# Hygiene Disinfectant.



## Steve_carter (Feb 4, 2017)

I think I have posted in the correct section. So there are plenty of products out there for reptiles. I am looking at a disinfectant spray for his tortoise table. Seem afew but before making a purchase does anyone recommend any? Just want a tortoise safe disinfectant.

Any ideas or experiences you can share?


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## wellington (Feb 4, 2017)

I personally only use hot water. If you want to use some dish soap I would only use dawn. I don't trust anything else.


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## SarahChelonoidis (Feb 4, 2017)

I use vinegar sometimes and other than that, just hot water.


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## Maro2Bear (Feb 4, 2017)

Steve, what exactly are you wanting to disinfect? The table/enclosure itself, or watering and food bowls, and hides?


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## Yvonne G (Feb 4, 2017)

Well, call me a slob, but I don't disinfect anything. I wash the food and water containers in soapy water. I toss old substrate and add new with no concern for the container at all.


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## Killerrookie (Feb 4, 2017)

Yvonne G said:


> Well, call me a slob, but I don't disinfect anything. I wash the food and water containers in soapy water. I toss old substrate and add new with no concern for the container at all.


I do the same


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## Steve_carter (Feb 4, 2017)

I've used hot water to clean but was not sure if that was good enough to keep the table, hide, slates all good from bacteria etc. So really just to keep with Hot water no spray stuff?


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## Tidgy's Dad (Feb 4, 2017)

I also use just hot water, sometimes with a little mild washing up liquid.


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## Pearly (Feb 4, 2017)

Vinegar for wiping the glass windows of the enclosure, water dish gets wiped to get the grime and rinsed with water, slate gets wiped down to get yesterday's food of. If I serve meat/protein, I take the slate out and run it through dishwasher, while they have another piece of slate in there (I have 2), as for hides, rocks etc, they never get washed, and my substrate is bioactive so I do not change it, ever, just replace patches of moss or plants once they are done performing


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## Pearly (Feb 4, 2017)

Steve_carter said:


> I've used hot water to clean but was not sure if that was good enough to keep the table, hide, slates all good from bacteria etc. So really just to keep with Hot water no spray stuff?


I don't think any disinfecting is needed in healthy torts enclosure. To the contrary I believe that similar to fish tanks colonies of beneficial bacteria are needed to keep things in balance, you know little mini ecosystem. I happen to love my beneficial bacteria


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## dmmj (Feb 4, 2017)

wellington said:


> I personally only use hot water. If you want to use some dish soap I would only use dawn. I don't trust anything else.


How much stock do you own in Dawn?!?!?!?!?


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## cmacusa3 (Feb 4, 2017)

Don't use dawn. Just use hot water


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## Alexio (Feb 4, 2017)

I use the seventh generation wipes for my snake tubs and for my tortoise water bowl and food tile. I don't wipe down the enclosure unless im changing out all the substrate and doing a total breakdown.


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## wellington (Feb 4, 2017)

LOL, wish I did. I trust it cuz of all the animals that have been saved cuz of it. Plus, if it's still going, for each bottle bought they donate 1 dollar to animal rescues.


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## wellington (Feb 4, 2017)

cmac3 said:


> Don't use dawn. Just use hot water
> 
> View attachment 198970


If it was that bad, there would be a lot of dead animals that was washed with it to get the oil spill oil off them. Would love to know the source of that info. 
They do now have many different kinds out now. I use the original. Never was one for fancy smells on my dishes.


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## cmacusa3 (Feb 4, 2017)

wellington said:


> If it was that bad, there would be a lot of dead animals that was washed with it to get the oil spill oil off them. Would love to know the source of that info.
> They do now have many different kinds out now. I use the original. Never was one for fancy smells on my dishes.


https://forcechange.com/56884/remove-toxic-chemicals-from-dawn-dish-soap/

They may have changed some things in it but my company was even told not to use it in cleaning some of our products in the past by a environmental group that I can't list. We could probably find stuff like this on any and all products we use, however when this agency stepped in to my place of employment and restricted our use then I decided it was best not to use it.


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## cmacusa3 (Feb 4, 2017)

wellington said:


> If it was that bad, there would be a lot of dead animals that was washed with it to get the oil spill oil off them. Would love to know the source of that info.
> They do now have many different kinds out now. I use the original. Never was one for fancy smells on my dishes.


Here's the other article 
http://www.practiganic.com/2014/05/dish-soaps-good-bad-and-toxic.html?m=1


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## wellington (Feb 4, 2017)

cmac3 said:


> https://forcechange.com/56884/remove-toxic-chemicals-from-dawn-dish-soap/
> 
> They may have changed some things in it but my company was even told not to use it in cleaning some of our products in the past by a environmental group that I can't list. We could probably find stuff like this on any and all products we use, however when this agency stepped in to my place of employment and restricted our use then I decided it was best not to use it.


I agree crwp can probably be found in everything. Heck we know it can be. Thanks for the links.


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## Steve_carter (Feb 7, 2017)

Thank you all for your replies. 

I shall keep to the hot water routine to keep on the safe side. 

Thanks @Alexio for the wipes idea also. Just came up when looking for substrate and wondered if it was better than the hot water. His enclosure it kept clean etc so probably no need. Just thought to ask the question incase the hot water was inadequate


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## Angie Robinson (Feb 17, 2017)

What about outdoor tortoise watering dishes that you can't keep the pigeons away from? Smart, but filthy critters. I have also been using dawn doshsoap and hot water.


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