# Mouse wheel smells REALLY bad?



## MissStitches (Mar 31, 2012)

Alright, so I know this is an odd topic to begin with. :lol: However, I've noticed that my mouse wheel has caused some.. Wafting odors in my cage. If I remove it for a while, the smell gets a hundred times better within the cage. My wheel is metal, so I'm wondering if maybe it might be reacting with my mice's urine? I have two female mice, so I know it's not the male smell issue. I'll post a picture of the wheel below. If any of you have run into the same problem, how do you illiminate the odor? I try washing it, but sometimes the smell comes back directly after I wash it, even if the mice don't run on it.  When I wash it, I generally do so with some mild soap and warm water.


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## Laigaie (Mar 7, 2011)

I don't have much of a smell issue with the wheels, but mine go through the dishwasher, mostly when they become greasygrimeygross.


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## MissStitches (Mar 31, 2012)

I would put mine through the dishwasher, but my family would have a little bit of an issue with that. ^^ Is there anything else I could wash them with that would get rid of the stench? Baking soda, maybe? If I rinse it off completely?


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## candycorn (Oct 31, 2011)

I use super hot water and dishwashing soap...then rinse very throughly. You might need to put it under high pressure water to get all the caked up urine from the cracks of each hole in the grate.


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## moustress (Sep 25, 2009)

It looks like you are showing a metal wheel. I never use metal wheels anymore; the urine corrodes the metal surface, combining and caking on. It is nearly impossible to get off without using some kind of solvent. As I'd rather not handle solvents, I don't use metal wheels.

Then there's the issue of the the noise metal wheels make; the squealing drives me crazy (and that's a SHORT trip on a GOOD day...); oiling a metal wheel doesn't help. The thought of having a bunch of those in my mousery...oy, it would be torture...

I recommend plastic wheels like the Comfort Wheel, which has a solid running surface that's less likely to irritate feet and won't mangle a tail. they are a bit pricey, but they come in a variety of sizes. There's even one big enough for ferrets. The smallest size is, IMHO, too small for any creature. I get the one that's about a foot in diameter, and sometimes I'm treated to the sight of two or three mousies running on it at the same time!

The Comfort Wheel comes clean fairly easily, with no lingering odor whatsoever.


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## DeepBlueC (Feb 9, 2012)

I agree with mousetress, dont use a metal wheel. I remember when I was young and kept mice and hamsters in metal cages with metal wheels, they would always corrode, especially in the toilet corner. So get rid of the metal one and buy a plastic version. I use a plastic one and have two females, the wheel can start to smell as they do pee in it, but I just give it a rinse with a small amount of disinfectant and the the problems gone. Make sure to rinse it thoroughly though !


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## MissStitches (Mar 31, 2012)

Thanks, Moustress and everyone else! I completely agree, the squeaking drives me nuts. Especially at night when I try to sleep.  I only got it as a temporary wheel, but I haven't come into enough money to replace it as of late.

I'm going to replace it as soon as possible. Maybe the metal corroding was the reason that I just can't seem to get rid of that smell. :roll:


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## SarahY (Nov 6, 2008)

Just take it out, problem solved  They don't need a wheel, they won't be unhappy without it.


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## MissStitches (Mar 31, 2012)

I'd take it out, but whenever I do, my mouse Kiku plans an escape to find it.  She's such a little rascal sometimes. The bars in the cage I'm holding them in are pretty far spaced, so I don't want Kiku seeing the wheel off in the distance somewhere and running after it. (Trust me, it's happened before).


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## Seafolly (Mar 13, 2012)

Have you tried vinegar? I too had stinky metal wheels for my hamsters...I shudder when I remember what they looked like. I did find vegetable oil helped the squeaking but obviously not the smell. The plastic wheels have treated me well but the drawback to mine is it seems to collect urine a little faster than I'd like.


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