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Q: Cleaning Wood
Posted By:

Tiki108

While I have decided not to buy anymore real wood but I'd hate to throw away the half logs that I have.  They were starting to get either mold or mildew on them so I bleached them then sprayed them down with a 10% ammonia solution.  Then it occurred to me that what if that could harm my herps since the chemicals could sink in.  So what do you guys think?  Should I toss them or are the ok to use?

Thanks in advance all!


Points: 150
Topics: Disinfectants
Tags: Cleaning, Disinfectants
Administrative: Show/Hide

Assisted Answer 4/7/2012 9:33:12 PM

Doomtrooper

let them Soak in clean water for a day or 2  then put them in the overnin 150 for like an hour  they should be fine

 
Assisted Answer 4/7/2012 10:05:22 PM

Sylvias

Isn't mixing bleach and ammonia... somewhat deadly?

 
Author Comment 4/7/2012 10:21:31 PM

Tiki108

It was done on 2 different days, I didn't mix them in the same bottle or anything.

 
Assisted Answer 4/7/2012 10:27:06 PM

Two Corny People

We always froze any wood items that were to be placed in tanks with herps when I worked at the aquarium to remove any possible parasites.  We use JurassiClean on the wood items in our bearded dragon's enclosure.  It is not toxic and leaves a nice clean smell...Placing the wood item out in the sunshine will also lessen the effects of bleach and ammonia (bleach will degrade with exposure to light)...

 
Assisted Answer 4/8/2012 8:35:16 AM

Howard Redding

When I kept wood items in my enclosures. I would rinse it off and cook it @ 200 for 30 mins. Heat kills everything!

 
Assisted Answer 4/8/2012 2:52:59 PM

imyourscar

I haven't had any mold regrowth after simply scrubbing off the mold with a sponge and then heating the *wet* wood in the oven ~200/250ºF.  I try to not use bleach or ammonia when cleaning animal products, unless it's on glass and it has a few days to lets the fumes dissipate

 
Assisted Answer 4/8/2012 9:11:14 PM

Skelegirl

I always scrub with hot water and a mild soap solution, rinse well, then bake at 200-250 for 30-60 minutes (depending on thickness).  I tend to avoid any harsh chemicals on wood, since it's so porous/absorbent.  If you're experiencing a lot of mold/mildew, you might consider waiting until the wood is bone dry, then treating with a water-based polyurethane sealant.  3-4 coats will make subsequent cleanings much easier, since the wood will be sealed.  If treating w/ polyurethane, let it dry and off-gas until you can't smell it anymore, then wait another 2-3 days for good measure before placing in an animals' enclosure.

 
Accepted Answer 4/8/2012 10:33:27 PM

VJReptiles

i would toss the wood ammonia and bleach are toxic when mixed and wood soaks up liquids

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