Cleaning Solution

[speedy13]

What is the best homemade cleaning solution to clean cages?

 

[Kat_Dog]

Someone on here suggested using vinegar, so I started using it.
It's all natural and non-toxic; ant-fungal and anti-bacterial; and it doesn't leave any odor or residue when it dries.

Dilute it with about 50-60% water and put it in a spray bottle.

 

[skidmorejr88]

I read some where that rubbing alcohol was a good disinfectant. I have used it twice on quick cleans (new bedding and a quick wipe down of the inside) and have had no problems. But I want to try the vinegar method like stated above I have heard nothing but good things about it. If I have to do a complete tear down I will use a 10% bleach and water mix and rinse and dry.

 

[Nythain]

I'll second the 10% bleach and thorough rinse.

 

[HerpsOfNM]

I'll second the 10% bleach and thorough rinse.

After what I saw 7 years ago in my microbiology lab, I'll never attempt to clean with bleach unless 30% or stronger. I was shocked at the lack of killing power 10% and 20% solutions had. A former job of mine use to acidify bleach with white vinegar*****, which killed:

• anthrax spores
• tularemia
• Y. pestis
• SARS
• various flu strains
• and other nasties I'm forgetting

Within another laboratory at same facility, we'd use simple 90% EToH to disinfect Candida albicans, Pseudomonas sp., and seasonal flu.

Another former place of employment use to use Roccal-D, which is amazing stuff but hard to come by. I personally use white vinegar in 30-40% solutions and chlorhexidine (non-virucide version). My veterinarian recently recommended A-33 Dry, but I'm not certain if it's a regulated disinfectant (i.e., the general public can purchase) as I've not researched that yet. It's (A-33 dry) a disinfectant, cleaner, fungicide, mildestat, virucide, and odor counteractant.

*****Acidified bleach is SUPER caustic, rusting out even stainless steel! I would not recommend using this in a confined location without proper PPE and ventilation. Anyone researching it does so at their own risk!*****

 

[HerpsOfNM]

Forgot to add...

most disinfectants have a contact time (time for the solution to do it's work on whatever nasty it is being cleaned). Example: acidified bleach has a 10 minute contact time with the above listed nasties in my previous post. I usually do a 20 minute contact time/soak with chlorhexidine and vinegar solutions when cleaning with them. Scrubbing is also key; a simple soak, wipe, and rinse usually isn't enough. The act of scrubbing actually aids in breaking down cellular structures of many microbes, be they bacterial, fungal, etc.

 

[MysticExotics]

I use vinegar water for basic stuff, & F10 for deep cleaning.

 

[Guruofchem]

I second the importance of scrubbing-most microbial nasties are susceptible to shear forces that disrupt their cell membranes, and a good hard scrubbing along with your chosen disinfectant gives much better odds of catching enough of the pathogens. Good old elbow grease makes a difference...

 

[proileri]

Any odorless alcohol in a spray bottle is the standard lab method. Mist the cage slightly wet with alcohol, wipe off the most, then allow rest of the alcohol to evaporate (10 minutes or so) and ventilate well before putting stuff and the snake back in.

 

[Viserion]

Where can I purchase F10? And how much do I dilute it?

What is the best method for cleaning hides/logs?

 

[rrowdy]

White Vinegar seems to work good for general cleaning but when my vivs
are emptied for a deep cleaning I use F10 spraying it on at 250:1 and leaving it at least Ten minutes.
For a serious deep clean and disinfectant, I can't think of any "Home
remedy' I'd feel comfortable using for my Snakes.

 

[Viserion]

Is vinegar ok to use to clean the hides before the first time I put them in the tank? I got them from the pet store.

 

[rrowdy]

Yes,
Vinegar should be OK for what you're using it for, New hides likely would have little bacteria.
The Acetic acid will kill some bacteria and some viruses but not all.

Best of luck!