So being a new to boys mom, I knew there would be a smell. I've gotten used to that, or so I thought (they are neutered). There smell was manageable, but recently it's gotten stronger and smells so much faster. I haven't changed cleaning habits so they shouldn't be over marking. Any ideas why this could be or ideas of how to bring the smell down? Thanks!

Nothing has changed? Not cleaning schedule or products, diet or detergent used to launder the fleece? Any other added treats?

I'm not sure as to why the stink level would change with neutered males. I'm stumped, but suggest trying a new strategy with cleaning schedule to see if it helps. I've changed my cleaning schedule many, many times, mostly due to work schedule changes, but also some for just picking up little techniques that work better in my case. Sometimes my cleaning schedule gets put off a little longer, than stink level rises, lol, but mostly okay.

Daily cleaning of drop pan is highly recommended, also check for needed daily spot cleaning as well.

Check the toys/wheel/fleece accessories, sometimes items can be the culprit.

As for changing and cleaning, always leave something smelly.
-First, I use a cotton, twin, flat sheet to cover sides and back of cage. I now use one for Spring/Summer & another one for Fall/Winter, I leave them on the entire time usually.
-I wipe the bars down using a sponge and v/w solution (1pt V & 2pt W, in a spray bottle). I do this weekly, or bi weekly depending. After wiping bars down, I place in a clean pouch and usually the liners I use for feeding stations, but sometimes change bi weekly. The rest of the stuff I replace in the cage, wiping the wheel w/sponge and other hard plastics. The wood items usually get changed (& soaked in vinegar) each week. The rest of the accessories stay for about 2 weeks, but are moved around or some were exchanged for second week.
-I cannot take my cage out to spray down as I would like to, so I use a hand-held steamer and steam it down. My schedule of this has changed, I now usually do it 3-4 time a year, but honestly usually 3X.

When I do launder fleece, I use regular detergent w/no fabric softener. I do put through an extra rinse as well.

Hard surface accessories get washed in dish detergent or vinegar/water solution, depending on material (wood=v/w always).

What diet are you feeding?

Do you follow the diet exactly or do you give extra protein?

What are you using in the drop pan?

When you clean do you clean everything at once?

How often do you clean?

Have you changed soap that you clean with?

I recently had a funk come up too.... It was their wheel... And the nail trimmers... It was one of those things where I kept wiping it down weekly, and told myself "Take it out next week and wash it"... Now it's marked on the calendar.

I don't know if that helps, but it's my confession for the week.

No, nothing has changed.
Terry, thanks for the cleaning tips!!
Feather, I feed HPW and follow the plan exactly but give some mealies as treats occasionally. I put fleece in the drop pan and change it once a week. I clean things on a changing schedule. So one week is fleece, the next toys, wheel and cage. I have not changed soap I clean with.

My boys are the ones seeking to have a smell. They transfer it to everything but it's kind of in their fur. What can I do about this? Any suggestions?

I suggest a vet visit then to rule out an illness. A urinary tract infection, UTI, will cause their urine to smell stronger and if they are having accidents in their sleeping pouch they are getting it on themselves.

Just so you know, fleece will hold in the smell, even after washing.

I use nothing in my drop pans and clean them weekly. If you want to continue with fleece in the drop pans I would change it more often.

Hey guys...just pitching in my two bits here!

Erin hey! Welcome to the sugar madness! Cleaning is an ongoing problem with these little guys. Since they don't pay attention themselves we have to do it all for them.

Not a problem in the rain forest...problematic in the living room.

I live in an RV, traveling around, so stink mitigation is important.
Personally I can't smell much. Spent my whole life sucking burning plant matter into my lungs. But even still, it can quickly get to the point where I find it unpleasant.
And if *I* can smell it, it's going to asphyxiate anyone else coming in the door.

"No, officer, I don't know what happened. She just keeled over. Um, Officer...Officer?"

So I have tried a lot of things.

Eventually it was plain plastic trays that did it. No media. And I clean them every day. No soap, or other detergent. I just take the plastic tray out and rinse with hot water in the shower for a few seconds. I don't even dry the trays before putting them back in. Sometimes I use a plastic brush.
Once every couple months I wheel the cage outside and hose it down.
toys, wheels and laundry I just do as needed. If I have to, I clean hard surfaces with vinegar. Laundry soap is the bio-friendly, scent-free, hippy-soap.

This system even passes Stef's delicate sensibilities. :-) (Thank you, honey)

Also helps to keep your tissue dispensers just like you keep your firearms or tequila: Positioned discreetly around the house, so there's always one within arms reach--should the need suddenly arise.

NOTE: My guys don't walk on the bars...the plastic trays are in there as the *floor* of the cage. If you do this kind of thing you really need to clean it every *day* because they will walk in their own leavings and then FACE HUG you with their poopy, pestilent little hand-razors.
And they have no sense. If there's a puddle of something on the floor they will walk right through it and get it all over themselves. In the wild they wouldn't have to worry about it--in the cage they do. Or, rather...we do.

There is also a member on here who sells cage liners made from an antibacterial nylon material. Or something. I didn't really pay attention to what it was made of. But for two gliders those might be a great way to go.

Hope this helps!
Happy Glider-ing! :-)

Here is the link to the liners TwoDog was talking about. Even though I do prefer to use a bare tray and clean daily as I mentioned, these are a quality product. I have personally shopped with her several times and she's always been accommodating.
Jana's Custom Liners
She as made me custom shelf liners that work like a dream, and just recently I ordered two pan liners to use for their roof-top playground (I ordered one and loved it so much, I wanted a spare to use for laundry day, so ordered a second one), I also plan on ordering for my glider's vacation cage, when I settle on what I'm going with.

Kimberly I s correct, fleece does build up stink, so it could possibly be what's going on as to why the scent is growing worse over time. However, if you believe the stink is on them, then a vet visit would be a best bet.

So, maybe after health conditions are ruled out, try either bare pan or the CCL by Jana, either way it will help.