# Site General > General Herp >  Soap & Snakes, safe?

## CoolioTiffany

I was watching SnakeBytesTV, and on one episode Chewy had a BP over his neck and he was putting soap on him and the snake. Now I hear people say only soak your snake in warm water, don't put any soap in the water in case the snake happens to injest or drink the water. So, is it really safe to put soap on your snakes if you were bathing it? Would it most likely irritate their skin or cause something bad to happen with the skin or anything? Or is the soap no harm to the snake?

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## BigLu

i wouldnt put anything on my snake that wouldnt go on it in the wild or unless it was made specifically for snakes or all herps in general

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## th3jok3r

id imagine it would dry the skin out well scales and remove the oils but i dont think it would do damage if its very very diluted and not foaming or a rich lather you know? and of course keep away from the head face area

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## CoolioTiffany

Ya definitely. I wasn't planning on bathing my snakes in soapy water anytime soon though. I wasn't even planning on adding any soap if I did give them a bath. I just wouldn't take chances, even if it was good for the snakes.

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## LadyOhh

I bathe my snakes in soap once a year...

When the females lay their eggs and need to be cleaned off of the egg scent.

It doesn't harm them, as long as you just do it quickly.

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_CoolioTiffany_ (08-02-2009)

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## redpython

i would think unless its some kind of crazy strong soap, it doesn't really hurt them.  remember those scales are a layer of protection to keep things out...and they probably crawl thru a lot worse stuff in the wild.

also remember that a solution to mites is to soak your snake into soapy water and get the suds up under the scales.

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_CoolioTiffany_ (08-02-2009)

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## Tyler_Royality

Soap is used for many things when it comes to snakes. When a snake treads threw his own feces, I find it pretty gross to not clean him/her up with anti-B soap.  i mean.. we like to think people wash their hands with soap after they goto the bathroom rite?

Soap is also used by almost every breeder right after a female lays her eggs and eggs are removed for incubation, this helps get the scent of the eggs off of her and she will most likely start eating sooner. 

soap isnt anything to worry about.

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_Bluebonnet Herp_ (04-19-2015),_CoolioTiffany_ (08-02-2009),_WesleyTF_ (01-22-2010)

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