i dont know how you kept your cages last time but a substrate other than paper towl and newspaper can smell very badly also the bark can cause impaction. http://www.chameleonsdish.com/andhttp://www.chameleonnews.com/ will help you get back into chameleons the right way with updated techniques and equipment.
Keep a roll of toilet paper near your cage along with a waste basket. Spot clean as mentioned above daily. Do not use any substrate.
When you arrange your cage furnishings, keep in mind that droppings can land on leaves, branches and vines. We recommend placing your branches and vines diagonally. That way, when the chameleon goes to the bathroom the droppings go straight to the floor instead of landing on whatever is underneath.
Chameleons do not smell and don't have any odor. The key is keeping the cage clean.
I cant agree more with Julirs. Also what kind of cage setup are you using? If your using the screen fresh air cages you can even just leave it with the PVC board bottom. That way it makes for an easy cleaning. Hope this helps alittle.
I actually do not have a set up now, or any chameleons, I want to get a new one, but convincing the people I live with that the cage will not smell is my first step lol.
I have alwayed been fascinated with Chameleons, and the one I always wanted since high school is a Nosey Be.
So hopefully I can convince them now...and when everyone says Substrate, what exactly is that? Bark on the bottom?
If something smells bad in the enclosure then be sure to check the smell of your chameleon's poop. Chameleons with some kinds of parasites will have a really stinky poop. Typical chameleon poop can be sniffed from an inch away without much of an odor detected. A stinkly one... stinks .
I think everybody asks the same thing when they get a cham. What goes on the bottom. Small pieces of bark can stick to there tounge when going for food on the bottom of the cage. It has happend to me. Its not easy to get them to open there mouth and remove it with out hurting them. If I didnt catch it it may have caused him t die. They are not going to digest bark..just use white papper towels. and be sure to change them every day or other..