My hamster died sadly in his seventh year, which is pretty long. I am ready to get a new hamster and i am planning on using the same cage since it wasnt cheap and they rnt cheap to by. How do I clean the cage to get rid of the germs, and how do i get rid of that stuff that builded up in the corner from when it goes to the washroom??
plse all the help in the world is greatly apreciated.
Thank you,
Shawna
2007-03-30 14:54:46 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
i stuck my cage in the dishwasher, and as for the build up... take a butter knife to it... it will work!! sorry about your hammy!
2007-03-31 06:43:15 · answer #1 · answered by percussioner01 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you want to be 100% on getting rid of the germs, your best bet is to use bleach and scrub it out. If you hamster died of old age, then I wouldn't worry too much about the germs, and dish soap should be fine.
You want to make sure all the chemicals are gone befor you put a new pet in there. Rinse the cage in HOT HOT water a few times, then let the cage sit out in the sun for a few hours(you can do this 2 or 3 times if you want too but once should be fine) The sun dries up all the left over chemicals. This is how many people clean out animal cages as well as fish tanks.
Good Luck with your new pet!! Hope this helps..
2007-03-30 15:47:26 · answer #2 · answered by KaylaByrd 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good lord..7 years?? You must be a great hamster mom. Anyway I know what youre talking about and that built up gunk in the corner can be murder to get out.
Fill up the tub with hot water, and dish soap, and put the cage parts in there, then let them soak, over night . alot of the crud will come off on its own, what doesnt, you can scrub off in the morning. Anything that stays on after that, isnt a big deal. The dish soap (and the long soak) will kill any germs and odor, and your new hammy wont ever know his home had previous tenants. Dish soap is also safter than harsh chemicals because even a teeny tiny bit of chemicals that you miss, that arent a big deal for humans, could be fatal for a little hamster.
2007-03-30 22:02:08 · answer #3 · answered by Dani 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
WOW, thats amazing having a hamster for 7 years, you are very lucky, all you need to do is use 1/4 clorox 3/4 water and scrub very hard, then be EXTRA sure to wash it very thouroughly to get all the chemicals off, you can let it set in very hot water for a while to get the dried urine sofened up so you can scrub it off, then it should be fine, if the hamster didnt die of a disease, just old age, then, you shouldnt worry about germs to much
2007-03-30 15:06:26 · answer #4 · answered by Shelby 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I agree with the others.....hot water and dish soap should work fine. I strongly encourage you to do this regularly, though. The cage should be cleaned at least weekly....and fresh bedding should be provided at that time. Good luck with your new hamster. As a child, I had hamsters, too. Soon after the death of our first hamster, we replaced it. The second one wasn't as playful or kid-friendly as the first, and I remember being even more disappointed.
2007-03-30 15:06:35 · answer #5 · answered by stephanie_ls72 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I watch the show "How Clean Is Your House" and the ladies suggested to use rice and white vinegar to clean out tough stains.
The rice acts like an abrasive and the vinegar is acidly. Just rub the spot with the rice and vinegar together. It works wonders, and the vinegar will kill the germs in the hampster's cage.
Make sure to wash afterwards with hot water and soap. Rise well and use gloves.
2007-03-30 16:29:41 · answer #6 · answered by Child Of God 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
When you are cleaning a hamster cage in between hamsters, just soak it in bleach water ( make sure to dry thouroughly) and add shavings. Thats pretty much all their is to it.
2007-03-31 16:23:57 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Scrape off what you can. Clean with diluted vinegar (let soak a few minutes) to neutralize urine residue, and scrub well as needed. Then, just to be really clean, sterilize with a solution of one tablespoon bleach to one quart of water. Don't get it on your clothes; it causes white spots and holes. Let stand a few minutes, then rinse. No more germs!
2007-03-30 18:06:31 · answer #8 · answered by The First Dragon 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just do a full clean (I usually use dawn dish soap to scrub, since it's animal-friendly, and cleans quite well. Use the tub, to soak!)
Unless your hamster was ill, it shouldn't be any problem!
2007-03-30 15:01:05 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
OK i would use HOT water and some A-33(its disinfectant stuff they use in hospitals and schools) and just wash it out thoroughly and you might want to use a scraper for the corners.
2007-03-30 15:08:26 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
sterlize it by using hot water and I do mean HOT - use a little dish detergent and let it sit. sorry about your lost when i was little I also had a hamster die when it was about 7.
2007-03-30 14:59:47 · answer #11 · answered by sunshinegirl 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋