Quote Originally Posted by MarkS View Post
Every week I remove each pan from the rack, scoop out all the mice into a holding bin, dump the dirty litter, scrape the pan out with a putty knife, replace with fresh litter and move the mice back in. I don't even wash the pans and haven't in years. Mice live in a world of scent, they need their homes to smell familiar otherwise they don't feel as comfortable. I've found that if I wash the pans they actually smell worse after a few days because the mice will be extra busy re-marking their territory.
I walked into a rodent breeder’s shed that did not use cleaning solution while cleaning his rodent tubs, and I about passed out. The ammonia was so strong.

I use cleaning solution while cleaning out all of my tubs, and there is no buildup of ammonia. I start to notice a smell in the rodent room a couple of days before cleaning day. I clean once every seven days.