What Enclosure Disinfectant Do You Use?

[Bogertophis]

No matter what you use, for "disinfectants" to work, the surfaces should be as free as possible of waste products & all other organic debris. This is true whether you want to use diluted F10, diluted chlorhexidine (-as I personally use), vinegar (which is pungent but also a mild disinfectant) or even bleach. Generic wipe down first doesn't even need soap if whatever is stuck on visibly comes off. You want to use disinfectants only on visibly-clean surfaces. (The disadvantages of bleach or vinegar are obvious- bleach is toxic, vinegar is "merely" irritating, both must be thoroughly rinsed out. I only use vinegar on water bowls- as it removes hard water crystals that tend to form.)

Once my tanks are devoid of debris (both substrate & excrement), then I spray them (sides & bottoms) with my chlorhexidine spray & let them sit for 15-20 minutes. Best I recall, you're also supposed to do the same thing with F10- to give the disinfectant time to actually work. Either of these options do not require rinsing- just wiped dry & that's all I do. I also use chlorhexidine for cleaning my rodent cages, where admittedly I don't usually wait as long for it to be most effective.

I have not found it necessary to use a product such as Natural Chemistry to enzymatically remove odors, but you're more likely to need this on plastic enclosures. For me, it's an extra un-needed step on glass tanks. I like Natural Chemistry brand products- I use their "waterless shampoo" for my elderly dogs, & from what I'm reading, it sounds like the "Nature's Miracle" product is similar (both use enzymes) & so it's probably also safe for reptiles but it would be nice if it stated as much.

There is nothing wrong with a bit of dish soap & water to clean up stuck-on excrement in enclosures before you disinfect, though in PVC enclosures, sometimes the urates & such get really baked on, especially with the higher temperatures used in housing BPs. (In the past, I had 2 enclosures made of HDPE, & for years I also used various Neodesha enclosures for some of my snakes. I do remember having trouble with a few spots at times.)