UK equivalent Shamwow/ substrate

[mightymart]

After reading about shamwow being a good Vivarium bottom liner, I started looking for a UK equivalent, I found Halfords Easy Glide Synthetic Chamois (XL) £6.99 due to reading reviews on how it soaked up loads of water compared to other leading makes (Autoexpress review) , I have been using it for a few weeks now & what a difference it makes compared to the paper towels !.
My Cham is only a baby so the bottom of the viv is only 45x45 & the chamois being 68 x 43 with a bit cut off fits perfectly, But with the off cut I use under the jungle plant where the little dripper drips down, so after a misting I wring the off cut out & at the end of the day I wring the off cut out where the little dripper drips down, Plus after a misting I use the off cut to pat dry the bottom chamois so it doesnt make it too humid/wet.
When it comes to a clean out all I do is lift everything up slightly & drag the chamois out , give it a good clean & wring out & replace, Done in under a couple of minutes.

 

[Miss Lily]

Cool! Thanks for posting this - I've been looking for a UK version of the Shamwow since the kids showed me a spoof ad on youtube. Does it really work that well at soaking up water? How do you clean it - can you just bung it in the washing machine?

 

[mightymart]

Yes it does soak up water really well, 20 times better than paper towels & Yes its machine washable , But I have just give it a clean with a small amount of washing up liquid & rinse & wring till clear water runs through.
One other thing I did was turn the bottoms of my jungle vines 45 degrees as it seemed to stain the chamois ? apart from that it works a treat.
At the end of the day for £6.99 its worth a try !!!

 

[Miss Lily]

Thanks! I'll give these a go then. Paper towels just stay so wet if left to soak up. I usually line the back wall with paper towels at the bottom, but, like you I get through a ridiculous amount!

 

[mightymart]

I only use the paper towels now to pick up poo ! Like I said before the halfords chamois will do the job of paper towels 20 times better.
Let me know how you get on ?

 

[laurie]

Cool! Thanks for posting this - I've been looking for a UK version of the Shamwow since the kids showed me a spoof ad on youtube. Does it really work that well at soaking up water? How do you clean it - can you just bung it in the washing machine?

Tiff if it is like our shamwow you can toss it in the washer but do not put it in the dryer. I use those things every day.

 

[jojackson]

Do you dry these things out in the sun and put them in dry so they absorb more water?

 

[mightymart]

It says on the tub to store damp, All I do is wring it out so its always dampish but not bone dry , So by the time I mist & have the dripper on it doesnt have time to dry out completley.

 

[rich]

lol just got back from garden centre with new 5ft fiscus, only £9.99

now going out to halfords for a chamois after readin this thread, nice one mightymart thanks for the tip

 

[jake01]

Does anyone know if they sell shamwow in stores yet? I want to order some as lining, but never see the infomercials anymore.

edit: nevermind, can order it right from shamwow.com.

 

[mightymart]

Did anyone fellow countryman try the Chamois ?

 

[Quantum Mark]

lol just got back from garden centre with new 5ft fiscus, only £9.99

now going out to halfords for a chamois after readin this thread, nice one mightymart thanks for the tip

What is the full name of the plant and please tell me it was a garden centre in or around London ;p

 

[Miss Lily]

Did anyone fellow countryman try the Chamois ?

I bought one (found it eventually - the packing has changed). Haven't got around to trying it out yet though! I did also find another synthetic chamois in the Tesco Value range (only 78p or something silly) but haven't tried that either! Mightymart, do you use yours to soak up excess water instead of having drainage in your cage?

 

[mightymart]

Yes I do.
I also use the off cut to pat/soak up water after a mist that is in the chamois that stays in the cage all week, so its never soaked just damp. Plus the off cut stays under the dripper to soak up excess so its just a matter of wringing it out.
The reason I went for the halfords one is that it came 1st on the soak up water test plus it was one of the cheapest I will post a picture sometime tomorrow (Would do it tonight but hes asleep )

 

[Miss Lily]

Thanks, yeah I would like to see how you use it!

 

[Rocky]

I've seen Shamwows at stores. I know the walmarts here have them and a few other stores.

 

[Doug7025]

Save postage,shipping, etc. I bought mine at Bed,bath, and beyond.

 

[mightymart]

As you can see I leave the off cut under the plastic plant were the little dripper drips down, so its just a matter of wringing the off cut out twice a day & after a misting (I normally unfold the off cut before I mist as to catch more water & then wring out)

I then use the off cut again to push down & soak up the excess water from the chamois thats always down & wring out ready to sit under the little dripper again, But once a week I take out the bottom chamois & wash, unless its gets dirty before the clean out day & then clean more often !
Because the bottom chamois is always very slightly damp I never have a problem with the humidity levels too.
Oh yer nearly forgot , I had to bend up the ends of the jungle vines as they started to mark the chamois. I also put a cd under the bottom of the plant pot as this also making an indent in the chamois
Hope this helps

 

[Miss Lily]

Cool! Thanks for posting pics! Looks like we have the same vivs! I am intending to cut my chamois so that I have strips at the back and sides of the viv to catch run off from misting. I have a large drainage pot plus a large log and another plant pot in my viv, so if I use it to line the bottom it'll mean moving everything out of the viv to remove the chamois! I know that will be a complete PITA, lol! I'll let you know how it goes when I get around to putting it in there!