cleaning worry

[miatb]

hi everyone, i am new to snake keeping and posting on this site but i would like some advice. I have had my four month old ball python for about a month now so a few days ago i did my first deep cleaning of his cage. I’ve heard diluted chlorohexadine makes a good disinfectant so i am waiting for that to arrive but in the meantime i used zoo meds wipe out cleaner. the cleaner says to saturate the surfaces you want to clean and then wipe off so i did that with his tank (plastic tub) and also his two hides and water bowl. after doing this i did some more research on cleaning and found that zoo meds wipe out should really only be used to clean the tank and not anything else because of the toxicity. when i saw this i immediately took out his hides and water bowl and rinsed them really well with water and let them air dry before putting them back in. i assume his hides are fine now but i am worried about chemicals possibly leeching into his water bowl and if that’s possible and what i should do if it is. Sorry if this seems over dramatic, this is my first snake and i just want to makes sure he stays healthy and safe. any thoughts you guy have would be appreciated.

[bcr229]

It's probably ok on the hides. I keep multiple water bowls and run used ones through the dishwasher periodically, or if the snake uses it for a toilet. They are easier to keep clean that way.

[Bogertophis]

As long as you rinsed off the Zoo Med stuff, should be ok. I mostly use full-strength white vinegar on water bowls...it dissolves hard water deposits, is mildly antiseptic
& rinses clean. I use chlorhexidine (diluted) to wipe my cages & hides (no rinsing needed). I'm not familiar with what's in the Zoo Med stuff, btw...what is your water
bowl made of? If glass, nothing would be absorbed, but even if plastic, I think it would have to sit for a while in the bowl to be much of a risk (in the same way that
many plastic bottles with disinfectant in say not to re-use the bottles for anything...it also depends on what # the plastic is, ie. how "soft" it is), so I'd say the bowl is a
very low risk, if at all.

[miatb]

okay thank you! that definitely eases my mind a little bit. i’m actually not sure what my hides are made of, although i think they might be plastic. they are the realistic rock looking ones. i’ve rinsed out his water bowl many times now and will definitely use a different cleaning method in the future. thanks again!