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TAKE THIS FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH!
HOPEFULLY A HELPFUL SUGGESTION!

What do most of you use for a cleaning solution, when washing your cages and or water bowls?

Depending on what and when I'm cleaning, I've been using just regular Dish soap and bleach (most of the time)! Ajax being the soap of choice, because of price and the quantity you get for the price!

Ever since I first started using this solution I've noticed the vapors from it are about unbearable sometimes. If you've noticed like I have, there's a warning on the back of just about any dish soap. It clearly states do not mix with BLEACH, for cause of harmful vapors.

Well if most of you are like me, you really don't like taking unnecessary health risk's, specially with something like this! Usually when using this solution, your head is not to far from being right above the harmful vapors. I've been trying to figure out a better solution to this cleaning problem, besides just using soap or Novasan (which is not cheap either and it's not as safe as what people say)! Soap doesn't kill the germs or disinfect as good either, so naturally some of us use bleach!

Novasan has several warnings on the back that I don't particularly like either. Something like not getting it in your eye's(could cause permanent eye damage)among many other things. Maybe I'm just paranoid or reading it wrong but it sounds risky?
For the last couple of months I've been using laundry detergent (Arm & Hammer) being the soap of choice. The price is reasonable and it smells pretty decent when mixed with bleach. It's a heck of a lot cheaper than dish soap and it doesn't say anything about not mixing it with bleach. I haven't found any laundry detergent that says anything about not mixing with bleach! Plus it doesn't seem to be as hard on your hands either, two huge advantages!!!

What do you guys think and what do most of you use when you do your cage or bowl cleaning?

Hope this little discovery of mine helps all that try it. It won't cost any of you to try it, because I'm sure most of you already have both bleach and laundry detergent? I'm sure you'll be surprised on the difference it makes, I know I have been!

Thanks for reading and enjoy!

Chaz Neely
constrictors@comcast.net

I use plain dish soap (or sometimes cheap shampoo) to clean my tubs. To disinfect I generally use the Lysol-type wipes. They are quick and easy and I don't end up using more chemicals than needed.

For water dishes and hides I use generic Magic Erasers (I think it's Arm & Hammer that makes the originals - I purchase generic everything to cut down on cost). The Magic Erasers are great at getting out the water deposits and any dried on urates or fecal matter. Just remember to rinse well after using them - I don't remember exactly what they are made of (some type of plastic similar to expanded PVC I believe) but the microscopic pieces of plastic that they are composed of are highly abrasive (obviously) and I wouldn't want my animals ingesting any of it. Another plus about them is that they don't have any cleaning agents in them so that is one less chemical I need to use around my animals. I'm not saying that they are great for the environment but using less detergents isn't a bad thing either.

Since they are abrasive you should wear some type of rubber glove (the yellow cleaning gloves work fine) if you are going to be washing/scrubbing a lot of bowls and hides. Otherwise, you'll notice that your fingertips can get pretty raw feeling after a while. Also, I've noticed that using soap with them makes them a little less effective so be sure to wash or disinfect them either before or after using the Magic Eraser to maximize their effectiveness.
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Stay United!

"...I say 'apparently' because despite all our progress she is not at all a tame or handle-able snake and gettting her from that cage would re-start a war.. and we've had a good armistice for several months now."-Gus Rentfro - I love this quote!

Nolvasan is VERY cheap. I'm not sure where you're purchasing yours from, but a gallon is about $60 and since it's in concentrated form, makes about 128 gallons of diluted mixture.

So, including the cost of the water to make the solution, it costs about 50 cents per gallon for it which is a LOT cheaper than anything out there except maybe a diluted bleach solution (10% bleach, 90% water).

As for safety and efficacy, you're not really going to find anything safer to use. Yeah, you don't want to get it in your eyes, but there are a LOT of things in this world, chemical, natural, or otherwise you wouldn't want to get in your eyes. Honey is a totally natural substance that you more than likely wouldn't want to go around smearing into your eyes, but when used as you're supposed to is totally harmless, and excellent on a peanut butter sandwich too I might add

I'm not saying that what you're doing is wrong, just that you may want to reconsider your stance on Nolvasan.

jb
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What's written above is purely my opinion. In fact, MOST of what you read on the internet is someone's opinion. Don't take it too seriously

Jonathan Brady
DeviantConstrictors.com
Deviant Constrictors picturetrail

I use a strong bleach solution and then hose out the bleach using NOTHING ese. Lysol can KILL most herps quickly if they come into direct contact. There is nothing better, cheaper, or more readily available than bleach. The ONLY AND I MEAN ONLY way to hurt any herp with bleach is to expose it the the fumes if any are left. I have used anthing and everything starting back in the old rocal days and nothing is any more effective or easier than bleach to disinfect with. We even add small amounts into the huge turtle breeding pools occasionally!!!
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Tom Crutchfield
www.tomcrutchfield.com

I agree with everything you say about bleach Tom. I was just sharing a bit of info on a cleaning solution I use or for those of us that don't just use a diluted bleach solution and occasionally use a little soap. The soap kind of makes it nice to use for me because I like the soapy sudsy like feel when using it to clean, plus it smells better.

I was just trying to share what a pee brain discovered and thought was a nice alternative to dish soap, which clearly states do not mix with bleach! I figure if there putting that warning on the dish soap label, it must be a common thing for nit wits like me to do?

Another thing nice about using laundry soap is, most of them are color safe!!! lol kidding!

I use to just use a 10% bleach solution too, but ended up liking to ad soap to the mix for the slippery cleaning affect you get when using a rag to get urates or hardened and or smeared all around every where snake poop! lol

Thanks for sharing Tom,

Chaz Neely
constrictors@comcast.net

Hey Jonathon, I wasn't bashing Novasan. I was merely stating the facts about what I've discovered on my own and thought I'd be kind enough to share. I didn't think to ask you, the almighty keeper of knowledge, "oh great one"! lol no offense!

If you think about it when your washing with a Novasan solution, you occasionally get splashed in the eye's and arms (what's the long term affects to us)! Plus you probably inhale quite a bit of it through the hot fumes and absorb it through your skin? I'm not willing to take a bunch of risk's, but I agree with you on some of it. There's also more warnings on the back of a bottle of Novasan than anything else I've seen, that you might use for cage or water bowl cleaning!

The other thing is to some of us Novasan isn't as easy to obtain or come by, so I tend to use it more sparingly! The only way it's cheap to use is if you measure it every time you make a solution of it(which I do anyway), but I'm sure some people might just guess? Another thing about Novasan is, it just doesn't have the same feel you get when using it, compared to a soapy sudsy mix (maybe it's a mental thing)! I'm sure laundry soap isn't a whole lot safer, but you don't get the vapors you get from the bleach and dish soap mix. Just my thought and I'm very open to other cleaning solutions too! I'm always looking to improve, if possible? lol

I'm not trying to express any authority by mentioning my cleaning solution, just sharing a bit of helpful info. You seem to be quick to argue or try and make someone else look dumb! No offense, maybe it's just the way your emails read to me, but that's the impression I get... In know way was I trying to be a know it all in my post, just sharing and being concerned that maybe other's were or are using the same cleaning chemicals as I was?

I wish more people shared info like this, it could be very useful to all of us, I'm sure!

I know if someone would of told me about this 10 plus years a go, I'd of been using it or would of tried it at least. I guess you just have to be open minded and willing to not act like you know everything to understand life in general. I'm in know way a know it all, in fact I learn something new everyday, then probably forget it an hour later! lol

Bottom line here is, we all worry about are reptiles health (which is a very good thing) but what about are health. We need to think about that too, not everything we enjoy should be harmful to our health whether it's long or short term!!!

Think about it POP, TOBBACO, COFFEE, SUGER, JUNK FOOD, TO MUCH FATTY FOODS and many other things are unhealthy to us, so why not care about this too? We all enjoy reptiles very much, and there's things about keeping them that can or could prove unhealthy too, like what we use to clean and disinfect!!! Just a thought, I'm sure you'll more than likely disagree?

Thanks for your response, I'm off to work. Good luck this breeding season!

Chaz Neely
constrictors@comcast.net

Chaz, that's a good point on our own health. I've always been worried about the NO-PEST STRIPS used for mites specially back in the day when they were MUCH stronger than now. We haven't had any mite outbreak here now for over 2 years and I want to keep it that way in spite of the lg. number of critters going in and out. We do occasionally use the strips just in case [hanging in building] but I always think about the health aspect of it...
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Tom Crutchfield
www.tomcrutchfield.com

Chaz,
I'm not sure what I've done to warrant such a response, but whatever it was, I'm sorry. Also know that I won't hold what you've said against you.

As for Nolvasan, the active ingredient - chlorhexidine diacetate is commonly used in mouthwashes and toothpastes. The Nolvasan solution is commonly used to clean out gum infections and abcessed teeth among other things by vets. It's used by hospitals and vets to clean surfaces before and after surgeries as well. The stuff is safe. My analogy to honey was just simply to say that there are many things in this world that are proven safe and effective (and even tasty!), but that you probably shouldn't put in your eyes.

My intent in posting my response was not designed to make you look dumb, for me to be argumentative, or to assert that I know everything. In fact, I even said "I'm not saying that what you're doing is wrong" and I never said "I'm right". I just said that "you may want to reconsider your stance on Nolvasan". It's a recommendation based in the fact that when used properly, there's no danger in using Nolvasan.

I want you to know that I admire your dedication to the advancement of this hobby and all that goes into it. But I also want you to know that you're on a public forum and that if you espouse something as recommended to others, there will be people who will want to provide an alternative view to yours either as a rebuttal, or just simply as another option.

As for the availability of it, it is available online and also in places like "the tractor supply" store, etc...

Regards,
jb
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What's written above is purely my opinion. In fact, MOST of what you read on the internet is someone's opinion. Don't take it too seriously

Jonathan Brady
DeviantConstrictors.com
Deviant Constrictors picturetrail

I understand where your coming from and I honestly don't know what my problem is lately, must be stress! Your at least the second person I've jumped at in the past few days, sorry about that! I definitely need a break away, I'm so burnt out I don't know what to do! lol I was thinking maybe if I came back to visit here, I'd get a break away from the norm! guess not! lol

When you responded below to my question a few days a go about having so many Boas and producing more... You seemed to have a negative response then too, like I said maybe stress is playing a toll on my nerves and mind?

Thanks for the positive, even though I was negative!

I went and got the bottle just in case I was reading that wrong too! It says in bold letters DANGER, then has all the following:
If in eyes: If swallowed: If on skin: and If inhaled:... It even has a spot below it that states the environmental hazards!

This is enough to keep me leery on using it as a mouth wash, for sure!
I've always had respect for it, just based on the warning label! I've heard from plenty other people besides you that say the same thing as you just stated!

The only time I use it, is when I'm disinfecting the big Vision 400 series cages I have. That's about once a month, every other time I use that bleach and laundry soap solution. It seams to help more with the odors too! The Nolvasan doesn't seem to kill the odors as well, but I like to use it as a strong germ killer!

When I wipe out the Vision cages, I have to reach pretty far inside to get them thoroughly. Usually I have to get my big fat head in there sometimes just to reach the back! When ever I do that I feel like I have to hold my breath or I'm going to get lung damage from breathing it in, or something? lol

Anyway, sorry about the counter attack! lol I really thought you were bashing my idea. Guess I should try and find my bottle of chill pills, I think I still have some?

Thanks,
Chaz Neely

Hey, no sweat bro. I've had more than my fair share of bad days

Besides, they're just words, and we all remember the song about sticks and stones

Hope things turn around for ya...

jb
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What's written above is purely my opinion. In fact, MOST of what you read on the internet is someone's opinion. Don't take it too seriously

Jonathan Brady
DeviantConstrictors.com
Deviant Constrictors picturetrail

Chaz here is something helpful to ease your mind about Nolvasan - Chlorhexidine Gluconate(Nolvasan Chlorhexidine Diacetate )

First one is Gluconate second is diacetate

Very safe stuff recommened by Vetenarians etc..

Also recommended by Larry, Ha Ha

Chlorhexidine Mouthwash Mint

Chlorhexidine Mouthwash Mint containing Chlorhexidine Gluconate is used to treat gingivitis (swelling, redness, and bleeding of the gums). Chlorhexidine Mouthwash contains the same active ingredient as Corsodyl mouthwash which retail for £4.45 in chemists and supermarkets.
Size: 300ml

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Chlorhexidine Diacetate
Chlorhexidine is an antiseptic effective against a wide variety of gram-negative and gram-positive organisms, facultative anaerobes, aerobes, and yeast. Chlorhexidine is used as an ingredient of bacteriostatic and bacteriocidal by the activity of membrane disruption in a general purpose skin general skin cleansers, surgical scrub, germicidal hand rinses and animal disinfection products. It is used as a topical antiinfective for mucous membranes and as a preservative for eye drops. Chlorhexidine is also used as an antiseptic ingredient used in mouthwash to prevent oral plaque, oral bacteria and in treating gingivitis.
http://chemicalland21.com/lifescience/phar/CHLORHEXIDINE%20ACETATE.htm
Chlorhexidine Mouthwash Mint

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Boas By Klevitz
Boas By Klevitz

Thanks Larry,

I've heard the same thing from a lot of other people too... So how or what can you explain about the warning labels? You have to admit, they are kind of intimidating/scary! Like I told Jonathon, maybe I'm reading it wrong? I usually have to read everything at least 4 or 5 times before it sinks in and I'm sure I've read this even more! lol

There "is" only one kind of Nolvasan isn't there? I purchase it through an online Farm and Vet supply and now that Jonathon mentioned it, I have seen it at Quality Farm & Fleet or Tractor Supply Plus! It's just more convenient to purchase it online, that way you don't have to run around after working ALL DAY! lol

So what's your take on the warning labels, the only thing it's missing is a SKULL & BONES to warn kids! Like I said, I like using the bleach and laundry soap as a routine cleaning solution! The Nolvasan is just a secondary cleaning solution, used once a month!

Thanks,
Chaz Neely

Hey Chaz I've read label too , years ago and became nervous about it.
I did the other research and realized it must not be harmful when properly diluted.
I had a conversation about it with an Exotics Vet.
He says the stuff is as safe as it gets.
He even puts a certain diluted mixture in Birds water to fight certain problems
( I can't remember specifics on the bird stuff I have notes somewhere)

They use it as a preservative in eye drops for crying out loud.

Possibly the Warning Label has something to do with undiluted
forms being so concentrated it somehow has a negative affect

There is only one Nolvasan that is a Brand name basically
Nolvasan is Chlorhexidine Diacetate

Farm & Fleet I go out to Sycamore IL.(By Paul) and pick my
Nolvasan up out there

Chaz its better to ba safe than sorry asking questions about
things you are unsure of is good , its just smart.

I think we would have to ask a Chemist /Biologist what the
warning means what affects undiluted Chlorhexidine Diacetate
could have on Mucous membranes eyes ,mouth etc...

I'm convinced its entirely safe when handled properly & diluted

. . . Lar M

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Boas By Klevitz
Boas By Klevitz

When all of your credit cards are maxed out from buying snakes they work great for scraping those stubborn urates out of your cages

That's an excellent tip, I have a small pile of those things to use, I think I'll try it! Sometimes when I can't get the urates off I use the end of the scrub brush with a rag over the end of it so it doesn't scratch the surfice of what ever plastic cage I'm cleaning at the time...

Thanks for the laugh and whether you were serious or not, I'm still going to try it! I have a few cards I "really" don't like anymore, those will be the first to scrape the urates!

Chaz

Santa leaves me a couple new paint scrapers every X-mas.. They never scrape any paint though... Credit cards... to small for my hand.. I like a handle when I'm working a urate stain...

Al Brown/Brown's Boas