Cleaning cages

[jonneyrotten]

Hello all,this is my first post...
I was just wondering what everyone use’s to clean out there cage
Like how do you disinfect your cages , I am using a mix of mefo and water
What do you use?
Cheers
Johno

[olivehydra]

Repti clean (spelling?) from herp shop

[olivehydra]

Sorry, welcome to site as well

[jonneyrotten]

hello olivehydra
and thanks for the wecome
i was after anyone who has a homemade mix..???
cheers
johno

[MrBredli]

Bleach for the time being, i'm looking for some anti bacterial disinfectant but finding one that doesn't contain pine and isn't 500% the price it should be is very difficult (for me anyways). Bleach does the job well anyway.

[MrBredli]

What do you mean by homemade mix? I don't think mixing different types of cleaning chemicals is a good idea...?

[staffsrule]

What about for just cleaning the inside of the glass, I dont take luke out to do this ??

[herptrader]

Repti-Kleen is the go. A $22 bottle makes 50 litres which works out quite economical.

People who their first bottle inevitably come back for more.

Have a look at the "Health and Sanitation" page at http://www.herpshop.com.au

[MrBredli]

Can Repti-Kleen be stored for later use after it has been diluted (i.e. in a spray bottle)?

[herptrader]

Originally Posted by staffsrule

What about for just cleaning the inside of the glass, I dont take luke out to do this ??

For the glass I use plain old Windex.

[herptrader]

Originally Posted by MrBredli

Can Repti-Kleen be stored for later use after it has been diluted (i.e. in a spray bottle)?

I am 99% certain that the answer to this question is yes.... but thinking about it I might have just assumed this. It is the way I use it. I will check with Brian and let you know.

[Brodie_W]

Dont waste your money on reptile specific cleaning products.. they are really no more effective than metho or bleach, and are much more expensive. The funny thing is, the company that makes it, tells you all the organisms etc it can kill... But water is just as capable of killing most of, if not all the orgaisms mentioned if you immerse them in water . A lovely little advertising trick there! Its a shame many people waste their money on such products . At least Herp Shops is cheap in comparison to other brands, which can cost over twice as much.

I bulk buy metho, and 20 dollars worth makes over 100 Litres of cleaning product.

[foxysnake]

F10 veterinary grade disenfectant, watered down and stored in spray bottles. Water and paper towels (some ppl use newspaper) for glass.

[tourett]

3% domestos in water. Put in spray bottle. Good for spot cleaning aswell.

[herptrader]

Originally Posted by herptrader

I am 99% certain that the answer to this question is yes.... but thinking about it I might have just assumed this. It is the way I use it. I will check with Brian and let you know.

I had a long chat with Brian about this earler.

Apparently it does not keep well once mixed. Typically one would mix a cap full with a small bowl of water, use it as required and wash your hands in what is left over before disposing of it.

The active ingredient in Repti-Kleen is the same that is required to be used for sanitation in many areas of the food industry.

Bleach works well but is toxic. The fumes should be avoided. Because the chlorine in bleach should evaporate completely it is generally safe to use but it is important to let it dry out. I use it on things like branches that I want furnish an enclosure with but I usually allow these to dry out afterwards for at least a week or so.

My concern with domestos is what might be left in any residue. It is essentially bleach mixed with other stuff.

Metho is less toxic than bleach and will kill many bugs. Its main advantage is that it is volatile and will evaporate quickly leaving no residue. I don't believe it is anywhere near as effective as Repti-Kleen but on the figures quoted it is marginally cheaper and more widely available.