disinfecting empty tank

[kiara]

I'm not honestly sure where a question like this belongs... so if I'm in the wrong place, please move me where I should be.

As I posted a couple days ago, little Nyoko died... from what, I don't know. I don't have any immediate plans for another beardie, but I want the tank to be disinfected nonetheless. I have a couple things I bought at Petco for cleaning, one is green, the other just smells nice (lol). If I knew where I had set the bottles, I'd tell you the names of them, but honestly I don't want to get up to look right now :lol:

Can an enclosure be cleaned w/ bleach water to disinfect against who-knows-what? If not, what is the best way to make sure nothing is in there that could possibly harm the next beardie I get? And can the bowls and hammock and rock and log be salvaged?

I don't *think* she had any diseases... I am almost sure it was from improper care previous to her joining our family (impaction or internal injuries)- which is really sad- but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

 

[BadCon]

Definitely disinfect everything. A 10% bleach solution would be good for this.

For the enclosure (assuming its glass?). Take it outside and thoroughly scrub with soapy water (dish soap and a sponge are fine), rinse with a hose. Then spray the entire enclosure with a 10% bleach solution (make sure to measure it out accurately), and make sure it remains wet with the bleach solution for at least 20 minutes (this means you might have to babysit it and respray if it starts to dry). Once the timer hits 0, rinse again with the hose. Rinse well, and allow to air dry outside in the sun. There shouldn't be any bleach fumes when its done dryinh, if there are let it air out some more or rinse it again.
If you don't have a hose or a yard, this can all be done in the bathtub. If the enclosure is too large to move, you can do this all with spray bottles and limited water. Rinsing will be a bit harder, but its doable.

For the feeding bowls and other hard plastic or ceramic items, clean with warm soapy water then soak in a 10% bleach solution for 20+ minutes. Rinse well and let air dry. For wooden cage items, wash any debris off with warm soapy water, then place in the oven at 275 degrees for 2hrs. If it won't fit in the oven, then soak it in a 10% bleach solution for 30 minutes, then rinse well. You'll need to soak it in fresh water for at least as long as you soaked it in the bleach. Place it outside in the sun to dry, and any bleach fumes should dissipate.