What Enclosure Disinfectant Do You Use?

[55fingers]

I've been using diluted vinegar etc for a long time but I'd like to get a actual product to clean the enclosure if I can.

Also, anyone know if Nature's Miracle is snake-safe? It says small animals, it's natural and people in the reviews have used it for reptiles, but I'm not sure;
https://www.amazon.com/Natures-Mirac...7&sr=8-11&th=1

What disinfectant does everyone else use to clean their enclosures?

[dakski]

I've been using diluted vinegar etc for a long time but I'd like to get a actual product to clean the enclosure if I can.

Also, anyone know if Nature's Miracle is snake-safe? It says small animals, it's natural and people in the reviews have used it for reptiles, but I'm not sure;
https://www.amazon.com/Natures-Mirac...7&sr=8-11&th=1

What disinfectant does everyone else use to clean their enclosures?

I use F10SC. It hasn't been available for a year because of trade disputes, but just came back on the market. I am actually making a thread about this in a second.

https://www.reptilebasics.com/F10SC-100ml

This concentrate makes a ton of spray bottles. Follow the directions, but 100ml makes a bunch of 1 liter spray bottles. You spray, let it sit 5-10 minutes, it kills about everything, and also leaves a coating to protect the enclosure (from bacteria etc.).

You can also use Chlorhexidine, but I much prefer F10SC.


https://www.amazon.com/Durvet-B000HH...s%2C170&sr=8-5


I DO NOT USE NATURES MIRACLE AT ALL WITH MY REPTILES!!!!!!!!

However, I do use this which is cheaper, smells better, is natural, and doesn't hurt reptiles. They say you can spray it on them.

https://www.reptilebasics.com/cleaning-products

This stuff is amazing. I clean with F10SC, then spray this in and wipe it up and the cages smell fresh. A little goes a long way.

In a 6X2' boa tank, 3 sprays per 3FT of cage, or 6 sprays total, work great. I use this up much less quickly than the F10SC. If I spray 12 sprays of F10SC to disinfect, I use 3-6 sprays of this and the cage smells amazing. I can stick my head in and not know a snake or lizard made a mess.

Healthy Habitat is NOT a concentrate and does not disinfect. USE F10SC or Chlorhexidine to disinfect.

[Charles8088]

I use F10SC. It hasn't been available for a year because of trade disputes, but just came back on the market. I am actually making a thread about this in a second.

https://www.reptilebasics.com/F10SC-100ml

This concentrate makes a ton of spray bottles. Follow the directions, but 100ml makes a bunch of 1 liter spray bottles. You spray, let it sit 5-10 minutes, it kills about everything, and also leaves a coating to protect the enclosure (from bacteria etc.).

You can also use Chlorhexidine, but I much prefer F10SC.


https://www.amazon.com/Durvet-B000HH...s%2C170&sr=8-5


I DO NOT USE NATURES MIRACLE AT ALL WITH MY REPTILES!!!!!!!!

However, I do use this which is cheaper, smells better, is natural, and doesn't hurt reptiles. They say you can spray it on them.

https://www.reptilebasics.com/cleaning-products

This stuff is amazing. I clean with F10SC, then spray this in and wipe it up and the cages smell fresh. A little goes a long way.

In a 6X2' boa tank, 3 sprays per 3FT of cage, or 6 sprays total, work great. I use this up much less quickly than the F10SC. If I spray 12 sprays of F10SC to disinfect, I use 3-6 sprays of this and the cage smells amazing. I can stick my head in and not know a snake or lizard made a mess.

Healthy Habitat is NOT a concentrate and does not disinfect. USE F10SC or Chlorhexidine to disinfect.

Daksi, I'm always looking to improve my own cleaning regiment, in ways that are both safe for the animal and cost-efficient. I use just hot water alone or F10SCXD to first clean any stuck grime, poop, urates in the enclosure. After it's all cleaned up, I then spray it down with F10SC and let it sit for 10 minutes, before I give it a final wipe. So I clean with water or F10SCXD first, then use F10SC to disinfect.

If I'm reading correctly, you do the disinfect first with the F10SC, then use the HH second?

[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.)

[dakski]

Daksi, I'm always looking to improve my own cleaning regiment, in ways that are both safe for the animal and cost-efficient. I use just hot water alone or F10SCXD to first clean any stuck grime, poop, urates in the enclosure. After it's all cleaned up, I then spray it down with F10SC and let it sit for 10 minutes, before I give it a final wipe. So I clean with water or F10SCXD first, then use F10SC to disinfect.

If I'm reading correctly, you do the disinfect first with the F10SC, then use the HH second?

What you do makes sense.

I usually don’t have too much stuck on the PVC floor because I use paper substrate and most of the animals are good with aim. The ones that aren’t as good I spray everything, wipe up, and spray the affected area again for ten minutes.

I always do the HH last.

[Charles8088]

I never used Chlorhexidine or HH. But, will probably start buying and using the Chlorhexidine, since I've always read good things about it and seems much cheaper than the F10.

But, I like the smell of F10. It's not artificially scented, as you know, but smells "fresh" to me, after I wipe it all down. And safe for the animal. How does the other two smell? I think you already said HH smells nice.

[Bogertophis]

Chlorhexidine leaves no scent- it's not about what you do smell, it's more about what you don't.

And yes, chlorhexidine is more widely used & available- feed stores carry it, for example- & it's much cheaper.

It's also used as an ingredient in some mouthwash, so if you really want a minty-fresh cage, you could wipe it out with mouthwash. (But I can't promise the remaining ingredients are safe, or that the mint or other odors won't irritate your snake who has to breathe it in 24/7 as long as the scent lingers.)

[Trinityblood]

I use diluted chlorhexidine also. No smell and easy to find/buy.

[Hugsplox]

Chlorhexidine leaves no scent- it's not about what you do smell, it's more about what you don't.

And yes, chlorhexidine is more widely used & available- feed stores carry it, for example- & it's much cheaper.

It's also used as an ingredient in some mouthwash, so if you really want a minty-fresh cage, you could wipe it out with mouthwash. (But I can't promise the remaining ingredients are safe, or that the mint or other odors won't irritate your snake who has to breathe it in 24/7 as long as the scent lingers.)

Is there a specific brand of chlorhexidine that you use? I'm running a little low on F10 myself and wouldn't mind trying something different this go around.

[Charles8088]

Is there a specific brand of chlorhexidine that you use? I'm running a little low on F10 myself and wouldn't mind trying something different this go around.

I know the question is not intended for me, since I've never used it. But, this is the one that others have told me they use, and the one I will probably get:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000HHNZVW...GTGN9RHNPQSXD8