Cage cleaning FAQ, please

[Bogertophis]

For wiping down my tanks (or enclosures) I use diluted (generic) chlorhexidine: you can wipe it dry with no need to rinse. Spray on, let stand for 15-20 minutes for best disinfection, wipe dry. It's not expensive either, bought by the pint or gallon from feed stores locally or similar suppliers online. (Similar & much higher priced version is Nolvasan- worth it perhaps if you have a vet clinic or lots of snakes- I used to use it. You won't likely notice any difference other than the price.) Many here also use F-10 for cleaning reptile cages- costs more than chlorhexidine, & used the same way- a little goes a long way as it too is diluted- spray on, wait, wipe dry. Buy in pet stores or online, follow instructions on bottle, I've tried it, it's a good product too.

Spot cleaning depends somewhat on how cooperative your substrate is: keep in mind that germs ARE left behind, so after a few spot-cleans, your enclosure is due for a good cleaning (empty & wipe it down, replace with new substrate). How often depends greatly on how often your snake eats & defecates- this changes as they grow up & the interval between meals gets longer as they're also able to eat larger prey that takes longer to digest. Make sense?

If you have any trouble with hard water deposits in the water bowl, use full-strength white distilled vinegar in emptied bowl to dissolve (it also is mildly germicidal), then rinse out well, & re-fill the water.

Do NOT use bleach -unless you have a serious need to disinfect a glass tank after having a sick snake- it's very effective but harsh- must be rinsed until NO fumes remain, which might not happen on plastic...just a warning. Never use bleach on anything porous (like wood), as it's useless after that for a snake- the remaining fumes will harm them. Remember that our snakes are enclosed & breathing inside their homes 24/7- don't make them breathe chemical fumes, ever- it's bad for their health.

Good questions, btw, &