How to clean tiles...

[Awesome]

I've recently switched to tiles and I'm wondering what's the easiest way to clean them.

Do you take a cloth and wet it, then spot clean?
Or do you take out the entire tile and clean it? I doubt I can take them out, it'd be a huge hassle.

Is water and a cloth good enough to clean up the poop?

 

[BeardieGrandma]

Some recommend a highly diluted cleaning solution of bleach and water OR ammonia and water - you want to kill any bacteria hanging out in there. Might want to consider a hand steamer (home depot) as steam kills everything and is non-toxic for sure. If you do use bleach or ammonia mixtures, make sure you rinse it until you can't smell it anymore...

 

[Awesome]

Thanks for the tip. Didn't think of using a steam cleaner, nice suggestion.

 

[BeardieGrandma]

Thanks. Someone else on the board suggested it to me (thanks Livey!), so good to pass it on. I ordered one from homedepot.com and paid about $25 for it, it's really handy to steam clean everything in her tank...

 

[BadCon]

I spot clean daily with a safe low odor cleaner. Once weekly I'll remove all of the tiles to soak them in a disinfectant solution, usually chlorhexidine. I also scrub them with warm soapy water at this time...mainly to make sure there is no fine debris stuck on the tiles.

 

[Awesome]

I spot clean daily with a safe low odor cleaner. Once weekly I'll remove all of the tiles to soak them in a disinfectant solution, usually chlorhexidine. I also scrub them with warm soapy water at this time...mainly to make sure there is no fine debris stuck on the tiles.

What cleaner do you recommend?

Thanks. Someone else on the board suggested it to me (thanks Livey!), so good to pass it on. I ordered one from homedepot.com and paid about $25 for it, it's really handy to steam clean everything in her tank...

Wow, much cheaper than I expected.

 

[BadCon]

I spot clean daily with a safe low odor cleaner. Once weekly I'll remove all of the tiles to soak them in a disinfectant solution, usually chlorhexidine. I also scrub them with warm soapy water at this time...mainly to make sure there is no fine debris stuck on the tiles.

What cleaner do you recommend?

Anything marketed as a non-toxic active enzyme pet cleaner will work. Healthy Habitat is probably comes easiest to mind. I have a bottle of Flukers Super Scrub...which is basically the same thing but the bottle has a scrub brush on the top. Natures Miracle will also work...that's a brand usually marketed towards dogs and cats. If its a fresh spot in the viv, then just warm water can be used.
A mild solution of Chlorhexidine can also be used as a spot cleaner...it doesn't have any fumes, nor does it need to be rinsed (just wiped dry). If you need to remove dry feces however, then one of the above cleaners would be a better option as they break down organic matter. They aren't sanitizers though, so you'll either want to follow up with an application of a viv safe disinfectant (like chlorhexidine), or remember to remove the tiles once weekly to soak in your favorite solution....10% bleach is a common one.

 

[GeeUK]

Can't you just use reptile safe disinfectant?

 

[BadCon]

Can't you just use reptile safe disinfectant?

What do you define as a reptile safe disinfectant? Disinfectants by their very nature are unsafe...they do after all kill things. Very very few disinfectants are safe to use in the immediate vicinity small animals. If you are like me, and spot clean with the animal in the tank, you'll want to stick with something mild. The only exception is a diluted solution of 2% chlorhexidine, which is a disinfectant but is safe to use around (and even on) the animal (avoid contact with mucous membranes). This safety however means chlorhexidine isn't as effective as some other disinfectants, but its great for everyday use.

 

[GeeUK]

Well I bought a reptile safe disinfectant from the petshop. Specially formulated and safe for reptiles, this is what I meant.

 

[BadCon]

Well I bought a reptile safe disinfectant from the petshop. Specially formulated and safe for reptiles, this is what I meant.

Do you know the brand? Can you list the active ingredients? Does it specifically say non-toxic or that it can be used with reptiles in the immediate area? I know of several reptile disinfectant cage cleaners, however none of them are safe to use in the immediate vicinity of the reptile because they emit noxious fumes (ZooMed Wipe Out being a good example). They are usually very effective though...so I am by no means saying not to use them. Just remove the animal and let the enclosure ventilate after using it.

 

[GeeUK]

I'll have to check when I get home.

 

[Awesome]

I spot clean daily with a safe low odor cleaner. Once weekly I'll remove all of the tiles to soak them in a disinfectant solution, usually chlorhexidine. I also scrub them with warm soapy water at this time...mainly to make sure there is no fine debris stuck on the tiles.

What cleaner do you recommend?

Anything marketed as a non-toxic active enzyme pet cleaner will work. Healthy Habitat is probably comes easiest to mind. I have a bottle of Flukers Super Scrub...which is basically the same thing but the bottle has a scrub brush on the top. Natures Miracle will also work...that's a brand usually marketed towards dogs and cats. If its a fresh spot in the viv, then just warm water can be used.
A mild solution of Chlorhexidine can also be used as a spot cleaner...it doesn't have any fumes, nor does it need to be rinsed (just wiped dry). If you need to remove dry feces however, then one of the above cleaners would be a better option as they break down organic matter. They aren't sanitizers though, so you'll either want to follow up with an application of a viv safe disinfectant (like chlorhexidine), or remember to remove the tiles once weekly to soak in your favorite solution....10% bleach is a common one.

Thanks for the recommendations, very useful information.
I've jotted down those brands from your post so I can check 'em out next time I visit my LPS.

 

[GeeUK]

Well I bought a reptile safe disinfectant from the petshop. Specially formulated and safe for reptiles, this is what I meant.

Do you know the brand? Can you list the active ingredients? Does it specifically say non-toxic or that it can be used with reptiles in the immediate area? I know of several reptile disinfectant cage cleaners, however none of them are safe to use in the immediate vicinity of the reptile because they emit noxious fumes (ZooMed Wipe Out being a good example). They are usually very effective though...so I am by no means saying not to use them. Just remove the animal and let the enclosure ventilate after using it.

I think it is this one I have:

Beaphar Deep Clean Disinfectant For Reptiles 500ml

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beaphar-Clean-Disinfectant-Reptiles-500ml/dp/product-description/B003XLJ324/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=340840031&s=pet-supplies

Safety Warning
Do not spray directly onto animals. Keep out of reach of children

Manufacturer's Description:

A powerful yet kind disinfectant for reptile housing & equipment. Its deep-cleansing action is ideal for plastic or glass vivaria, feeding and other equipment, hard surfaces etc. Deep Clean provides long lasting protection against pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella, MRSA and E.Coli, fungi and viruses.

On the back of the bottle is says not to directly spray onto the animal, no need to rinse after use, but to use in a ventilated area.

 

[Denduran87]

i would be skeptical of something meant to kill one thing yet still not harm something else. I would atleast rinse it off. not to mention trusting that they did research of prolonged exposure to it.