Thermogradient Cleaning Procedure

Today, I counted the amount of defecation and developed a chart of where the defecation occurred and in what quantities. Additionally, I cleaned the thermogradient with ethanol. As rats have a strong sense of sense, we use ethanol to eradicate the smell of the thermogradient chamber's previous inhabitant. The cleaning is tedious. There are six chambers within the thermogradient. Each chamber is cleaned separately, as it has multiple parts. 

1. I lift off the three glass lids of the chamber and wipe them with ethanol
2. I take out the tracks (metal bars on which the rats can run and roam freely within the chamber) Then, I start the intensive cleaning of the chamber...
3. Under the tracks is a black removable surface on which any defecation, urine, or fur falls onto. I clean the surface multiple times using ethanol, making sure to be careful I use enough ethanol (so as to eradicate any trace of the previous rat), but not too much ethanol (where the smell becomes overwhelming)
4. I use a mini-vacuum to lift off fur or defecation.
5. Then, I clean the walls of the thermogradient with ethanol.
6. Using a mix of water and ethanol, I brush the metal tracks, on which the rats roam.
7. I join the metal tracks back together and then seal the chamber with the ethanol-cleaned glass lids. 

This process is repeated for each of the six tracks. Within each thermogradient chamber, there are multiple thermocouples, which detect ambient temperature. These thermocouples are found below the tracks and are stationed within the wall of the thermogradient, just above the black removable surface.