How to Clean a Reptile Cage

Regularly cleaning your reptile cage helps to prevent the buildup of harmful bacteria and parasites and is essential in keeping your pet reptile happy and healthy. Cleaning your reptile cage and disinfecting your reptile cage are two distinctly separate processes. General cleaning of your reptile cage should consist of daily and weekly cleaning, with disinfection of the cage occurring at least once a month. With proper care and attention, daily cleaning should take no longer than five to 10 minutes, and weekly cleanings should take about 30 to 40 minutes, depending on the size of the cage.

Things You'll Need

  • Substrate material
  • Hot soapy water
  • Sponge or scrub brush
  • Disinfectant solution
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Instructions

  1. Daily Cleaning

    • 1

      Use a scoop or spoon to remove all organic debris such as urates, feces and discarded food. Remove any surrounding substrate that has been soiled by the organic debris. If you are using newspaper as substrate, you should remove all newspaper and replace. For carpet substrate, remove the carpet and replace with a fresh piece.

    • 2

      Use a clean wet rag to wipe away any body secretions that are in the enclosure.

    • 3

      Wash the food and water dishes with hot soapy water. If you have multiple sets of feeding dishes, you can simply replace the dishes with a fresh set and clean the used dishes later.

    • 4

      Replace water in soaking bowls. Water used for body soaking generally can be left in place for a few days, though it should be changed immediately if there are any signs of feces, urates or other debris in the dish.

    Weekly Cleaning

    • 5

      Remove all substrate and cage accessories from the cage. Discard the used substrate; if using carpet, set aside for cleaning.

    • 6

      Spray the surface of the reptile cage with hot soapy water. If the cage is small enough, place the cage into a bathtub or sink for easy cleaning. For large cages, use a spray bottle filled with hot water or a bucket and sponge.

    • 7

      Scrub the inside of the enclosure with a sponge or scrub brush to remove any debris that has adhered to the cage. Rinse the cage with fresh, clean water until all soap residue is removed.

    • 8

      Dry the inside of the cage thoroughly using clean towels. Once all excess water is removed, you can use a hair dryer to dry the cage completely.

    • 9

      Add fresh substrate to the cage and replace all cage accessories, including fresh feeding dishes with clean food and water.

    Monthly Cleaning

    • 10

      Remove all substrate and cage accessories from the cage. Discard used substrate, and place cage accessories into a large bucket, container or bathtub filled with hot water and disinfectant solution. Allow to soak for at least 30 minutes.

    • 11

      Spray the inside of the enclosure with disinfectant spray. Make sure to coat all surfaces of the reptile cage, paying special attention to the corners where bacteria and parasites like to hide. Allow the disinfectant to soak for 10 to 15 minutes.

    • 12

      Scrub the inside of the cage with a sponge or scrub brush to remove debris and bacteria. Rinse the tank with clean hot water until all disinfectant residue and debris is removed. Dry the inside of the tank completely, and add new substrate to the tank.

    • 13

      Remove cage accessories from the disinfectant soak, and rinse. Place wooden accessories such as stumps or logs in the sun or in the oven on low heat until they are dried through. Dry remaining cage accessories before placing them back into the reptile enclosure.