Reptile & Amphibian Forums

what's the best way and how often do you clean and sanitize large cages? want to build 4'x2'x'1' snake cages out of plywood or HDPE but don't want to be hauling them around for cleaning.

How often you clean any cage depends on the species you are keeping and how you take care of it. A cobra would require much more frequent cleaning than a ball python, for example.

For complete cleaning the cages really do not need to be moved at all. Set up your doors so they can be removed to allow for easy substrate removal.

At this point a variety of disinfectants can be used depending on what the cage is constructed of and/or what it is finished with. Bleach is typically the disinfectant that requires the most thorough rinsing and can be the most difficult to use with a stationary cage. I believe it can be used on HDPE.

So if you did choose to use bleach you would simply sponge on a dilute solution and leave it in contact for 10 minutes. Towel off the solution and then use a sponge wetted with water to rinse off the remaining bleach.

You can actually use a fair amount of water here. If it pools up you can always use a small wet/dry vaccum to remove the excess. I keep one of these stricly for vaccuming up rinse water. I do not use it for anything else. Using it for anything else allows bacterial loads to build up and be sprayed out of the out-take vent in the vaccum. Not a very sanitary situation.

Bleach is your worst case scenario. Other disinfectants can be used safely with HDPE and snakes and require a lot less rinsing. However, they do require a very thorough cleaning beforehand to remove all organic material (most non-bleach disinfectants do not work well in the presence of organic matter).

I hope this helps.

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what's the best way and how often do you clean and sanitize large cages? want to build 4'x2'x'1' snake cages out of plywood or HDPE but don't want to be hauling them around for cleaning.