Ummm, I have a guilty confession to make about
All Plastic Enclosed Cages, and hopefully I can let others know of the dangers so the same things don't happen to them.
We had the Habitrail type plastic cage with various add-ons and accoutrements for our little Chrysanthemum's enjoyment, but we didn't clean the cage very much. Because hamsters also tend to stink, we kept poor Chrysanthemum in the little used nursery (pre-tadpole days, of course), and then in our five-year-old daughters' bathroom. They are good children, but were not very nice to our hamster.
They accidentally (we're sure it was an accident) spilled water into the cage and didn't tell anyone. . . several times.
Because it was mostly plastic, the cage didn't dry out very well, and let's just say that hamsters, being desert dwelling animals originally, don't take well to climates that very closely replicate England in the winter. She perished soon after, and we told the girls that she came to live on the ship with me, because we are cowardly parents and had just had a grandparent pass away. It didn't seem fair to heap on the guilt caused by murdering the family pet as well.
What you should bring away from this story:
Don't buy plastic cages, don't soak your hamster down, and remember that the hamster you buy as a family pet is ultimately your responsibility.
You will have to live with the consequences of improper care.