Cham Safe Cleaning Supplies

[Tihshho]

Generally I've been wiping down the base of the enclosures for my Cham's weekly with a paper towel with warm water to pickup any droppings as well as to cleanup any excess calcium from prey items that have fallen and left a smattering of calcium at the base of the enclosures. To prevent bacteria or any virul pathogens, I was wondering what chemical cleaning supplies I can use to safely disinfect while cleaning? I use a mix of different cleaning supplies when it comes to my breeder ball pythons and wanted to know if I could use any of them specifically without any issues. The two products I had in mind were F10 (veterinary sanitizer) as well a Chlorhexidine. Both chems are diluted and I spray down my snake bins with them and they have no issues, but I know Cham's are a little more sensitive.

 

[Graves923]

I keep it simple. Once per week or as needed I'll wipe down the floor with water and dawn dish soap then rinse well. Once per month I'll take my cham out, remove the floor/drain pan and I wash with diluted bleach.

As long as you are rinsing everything well and not getting the chemicals or fumes on the cham, I wouldn't see a problem.

 

[Tihshho]

The two chems I mentioned do not really give off fumes, but they do one heck of a job of keeping things sanitary. The other option I had that I have sitting aside is cleaning vinegar, but I know that has a strong scent and I'd hate to get the Cham's upset with it.

 

[GoodKarma19]

The two chems I mentioned do not really give off fumes, but they do one heck of a job of keeping things sanitary. The other option I had that I have sitting aside is cleaning vinegar, but I know that has a strong scent and I'd hate to get the Cham's upset with it.

Chams have little to no sense of smell. I use dilute cleaning vinegar for my birds all the time, and they're equally sensitive (if not more so).

 

[Tihshho]

I was less concerned I guess about the smell, more so about the acidic vapors getting to their eyes.

 

[JacksJill]

Both of those products are relatively safe but I would rinse well and dry after use. I err on the side of caution and only use them when my chameleons are out of the cage on a temporary free range or outdoor cage. If that's not possible I spray the cleaner on a paper towel in another room so I don't aerosol the cleaner and risk them breathing the droplets. Then wipe and rinse and dry.
This is some more detail on cleaning.
Cage Cleaning • Sanitation it's sexier than you think (Part 1)
Cage Cleaning • Sanitation ISTYT (Part 2) Weekly Cleaning

 

[GoodKarma19]

I was less concerned I guess about the smell, more so about the acidic vapors getting to their eyes.

I wouldn't use the vinegar straight from the bottle; 50:50 with water is the highest concentration I use. I also wouldn't put it in a spray bottle or anything to prevent aerosolization. Wet a cloth with the solution and wipe down surfaces. The vapors dissipate quickly, in any case, and I've yet to have issues after 10 years of use in bird cages (often with the birds present).

@JacksJill linked her awesome cleaning blogs. When in doubt, refer to that.

 

[nightanole]

I use "superclean" diluted 5:1(aka enough to remove car wax and road grime). Its biodegradible and phosphate-free. Use it on tubs,laundry, and pots/pans. Rinses clean and has almost no odor.