyday and still steap it in boiling water once a week.

Personal experience, my robo dwarf hamsters are used there wheel as a restroom but thankfully they stopped as they found they had to clean there selves more.

Your hamster may stop and may not best of luck with her.

Answer 12

Buy the habitrail playground corner toilet. It comes with sented litter and a scoop. Its perfect. Dont get that one wheel bec. the hamster may get its foot caught in it and break its foot.

Answer 13

We used to have hamsters, and I would clean the wheel in dish soap and hot soapy water in the basement sink. I'd let it soak for a bit, and then scrub it well with a sponge dedicated to cage cleaning. For odors, try the cleaner "Nature's Miracle", it really removes odors!! But I would rinse it well after cleaning, reguardless of what detergent you use. Soaking it in a dilute bleach solution will also disinfect, but as always, rinse thoroughly!