Cleaning products

[plateOfFlan]

Seconding Dawn dish soap! For disinfecting I was recommended Simple Green - it has a strong minty smell, so first I rinse it off twice really good and then keep rinsing until the mint smell goes away entirely. Some people think of it as nontoxic because it's called "green" and is supposedly biodegradable, but it stings my hands and is definitely not safe in trace amounts so you want to wear dishwashing gloves and rinse everything really well, and be careful not to blast it with water to avoid any splashing back at your face or god forbid in your mouth.

eta: hmmm upon googling I see "Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner is not a disinfectant and will not kill bacteria or viruses. " so maybe I need to switch to something else.

[Bogertophis]

Seconding Dawn dish soap! For disinfecting I was recommended Simple Green - it has a strong minty smell, so first I rinse it off twice really good and then keep rinsing until the mint smell goes away entirely. Some people think of it as nontoxic because it's called "green" and is supposedly biodegradable, but it stings my hands and is definitely not safe in trace amounts so you want to wear dishwashing gloves and rinse everything really well, and be careful not to blast it with water to avoid any splashing back at your face or god forbid in your mouth.

eta: hmmm upon googling I see "Simple Green All-Purpose Cleaner is not a disinfectant and will not kill bacteria or viruses. " so maybe I need to switch to something else.

Both Dawn & Simple Green are for removing dirt & debris- either from dishes (Dawn, which is also used for cleaning wildlife that's gotten into petroleum oil spills, incidentally) or from household things (in the case of S.G.). Neither one is a "disinfectant". But just mild soap & water, cleaning thoroughly, is often enough- you need to clean first, or the dirt (feces etc) actually deactivates most of the disinfectant ability of other products used. And if you don't follow the directions when using disinfectants, they might not be doing all that you imagine anyway. (Most need to be left on for 10-20 minutes before wiping dry for maximum effectiveness.)

Any soaps, Dawn included, do need to be thoroughly rinsed from reptile homes & accessories. That's one reason many of us like to use a convenient spray-on disinfectant (such as chlorhexidine or F10) that doesn't require rinsing- only drying. But remove the "dirt" first. And if you can't afford a disinfectant, just a thorough regular cleaning with "soap & water" is probably enough, especially if you aren't keeping large numbers of reptiles, adding new ones all the time, or breeding them- AND if yours appear to be healthy. It's another matter for vet clinics, pet stores & breeding locations- disinfectants are a "must" for them.

[JJpeep]

I already have used dawn dish soap for cleaning purposes. Of course I rinse it out (probably overkill rinsing) because I am so paranoid. But I figured it was safe. I hear a lot of breeders use it to wash off their female snakes after they lay eggs to get the all of the smells off so they start to eat again and get out of the 'protective Mama' mode. So I figured it has to be at least non toxic.
I always overkill rinse too, especially with the ball pythons enclosures. Since they are prone to respiratory infections, so I always take into account that their lungs have to be a bit more sensitive. Why I was looking for a disinfectant that wasn't so harsh. Lots of people use bleach. But like I mentioned above I can't stand the smell. It always seems to linger too and I don't want an animal enclosed in a container with that scent. Especially with sensitive lungs. I always think of the humidity levels as well. Has to conjure up some sort of condensation, therefore possibly kicking up a left over fume from an area that wasn't rinsed to full potential. I just want to stay away from bleach if I can. Unless I really need to use it for some reason.
Thanks for all of the insight. It really helps. Yes vinegar is really strong. So I would probably use it in bowls and hides also perhaps watering it down if I wanted to wipe down an enclosure just to temper down the smell a bit. Then another round of dawn to make sure it is rinsed out well. Just so the snakes don't have to deal with the smell and irritation. I probably will grab some chlorhexidine or F-10 too for them stinky dump days, lol!

[starfire]

Just wanted to say thanks for being so conscientious and responsible about your animal's health.

You ask great questions, and everyone learns from hearing these answers. As suggested mild dish soap's not sexy but it's inexpensive and does a good job of cleaning tubs, just rinse really well. I love diluted chlorhexidine gluconate (2%) as my disinfectant afterwards (like others with far more experience than I have suggested) because it smells so good (looking at you, VetOne brand) and properly mixed is a safe but thorough disinfectant.

Like you said, try a small bottle of chlorhex and see what you think. You can always purchase it later, like Bogertophis said, by the gallon which makes it pretty cost effective. Mix up small batches at a time in a spray bottle because once mixed, it loses efficacy after a couple of weeks.

Good lookin' out for your animal!

[Homebody]

Mix up small batches at a time in a spray bottle because once mixed, it loses efficacy after a couple of weeks.

Really? News to me.

[Bogertophis]

Really? News to me.

Yes, that's what the label (fine print) says somewhere- I remember reading it. If you don't have a HOUSE-full of cages to clean, you might want to buy a pint, rather than a gallon, also- since I think even the concentrate loses some effectiveness over time, & believe me, you dilute this so much it will take forever to use up a gallon, unless you can split the jug with someone, or donate some to the local animal shelter, for example- they'd likely appreciate it & are always underfunded.

I've bought chlorhexidine both ways- it's cheaper per oz. by the gallon, but if it's wasted, a pint makes much more sense. My spray bottle holds 24 oz. & I clean 18 snakes & a number of mouse-houses every week, so I use up that amount of spray. And I'm a "heavy-sprayer"- But for someone with only one or a few snakes- you don't need a gallon.

[Homebody]

Yes, that's what the label (fine print) says somewhere- I remember reading it.

I just re-read my label and it says no such thing, but I'll take your word for it. So, if I disinfect my enclosure every 4 weeks, then I need to mix up a new batch every time? That's too bad. I did the math and figured my pint would make 16 gallons of diluted cleaner. That would have probably lasted me for the life of my snake. Oh well.

[Bogertophis]

I just re-read my label and it says no such thing, but I'll take your word for it. So, if I disinfect my enclosure every 4 weeks, then I need to mix up a new batch every time? That's too bad. I did the math and figured my pint would make 16 gallons of diluted cleaner. That would have probably lasted me for the life of my snake. Oh well.

There are different brands- chlorhexidine is the generic name- so I can't promise you what's on every label, but you could google the info also. Off-hand, I don't know where I read it, but you can also search for best temperature to keep it at- I'd guess cooler would be better, so that may help extend the life also. It's the big breeders, farms & clinics that buy most of the gallons. Or should be.

[Homebody]

There are different brands- chlorhexidine is the generic name- so I can't promise you what's on every label, but you could google the info also. Off-hand, I don't know where I read it, but you can also search for best temperature to keep it at- I'd guess cooler would be better, so that may help extend the life also. It's the big breeders, farms & clinics that buy most of the gallons. Or should be.

I couldn't find anything on diluted Chlorhexidine, but I did read that the undiluted stuff has a shelf life of three years. It should be stored in the dark at room temperature. After that time the alcohol in it starts to break down, and so, it becomes less effective.

[Bogertophis]

I couldn't find anything on diluted Chlorhexidine, but I did read that the undiluted stuff has a shelf life of three years. It should be stored in the dark at room temperature. After that time the alcohol in it starts to break down, and so, it becomes less effective.

It has been previously discussed on this forum too: https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-chlorhexidine