Natural alternatives for cleaning a snake's cage?

[SaucyBalls]

Are natural alternatives for cleaning a snake's cage available in place of using bleach or soap?

[meowmeowkazoo]

You can use a solution of one part vinegar, one part water as a general cleaner.

[SaucyBalls]

You can use a solution of one part vinegar, one part water as a general cleaner.

Thank you so much!

[meowmeowkazoo]

I use vinegar for many things. It's antibacterial, antifungal, and it deodorizes.

[kitedemon]

used straight at 5% acetic acid (typical table vinegar is 5%) it will kill salmonella in 20 min. It is not a bad disinfectant if you remember that it takes time and strength at 2.5% it doesn't do as good a job than at 5%.

The other cleaner most over look is steam. Steam is an effective disinfectant as well. Contact time matters with all so you need to go over slowly and get the surface hot.

Peroxides also can be effective too medical 3% or stronger diluted can be effective. The by product is oxygen and water. (peroxide is H2O2 the extra oxygen molecule is unstable and it breaks down to H2O) The problem is once opened it breaks down and has a short shelf life.

There the question opens to what is natural? Ammonias? they clean well but can be very scary for the animals but quandary ammonia are very safe, products like F10 are quandary ammonia. I am not sure natural can be completely applied but ammonia is no more refined than glacial acetic acid which they dilute vinegar from. Quandary ammonia is only one step away again. It is surrounded by so environmental concerns but there are renewable sources of ammonia.

Please do not think I am poking fun I am not, every one has different ideas of what 'natural' is I personally try to avoid the really custom chemicals as much as I can I work with photo chemicals every day so that is hard but I don't have to at home too. How to tell? MSDS sheets when you see things like 4-hydroxymethyl-4-methyl-1-phenyl-3-pyrazolidinone it is about as far removed from natural as you can be.