I first spray a clean piece of paper towel with a reptile disinfectant, then wipe over the hide with that. I rarely spray it directly on to the hide. My gecko's have decided they don't like the moist hide I made for them, they poo on it haha. It can be difficult to get off sometimes, and of course too much scrubbing will damage your hide. I just clean it the best I can with the damp paper towel. Sometimes I have to spray it directly on to the hide.