Rack Cleaning schedule

Hey guys,

This is towards all of you with 10+ ball pythons. Please post how you clean a tub, and where you clean them.

Also what you do for fresh water every week, meaning, do you clean all water bowls, or just dump out old water and replace?

Thanks for the input:gj:

I have 30+ snakes now. I recently switched to aspen bedding so now I check the snakes every day and spot clean any visible bowel movements or urates, and replace any aspen that has gotten wet for whatever reason. I am not sure yet how much time will go between complete tub clean outs, but I'll figure that out as I use the aspen longer. As far as water goes, I wash any water bowls that are soiled immediately after I notice its condition. Otherwise water dishes get pulled and washed every week and replaced clean with new water.

I used to use paper towels as bedding and I would check the snakes daily, if the tub was soiled I would clean the tub completely with chlorhexidine solution, and most tubs got completely cleaned once a week otherwise.

Right now I'm using newspaper, I have 12 BP's. It ends up being a lot of work cleaning everything out all the time, I may switch to aspen at some point.

Any time I see feces I clean the cage completely, using clorhexadine. I don't try and sterilize everything, rather just make sure the cage is clean. In their book, the Barker's point out how sterile is generally not the optimal condition, rather "clean" is best. I do sterilize the water dish at least once a week, and always immediately after it gets soiled. Every morning I check the cages, if there is an intense amount of urine I may go ahead and clean as I previously described. If it's a small pee, I will leave it to evaporate.

JonV

I use newspaper and whenever they have a bowel movement i just change it out. I change the water twice a week and disinfect the tub and water bowls every couple weeks.

I have 8 balls in my rack system.. we currently use newspaper but may be switching back to aspen soon. We clean water bowls completely once a week. When we get soiled bins/newspaper we remove newspaper and wipe down with chlorhexidine solution.Hides get washed when soiled or at least once a month.

We have around 50 balls. I clean with 10% bleach mix. I use newspaper as substrate and spot clean and add fresh water every other day. Once a week I clean all enclosures and replace newspaper, clean all water bowls. Every other week I clean the hides.

I have around 50 BP's also. I use newspaper and I clean every weekend.
I use deli cups as water bowls so every time I clean, I toss the old deli cup and use a new one. I check and top off the water a few times a week as well as clean a tub that has gotten wet or dirty before my Sat cleaning day.
I use chlorhex to disenfect the tubs and hides.

Used to use delis but found my bigger snakes tip them over often. I use the big ceramic bowls for my bigger snakes and smaller plastic ones for smaller snakes.

Ok, that is perfect, thanks to all who participated!

Now, where do you do the cleaning? I might be moving into an apartment soon, and right now I'm using my front yard hose.

And for those that use chlorhexidine, did you dilute it with water?
I'm using the 16 oz Novalsan surgical scrub with chlorhex.

Thanks,
Jordan

I just drag a trash can into the room and clean the tubs in there. As for the water bowls, I dump them all in the room and put the empty dishes in a large tub and wash them in the sink. When they are clean I take them back to the room and fill them as I place them back in the snake tubs.

I have lots of royals in racks and I use indented kraft paper and change the paper with every pee and/or poo. Maybe I'm crazy, but I don't want the smell of evaporating snake pee in my house and, more than this, I don't want my snakes to live in their own pee- that's gross!
When I change the paper I also clean the hides and water bowl. I use chlorhex for the tub and soap and water for the hides and bowl. I take it tub by tub and go into my kitchen and clean everything at the sink. I have extra tubs already to go and plop the snake into the clean tub (after I rinse the snake off) and then clean the dirty tub and get it set up for another day.
I thought I might bleach every month, but I don't really think that is necessary; I think that is just my own media brainwashing!!! So, chlorhex and it's all good!!
Hope this helps you some!

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Originally Posted by mmchoppers

And for those that use chlorhexidine, did you dilute it with water?
I'm using the 16 oz Novalsan surgical scrub with chlorhex.

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Nolvasan Surgical Scrub is more like a liquid soap kinda thing, try the Nolvasan Solution and mix with water as the package directs I believe 1 Tablespoon per gallon of water. That should also be less expensive than using the scrub and no need to rinse, just spray and wipe.

I have 11 BPs at the moment. Everyone is on aspen so I'll check them once or twice a day and remove any wet spots or bowel movements. I have garbage bags in the snake room, along with paper towels and gloves so it's easy to spot clean. This keep the major cleaning down and I think it keeps the snakes happier.

Once a week I'll pull all the water bowls and run them through the dishwasher using the Hot cycle. When a tub needs to be cleaned or when the aspen needs to be changed (every 2 weeks to a month) I use KennelSol to disinfect, then fill with new aspen and give fresh water.

Anyone that has a fouled or low water bowl during the week will get a quick wash and fresh water.

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Originally Posted by Graykat97

try the Nolvasan Solution and mix with water as the package directs I believe 1 Tablespoon per gallon of water. .

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I will do that, thank you:)

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Originally Posted by Graykat97

and no need to rinse, just spray and wipe

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Really? Since it is so diluted, it is mostly water anyways I suppose. Cool, saves a LOT of time.

I just ask this because before, I would spray 'um down,scrub,spray,wipe dry, and let them air out for a bit. Overkill? lol.

I want to get a couple morphs, like a pastel and a spider since my baby girl is almost ready to breed!

I usually just clean them in the kitchen sink. I clean them as they need to be cleaned, I don't really have a schedule. Some snakes are dirtier than others... i.e. - tipping over water bowls, urinating more frequently, etc.

As goes for water.... I replace the water everyday. If you use a water conditioner then you need to clean them everyday otherwise you will get build up in them because there is nothing in the water to prevent fungus and bacteria build up. I don't use conditioner anymore, so I just replace the water everyday, and then clean the dishes at the end of the week.

I see it. People just ignore this post. It's totallly irrelevant.

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Originally Posted by elusivereptiles

I usually just clean them in the kitchen sink. I clean them as they need to be cleaned, I don't really have a schedule. Some snakes are dirtier than others... i.e. - tipping over water bowls, urinating more frequently, etc.

As goes for water.... I replace the water everyday. If you use a water conditioner then you need to clean them everyday otherwise you will get build up in them because there is nothing in the water to prevent fungus and bacteria build up. I don't use conditioner anymore, so I just replace the water everyday, and then clean the dishes at the end of the week.

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I know what you mean! One of my snakes likes to poop and then paint with it.