Thread: Is Vinegar Safe???

Would the smell of white vinegar be harmful to my gecko if I used it
to clean my gecko's tank and furniture?

Probably not...but vinegar is absolutely useless for anything but cooking and/or eating food.

I'd recommend a 10% bleach/90% water solution mixed in a spray bottle...spray the desired surface, let sit for 10-20 minutes, then rinse.

I agree completely with Maia.

Even better, and safer than bleach is Chlorhexidine. You can buy the 2% solution at beanfarm.com

I thought that there was a vinegar solution which can be used for cleaning. Also vinegar can absorbs smells but, if you washed with the bleach solution i'm pretty the smell would be gone. I would look more into the vinegar cleaning solution.

Does chlorhexidine have a strong smell? If it does,is it harmful to me or my pets?

Originally Posted by animeavatar

Does chlorhexidine have a strong smell? If it does,is it harmful to me or my pets?

Chlorhexidine is harmful in high concentrations, but is used safely in low concentrations in many products, such as mouthwash and contact lens solutions. The important thing about chlorhexidine is that it has no harsh odors or fumes, and will not irritate skin. Because of this, it makes an excellent disinfectant for large vivariums where proper rinsing would be difficult. Its also safe to use around your animal because of the lack of fumes. Hope that helps you out.

I forgot about this one. In this thread, I point out some of the advantages/disadvantages to chlorhexidine and bleach. This particular thread actually recommends good old soap and water.

Chlorhexidine v.s. bleach

Originally Posted by JordanAng420

Okay i'm bored.

Chlorhexidine- Advantages- non toxic, no harsh odors even if some residue is left, can be used topically on wounds or as a mouth wash for mouth rot, and is effective against Staphylococci and many gram-negative organisms.

Chlorhexidine- Disadvantages- moderate cost, long contact time, poor efficiency against most viruses,not effective against Cryptosporidia, Giardia, coccidia, mycobacteria, bacteria spores, gram-positive bacteria including Pseudomonas, not very effective in the presence of organic debris, and hard water makes it less effective.

Bleach- Advantages- low cost, easily available, will kill most bacteria, viruses, fungi, algae, and mycoplasmas, and is a potent deoderizer.

Bleach- Disadvantages- very caustic to tissues and equipment, not effective against Giardia, rapidly inactivates in the presence of organic debris, loses its effectiveness quickly when diluted, prolonged contact may be required for heavy sterilization, must be used in a well-ventilated area, not effective against spores, corrosive to metals, deteriorates fabrics, and must be rinsed off well.

I just use the dishwasher with no soap to wash hides and what not..

I'll have to be careful not to wet the heater then.