Does your room smell like a pigsty because of your hamster's cage? If you find out it's not the cage, but the hamster itself, here are some instructions to rid your hamster of the odor.

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[edit] Steps

Alternatives to Bathing (preferred)

Understand that your hamster should never need a bath. That being said, if you are considering giving your hamster a bath, be sure to educate yourself of the dangers.
Clean the cage more frequently. If the cage/hamster is smelling badly, more than likely, you need to clean out the cage more frequently and/or better.
- This means touching up daily, and changing all of the bedding weekly.
- During estrus, female hamsters can also have a different odor when they are in heat. The only time you should give your hamster a bath is if there is something on their coat that could harm them, i.e. something toxic or something that they could choke on if they tried to clean themselves. If you've spilled, e.g., antifreeze on your hamster, you will probably wish to bathe it.
If your hamster is not life-threateningly dirty, a sand bath should be sufficient. Get some chinchilla sand (make sure it's sand, not dust, which can cause respiratory problems) at the pet store and put it in a little bowl for your hamster. If the sand is a permanent fixture in your hamster's cage or playpen, make sure to check it daily as your hamster may start using it as a litterbox. If the hamster has something toxic or sticky on its coat, be prepared to wash it, but do it carefully.
If there is something sticky or toxic on your hamster, make sure there is no other way to remove it. If your long-haired hamster has gum in its fur, you might be able to simply cut it out.

Bathing Your Hamster

If you absolutely must bathe your hamster, get a bowl and fill it with one or two inches of lukewarm water.
Very gently, moisten your hamster, taking care to keep the water away from your hamster's face area.
If water alone will not remove the toxic and/or sticky substance, you can use a very small amount of the mildest baby shampoo you can find. Be very careful to keep the suds away from your hamster's face.
Rinse the hamster.
Place your hamster on a towel and gently pat it dry.
Get a hairdryer and put it on the lowest possible setting. Hold it a couple of feet away from your hamster. Make sure to keep a hand between the the hairdryer and your hamster to prevent burns.
Give your hamster a seed and put it back in its cage to sleep off its annoyance.

[edit] Tips

Do this on a warm day if you can, as hamsters are very susceptible to chills!
If you have a skittish sort of hamster, you may want to conscript a friend or family member to help you, especially when you're drying the hamster off.
Do not put the hamster back in its cage until it is completely dry.
Hamsters actually bathe themselves by licking.
There is no good reason you should ever have to do this. Don't let your hamster near anything toxic. Don't spill things on your hamster. Don't let your hamster run around in the garage. Don't attach gum to your hamster. Life is weird and stuff happens, but a little common sense goes a long way.
If this is your first time bathing a hamster, look at other articles or talk to a current hamster owner to find the best way to clean your hamster.
Don't simply wash a hamster for fun or because you want them to be the cleanest hamster on the block. If you want to compete for beauty, a hamster isn't your thing.

[edit] Warnings

Hamsters are, as mentioned above, very susceptible to chills. If you give your hamster a bath, it can catch a chill and die. Do not give your hamster a bath unless it is absolutely necessary.
In addition to causing chills, water can strip necessary oils from a hamster's fur and skin. Again, do not bathe your hamster unless you need to for your hamster's health.
There are no 100% safe ways to bathe a hamster.
So if you bathe you hamster make sure you do the steps right and be safe........
Do NOT bathe your hamster unless told to by your vet. If possible, have a pro bathe them!