How often do you change your substrate?

[purple python]

I'm a little OCD and I like things to be clean, clean, clean. When I was using news paper and paper towels as a substrate it was very satisfying to be able to disinfect the tub and completely replace the newspaper every week. But I have since switched to cypress mulch which I like a lot more for humidity and aesthetic reasons and it's driving me nuts that I can't continue my old cleaning habits. I change it monthly but I still imagine the substrate as a cesspool of bacteria. I've thought about switching to aspen because it's cheaper but throwing out aspen every week seems very wasteful too me.

So I'm curious about what works for you. How often do you change your bedding and what bedding do you use?

[CptJack]

I use aspen. I spot clean as necessary and change it all out once a month or if it's noticeably damp/wet. That may be from a spilled bowl or a really big pee/poop or whatever, but if it's not dry it's changed regardless of how soon it's been since I did a whole change (I can tell, because the aspen gets dark when it's wet at all really). Once a month, whether it's obviously gross or not, it gets changed.

More than that just... My snakes don't even go to the bathroom every week! I'm not sure what's growing bacteria, you know?

[Gerardo]

I use newspaper and i clean every week (unless they pee or poop)

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I use newspaper and i clean every week (unless they pee or poop)

[J.P.]

i change my newspaper bedding everytime it's wet/soiled. bacteria is normal with having organic matter in a humid environment. nothing you can do about it, no matter how clean you think it is, there's still bacteria everywhere. so do not stress about it.

[bcr229]

The very few snakes I have that are completely on cypress or aspen get a full clean-out every 3-4 months in addition to spot cleaning the soiled areas as they appear.

I don't throw away the used bedding when I do the full clean-out, I put it on my veggie garden out back. Makes for a great mulch.

[George1994]

I do a full change every month. It goes hand in hand with the monthly disinfectant using F10 that I do on a monthly basis too!

I obviously remove any of the substrate that needs to be removed on a daily basis, and may disinfect the viv decorations if he soils them.

[NH93]

Ahhh... I'm bad.
Well, not "bad" bad. But probably could use a finger-waging.

I *try* to do a thorough clean + disinfect once a month. Sometimes it's every other month, I'll admit... However, I do spot clean on the regular. I take a sniff every day, and when I smell something sour I go a diggin'. I use Aspen, and I use what I think is a decent amount (about 1-1.5" thick). My corn has got her favourite spots to go - never where she lays, luckily, nor in her water dish. It's been this way since I got her 11 months ago - woohoo!
The ball python poops about every 4-6 weeks, and so far it's been in plain sight and like the corn, never in the water dish. How did I get so lucky there?
I'm sure I could clean them a bit more often, but the past few times I've not been paying as much attention and kind of clean it when I feel it needs it.

So that's my dark side. No health issues to speak of, not even a retained or peicey shed, but I am going to give myself a kick in the keester and try to do it more often!

[OhhWatALoser]

The very few snakes I have that are completely on cypress or aspen get a full clean-out every 3-4 months in addition to spot cleaning the soiled areas as they appear.

I don't throw away the used bedding when I do the full clean-out, I put it on my veggie garden out back. Makes for a great mulch.

Haha, yup there's a reason all the mulch around my house is cypress

I do a full clean out about 4 times a year, spot clean everyday.

[bcr229]

My corn has got her favourite spots to go - never where she lays, luckily, nor in her water dish.

In the water dish actually isn't bad at all. Pour the contents down the toilet, snake gets a new clean dish, and the soiled one goes into the dishwasher on the "sterilize" setting.

[George1994]

In the water dish actually isn't bad at all. Pour the contents down the toilet, snake gets a new clean dish, and the soiled one goes into the dishwasher on the "sterilize" setting.

Mine wee's in his water bowl all the time. Seems to be his little spot haha!