Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just got a piece of corkbark I want to put in the cage, but since it was shiped and all I want do disinfect it a little so I was thinking of letting it sit in hot water for 30 minutes. Is this OK??? Willl it ruin the corkbark???? If this doesnt clean it enough what else should I do, I dont want to use bleach cause I think the smell might stick to it.

Thanks
Jack

Yes, you can get it wet but it will soak up moisture like a sponge and will more than likely warp horribly while it dries. If you just want to make sure it didn't pick up anything during shipping, I would bake it in the oven for a few minutes. Unless you can visually see some debri that needs to be washed off...?

Thanks,

I cant see any deris on it I just wanted to sterilize it. I cant put it in my oven because my family will kill me, so Im gonna put it under a heat lamp for an hour each side is this good????

Jack

if you want to soak it in a bleach solution instead of baking it that is fine... i have done that for years then baked them or air dried them and they have never warped...corkbark is used in turtle tanks and tropical vivariums that get wet all the time..

alissa

Unless you can actually see debris or insects, it's probably clean enough. You bought it from someone selling it for reptiles, right? If so, it's probably already been treated and I doubt it picked up anything during shipping. I wouldn't worry about.