Cleaning question

Is vinegar enough to kill all the bacteria in a snakes home?

Doubt it... but what all are you trying to clean, and why/in what context? Are you trying to disinfect stuff that housed a sick animal or that came in from another collection, or are you just talking about routine cleaning?

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Originally Posted by Coluber42

Doubt it... but what all are you trying to clean, and why/in what context? Are you trying to disinfect stuff that housed a sick animal or that came in from another collection, or are you just talking about routine cleaning?

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General/routine cleaning after they soiled and the usual "strip it down" for a good disinfection.

For routine cage cleaning I use diluted chlorhexidine (similar to Nolvasan but way cheaper); a small bottle will last a long time (diluted properly) & there's no odor-
it's effective and safe to just wipe off without rinsing. F10 is good too, a little stronger (if you have many snakes especially) & pricier, but similar to use. (no rinse)

Vinegar is great but obviously you have to rinse it, AND it's not as effective killing germs as generic chlorhexidine is. It's great for water bowls though, especially if
you have hard water deposits- it dissolves them. (dump out water, swish a little vinegar into bowl & let it sit while you clean the cage, then scrub, rinse & refill bowl)

ONLY if there's a sick snake or one in quarantine would I use a stronger disinfectant like bleach- very effective but nasty to us & snakes both, all traces MUST be
rinsed (gone!) or it's toxic: You cannot use it on wood or anything porous, as the smell won't come out.

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Originally Posted by squatsnstilettos

General/routine cleaning after they soiled and the usual "strip it down" for a good disinfection.

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I’ve used everything from Windex to 409 and even Clorox. A couple of years ago I learned about F10SCXD (from this site) and it’s now my favorite cleaner ever. I use it on my tanks, bowls and hides. Great stuff I highly recommend it.

Another vote for F10SC or the XD - I've heard you don't have to worry about wiping with a wet cloth after using the SC - but the XD you do to ensure all the detergent is gone.