We also invested in the blackout liners for our curtains and over our blinds because the windows at our place are old and not very insulated. It helped a lot more then I thought it would to keep out house darker and cooler.
Long ago (30+ years ago), when I lived in rental property that had drafty windows, we got a 3M product that was heavy plastic ... you put it up over the windows, then used a hair dryer to shrink it taunt. That always kept the cold air out or the heat out ... depending on the season. Of course, if it's spring or fall, you usually like a window open for fresh air, so it doesn't always work for some year-round.We also put the dust bath in the freezer for a while.
What a wonderful idea! I have never heard of that, but it sounds like a great idea ... they love their dust baths anyway ... it would be like taking a cool shower on a hot day, after mowing the lawn.I would put clay flower pots in the freezer, and it worked great for most, but one ate half her pot. 
Glad you mentioned that!
If you've seen the clay flat dishes (often used as a cactus dish) you might want to get one that has been glazed and use it.
How do I know when he is over heating? What's the best room temp for Chins?
On the beige and/or pink white chins (having pink ears), over heating is easily seen ... they will become a darker pink and you can, many times, even see the veins in the ears. (A chinchilla releases heat through the ears and feet ... much like humans do.) This is a little harder to see in the dark ears, but is still visible, if you keep a close eye on them.
Also keep an eye on their ears and their activity when playing ... they can become over heated due solely to their activity.
We keep our chin rooms between 62 and 68, never letting them get past 70 Fahrenheits. 75+ is the danger zone that can take your chin quickly, especially if the humidity level is high. Humidity should stay around 40% to 50%. A de-humidifier is good to use ... BUT ... if you use one, you can cause more problems by getting the humidity (moisture content in the air) below 35%. A barometer is needed if you use a de-humidifier. When a de-humidifier is used, dust baths should be cut to twice a week, as should be done in the winter. Heating systems tend to dry the air in the winter months.
The normal "safe temperature" can be figured by adding the humidity + the temperature .... if the total equals below 150, your chin should be fairly safe ... but, their are always exceptions to every rule. 85 degrees Fahrenheit + 20% humidity is definitely under 150, so is 100% moisture and 40 degrees,
but the safe/comfort zone for a chinchilla temperature-wise is 55 to 70 (with the best being between 62 and 68) and 45% humidity. If at all possible, never let the temperature go below 45 or above 75 ... these are the extreams to try to stay within, or so I have been told, by many breeders and my vet.
Jo Ann
