Can I use a blanket as temporary substrate?

[Bogertophis]

...it lets me do a complete clean every time they soil the sheets.

So now I'm imagining you on the phone with friends or family who ask what you're doing now, & you say, "oh, just washing the snake's sheets". I love it!

[Dianne]

I haven’t had any issues with anyone else trying to eat the sheet, just Duncan that one time. I do check after feeding to see if there is any blood, which would more likely leave a scent. In those cases I keep a closer eye, but everyone always slithers into their warm hides for a post food nap. If there is blood from the mouse or rat, I change out the sheets the next day or the second day after feeding, depending on the snake and how much blood is there.

I’ll have to check into the idea about discard sheets. Most of the places I’ve been to only sell unstained, gently used items. Suggesting they sell them discounted for pets is a great idea. I’ll have to share that as well. For what it’s worth, I didn’t jump whole hog into this either. I tried it out with a couple of cages as a trial run. When I found it to be easy to maintain and recyclable, I made the switch. The only time I really have humidity issues is in the winter, which is when most of us are tweaking setups anyway. That’s when I add humid hides.

If you have smaller cages, drapes and tablecloths are handy. The rougher texture of these items can also be useful during shed. I’m also a quilter and crafter, so I have lots of fabric. Some of it is heavy upholstery fabric, which I’ve sewn into custom sized double layered sheets for the smaller cages. I try to stay away from slick fabrics and nylon type materials because they aren’t as absorbent.

[Dianne]

So now I'm imagining you on the phone with friends or family who ask what you're doing now, & you say, "oh, just washing the snake's sheets". I love it!

I can honestly say I’ve done that and you get a small quiet spell. lol I can almost see them mouthing “washing SNAKE sheets?”

I’ve also gotten the “oh that’s gross, they’ve pooped on them!” Since most of my friends have children, I explain it’s not really any different than when your child has an accident...or back when cloth diapers were the norm. Baby poop is much harder to dislodge, that stuff is like wet clay.

[Bogertophis]

...I’ll have to check into the idea about discard sheets. Most of the places I’ve been to only sell unstained, gently used items. Suggesting they sell them discounted for pets is a great idea. I’ll have to share that as well....

I used to volunteer as a sorter- sifting thru & pricing donations. I couldn't get over how many things they tossed (because of a tear or a stain). I was also
on the board of directors for a while...when you run a pet shelter with all volunteers (except for a few paid employees in the store as clerks) you have to find
all the savings you can. Recycling saved us on the cost of trash collection, & then made us more $ by selling cheaply things they'd have tossed out in the past.

Used sheets are one of those things with a high "ick factor" [for human use] if they have any sort of stain. We also had interest from a local plant nursery that
wanted to buy the sheets/drapes we couldn't sell, to wrap & transport their trees & shrubs in: buying new burlap gets so expensive for them! I've also seen the
local Salvation Army sell "big bags of rags" (like for auto mechanics to use).

I personally love shopping in thrift stores...I donate in the back door, & come out the front door with hopefully less than I came with. Useful stuff for good causes.

[Dianne]

I personally love shopping in thrift stores...I donate in the back door, & come out the front door with hopefully less than I came with. Useful stuff for good causes.

Me, too. I’ve found great household items at those stores, especially when I was first starting out and needed furniture. Even in recent years I’ve gotten some cool antique accent pieces and nice decorative kitchen shelves. I also donate to them as well as a local charity that collects clothes and household goods to give to those in need. As you mentioned, the goal is to leave with less than I brought.

[Bogertophis]

Me, too. I’ve found great household items at those stores, especially when I was first starting out and needed furniture. Even in recent years I’ve gotten some cool antique accent pieces and nice decorative kitchen shelves. I also donate to them as well as a local charity that collects clothes and household goods to give to those in need. As you mentioned, the goal is to leave with less than I brought.

It feels like "good karma" to shop there...things donated with love for a good cause. Like you, I've been surprised at the useful & nice things I've found, & low prices too.

It has happened more than once that I finally donated something that I hated to let go of...something I liked that wasn't quite what I needed...and then shortly
after I finally donated it, I found a "replacement" that totally fit what I needed in the first place. So strange...

Cool antiques, and vintage things like we had around growing up are fun too. Lots of older things are better made (to last) also...especially furniture.

We're lucky to have good thrift stores around here; there's quite a few, including one for helping women & children escape domestic violence & get back on their feet.