Cleaning a previously used hamster wheel.

[swampystorm]

I bought a Bucastate hamster wheel off of someone from Facebook market place. I checked that the hamster didn’t die of anything infectious before I bought it.

The person said she had disinfected it. I brought it home, removed the cork matting from underneath, cleaned the sticky residue off with rubbing alcohol, left it 24 hours for the alcohol to evaporate then disinfected it again with safe4pets.

Last night this wheel caused me a nightmare. Pebble went mad, both at the wheel and searching the cage. I can only assume it still smelled of the previous female hamster. How do I clean it to remove the hamsters smell.

Not only that it kept moving whilst pebble was on it and has rubbed on the back of the cage causing a mark. I don’t think it has gone through the waterproof layer as I cannot feel the mark on the back. I’m going to buy a cork mat from Ikea to place under it to stop it from slipping.

 

[Maz]

Aw. It might have been the residue smell from the disinfectant. Or it might be a bit still smelled of the other hamster as you say. They are very sensitive to scent or smell. Or maybe it was just it wasn’t her old wheel?

I would take it out and just wash the whole thing with a wet sponge with a bit of fairy liquid on the sponge. Ie soap it. Washes everything off that was on there and doesn’t get the wheel too wet around the mechanical parts - but do wash all of it including the stand - inside and out. Slightly rinse it with the damp sponge after so there’s no soap left and then just dry it with a towel. That usually removes all scent . Sometimes when it’s just been cleaned they then won’t go in it as it doesn’t have their scent so then you can just put a smelly treat in it. That usually tempts them in then they start to run and then it has their scent.

There’s definitely no sticky residue on the running surface? I think you can get replacement cork strips for those wheels. What does it look like without the cork?

 

[Maz]

I mean dishwashing liquid . Not the lemon or scented ones though, just the plain one I’d try that first before thinking about adding more cork. Or is the wheel a bit smooth and slippery without the cork?

 

[swampystorm]

The wheel is slipping across the hide it’s on top of and scratched the wall of the cage, on visible not palpable so still waterproof but don’t want it to happen anymore in case he gets any ideas of chewing the cage. I got some cork mats and put some cardboard against those part of the cage walls and see how it goes tonight