Cleaning Old Cages.

I'm currently setting up my quarantine tanks for what I maybe purchasing at a reptile show on the 21st. They are two 20 gallon longs, that have been sitting in my basement for a few years, they aren't too bad just dusty. My question is, what should I clean them with? I've been using dawn dish soap and warm water. I also have chlorhex that I can use. Any tips or recommendations on what you guys would use? Thanks in advance guys.

I would start with dawn dish soap and warm water to remove the dirt, then a disenfrctant like F10 or chlorxidine.

You can use bleach if really want to but make sure you get all of it off. If you can still smell bleach you need to keep rincing it.

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

I would start with dawn dish soap and warm water to remove the dirt, then a disenfrctant like F10 or chlorxidine.

You can use bleach if really want to but make sure you get all of it off. If you can still smell bleach you need to keep rincing it.

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This.

What do you guys think about using chlorhexidine for cleaning tanks?

http://www.amazon.com/Bimeda-Inc-Chl.../dp/B00061MU9W

Chlorhexidine is NOT a cleaner. It is a disinfectant. The only way 99% of disinfectants work is to wash completely with soap and water before use. Also remember that the disinfectant must saturate the item and must stay that way for the complete contact time anywhere from 10 -30 min.

Chlorhexidine is a good general product the things that make it lesser to F10 is the stability of the product only one week if mixed with tap water.

Complete instructions
http://datasheets.scbt.com/sc-359873_mfr.pdf

F10sc is more stable (6 months mixed) it has a detergent they recommend for use with it F10scXD this is a great product it lifts junk really well. I have been using both for quite a while. I suspect the detergent is not needed and any soap will work. Where I am I need to ship f10 so I order it from the UK that has the full line it is less costly in the long run.

Thanks for the replies guys, but now I have one more question. What should be used to clean the old hides and logs? I wouldn't think you could use dawn and warm water because it would make the wood swell and possibly rot right?

I put foil on a cookie sheet and put wood hides in the oven at 180*F for an hour. Pasteurization of milk is done at 170*F to kill bacteria and virii, so I set the temperature a touch higher than that on my oven in case the thermostat is off. Don't go higher, at 212*F water will boil, and if it's trapped inside the item the expanding water will cause things to crack/explode in your oven (ask me how I know...!!!).

You know, I never would have thought of that. But now that you mention it I remember reading about that in a couple reptile books I own. And by the way, I'm a fan of your avatar picture. I drive a 2007 myself.

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Originally Posted by Montypython696

You know, I never would have thought of that. But now that you mention it I remember reading about that in a couple reptile books I own. And by the way, I'm a fan of your avatar picture. I drive a 2007 myself.

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Thanks, mine's a 1969 convertible. :D

Oh I'm very jealous. My dream Mustang is a 1969.