Cleaning

[Syka]

Hi!

What is the best cleaning products to use when disinfecting snakes enclosures?
I was thinking of using diluted bleach, but is this safe?
I'm a bit overly obsessed with cleaning and i don't want to get out of hand. How often is too much when cleaning out their enclosures?

[Freakie_frog]

I just use Chlorehexidine and have loved it.

[missi182]

Diluted bleach will do a great job, but just remember to rinse VERY well. I clean my enclosure right out/full wash once a month. But I change the water daily, and the substrate whenever it is soiled. I use Scott Shop Towels, so it is MUCH easier for me to see urine/urates/poop immediately and clean it up. When I was using cypress mulch, I cleaned the tank right out every 2 weeks or so since the substrate needed to be changed that often anyway.

[Syka]

Thanks!
I didn't want to use something that would hurt them.
Everything else gets changed regularly, just didn't want to be over doing it

[kc261]

Vinegar is a great all-around cleaner that is non-toxic. It deodorizes and disinfects, kills molds and mildews, removes stains and hard water deposits, is inexpensive, and is eco-friendly, so I use it for all kinds of cleaning.

It does a really nice job on glass, so I recommend it for glass enclosures. Don't rinse; there is no need to and by rinsing you'll interfere with the vinegar's ability to make nice shiny streak-free glass. Since the odor is so strong I give it plenty of time to dry thoroughly and air out a little bit.

You could use vinegar for all-around cage cleaning, such as the decorations, water bowl, hides. For this I would do a quick rinsing, just to reduce the odor more quickly. However, so many people recommend chlorhexidine so it may be a better choice, although I do not personally know the reasons why.

Putting stuff in your dishwasher is another possibility.

If you have driftwood or other wooden decorations, you can clean off any visible poo, then disinfect it by leaving it in the oven on 200 or 250 for 1/2 hour or so. This is supposed to kill off any bacteria that could be deep down in the wood and thus survive surface cleaning. Just be sure to watch it carefully to avoid any danger of fire (I don't think wood can catch fire at these low temperatures, but it is a better safe than sorry thing...).

[JoshJP7]

I use baby wipes for cleaning and they do the trick... I like em bc theyre wet and good for cleaning dried up pee or chocolate nuggets.

[autumn75]

I just use Chlorehexidine and have loved it.

Where do you find this?

[Windridge Kennels]

Baby wipes! Brilliant...

[Syka]

Wow!! Thanks everyone!!
All great ideas...easier than diluting bleach each time