Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Is it safe to use dishwashing soap on bowls and tanks assuming that it is rinsed out well? What chemicals/products do others use to clean tanks and tank furniture? Thank you.

My two cents...

I don't use soap for cleaning. I use bleach which has been mixed with water (1 part bleach to 10 parts water) or I use BTF Iodophor Sanitizer. If you use bleach it's 'very important' that you rinse everything really well and let it air dry before re-introducing cleaned items to your snake. I prefer Idophor because it's quick and non-toxic to both humans and animals but I don't think it's as effective as a sanitizer for things like salmonella. I use Idophor most of the time but occasionally I dose everything with the above bleach solution.

IMHO the key to a clean and healthy animal is to always spot clean the substrate and never just refill the water dish. I like to take water dishes out and rinse them really well before adding water and then sanatize them weekly.

I use dish soap but I also add bleach and rinse real well. Stay away from cleaners like Lysol, Pinesol, Simple Green. I also setup a 25 gallon rubbermaid tub with soapy water and bleach and then soak the bowls, extra dirty boxes,etc. for 24 hours. If you use bleach be sure to rinse real well. It's also helpful to have 2-3 sets of boxes.

Good Point! Pinesol and Lysol are "phenol" products which I believe means they are derived from patroleum or tar based stuff. Poison for snakes as far as I know!!

I clean with hot soapy water and disinfect with Nolvasan/Virosan (or you can use a bleach:water solution, but Nolvasan/Virosan is reptile safe - so less worries).

If you don't clean before disinfecting, your disinfectant won't work as well. Cleaning is best done w/ hot soapy water - avoid soaps w/ pine scents and phenols. Bleach does not clean - it disinfects. So again you have to clean first.

Here's some more info:
www.anapsid.org/cleaning.html

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1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa "Gimli"
1.0 Saharan Sand Boa "Frodo"
0.1 Rough-Scale Sand Boa "Arwen"
1.0 San Felipe Rosy Boa "Legalos"
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Check Out My Albums

1.0 Ball Python "Aragorn"
1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa "Gimli"
1.0 Saharan Sand Boa "Frodo"
0.1 Rough-Scale Sand Boa "Arwen"
1.0 San Felipe Rosy Boa "Legalos"
0.1 California Kingsnake "Gentoo"
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Indigo"
1.0 Snow Corn snake "Chile"
0.0.1 Crested Gecko
0.0.1 Irian Jaya BlueTongued Skink
0.1 Australian Cattle Dog/Pointer "Kira"

Hi,
Good replies from everyone. Yes, no responsible pet owner should ever use any (what I like to call harsh) chemicals for cleaning in, around or near any animal enclosures,or items used for that pet. Even I am afraid to use that [bleep] (Lysol, pinesol, tylex, pledge etc.), in my own home. It's not healthy to humans although we are not told that since everything is about chemicals and cleanliness. I am VERY clean but I am careful.

To answer your question:
1. For cleaning water bowls and such. Dawn is fine. But the original Dawn brand and none of that funny scented, antibacterial, or other stuff. Original Dawn is plain old glycerin soap. It is what is used to clean up birds and other animals that have been exposed to oil spills and such. So it's safe. We humans use worse things to wash our dishes.

2. Nolvasen is ideal for antiseptic type cleaning of cages if you can get your hands on it. Also good for cleaning bowls and such if there is a respiratory disease and others going on in a zoo.

3. Bleach -- If diluted to VERY small amounts it should be safe. But I would only use it to clean cages/enclosures. Bleach kills germs but has other harsh properties as well.

QUESTION is.. What products would you use in your small space for a home (if you lived in a cage). And what would you use to wash your dishes? Do you have contaminated animals that you don't want to spread salmonella, respiratory, or parasitic infections to others?
We all have germs. Think natural.

What do I use for my snakes? Dawn. I have never used anything else. Sorry for this being so long. But the opinion is from working in a rescued exotics zoo in the past, and keeping snakes for 6 years. AND being very wary of cleaning products, even in my own space. For you humans out there, Simple Green is a great effective and safer alternative household cleaning product. (Biodegradable) Even Isopropal alcohol is an alternative.

Cheers
AS

The best cleaning solution and disenfectant is household vinegar with a little "natural dishwashing liquid" sold in health food stores. Kills germs, bacteria much better than bleach or the other cleaners sold for reptile use.

Mike