What cleaner do you use?

[ARCH3R]

So after years of different cleaning products I still haven't decided what I like. I was wondering if I was missing something. Here's my pros cons
Bleach
Pros Generally pretty effective
Cons Smells, Stains acryllic, wait time afterward, doesn't kill coccidia

Ammonia
Pros Kills what the rest don't (EG cryptosporidia)
Cons Arguably even more harmful than bleach

Antiseptics (Betadine, Povidone iodine, chlorhexidine)
Pros Kills organisms that bleach doesnt, stains acryllic, is absorbed easily into plastic or wood
Cons expensive(I steal mine from work), doesn't eliminate smell,

SteAm
Pros- Great for coccidia and mites,
Cons Doesn't smell but also doesn't eliminate smell all that well, can melt plastic and acryllic

Specific reptile cleaners
Pros Generally the safest (besides steam),
Cons Seems that the most effective ones aren't too easy to come by, really expensive

Mixture of any with soap-
Some of the above are less effective when mixed with dish soap

[ARCH3R]

Sorry about the long post. Basically I like some things and dislike some things about everything and if you only stick to one you're guaranteed not to kill everything.

So what do you prefer?

[serpentgirl123]

I use bleach for monthly or bimonthly cleanings or if a snake rack tub needs to be changed out due to a mess. I keep extra tubs around for this purpose, exchange clean tub for dirty and then hot soapy water and bleach the dirty one, rinse well, and leave to air dry.

For spot cleaning I go back and forth between Quat Plus Pet Area cleaner from Big Apple Pet Supply and Healthy Habitat cleaner. I have been cleaning like this for years and haven't seen any issues.

I try to keep the animal's home clean and not sterile. IMO trying to do that makes the animal(s) more vulnerable to getting sick. I don't feel the need to eliminate EVERY single microorganism, just the potentially "nasty" ones. The only reason I see to have a sterile environment for an animal is if I am in a hospital setting doing surgery. And given the potential of "super bugs" being created due to overuse and misuse of harsh chemicals, I rather not do that at home. But that is just me.

[pinefamily]

We use a product called F10. Not sure if it's available in the States.

[misskirbyd]

Originally Posted by pinefamily

We use a product called F10. Not sure if it's available in the States.

Ditto, all my research showed it to be the best available product in Aus. For others if not familiar, it's a veterinary disinfectant. Not free by any means, but its dilution rate rate of 1:500 for general disinfection gives me the impression my bottle will last quite awhile.

[pinefamily]

Originally Posted by misskirbyd

Ditto, all my research showed it to be the best available product in Aus. For others if not familiar, it's a veterinary disinfectant. Not free by any means, but its dilution rate rate of 1:500 for general disinfection gives me the impression my bottle will last quite awhile.

It sure does. The 200ml concentrate lasts ages, and we have a lot of reptiles.
From memory, we bought our bottle early last year, and it's still going.

[pet_snake_78]

All seem to have their pros and cons. Here's an article by a vet and reptile keeper might be worth reading. September Newsletter (Edition 12)

[Wingbeats]

I generally just use dish soap, warm water, and a good scrubbing with a sponge - on my one-monthly full cage cleans. Though, I only have one snake, so I'm not super concerned with super sterilization.