Cleaning Guide

A clean enclosure keeps mold, mites, and bacteria away from your spood — and cleaning is quick once it's part of a rhythm.

The weekly once-over (5 minutes)

• Spot-clean: remove leftover prey remains, uneaten flies, and any silk-hammock debris with tweezers.
• Check droplets and substrate: if the substrate smells sour, looks fuzzy, or stays visibly wet, you're misting too much.
• Top up water and freshen plants: rinse live plant leaves or wipe artificial ones.

The monthly refresh (15–20 minutes)

1. Move your spood to a temporary cup or holding enclosure (with ventilation and a lid).
2. Remove and replace soiled top substrate; keep some familiar material to reduce stress.
3. Wipe glass with plain water or a vinegar-free reptile-safe wipe — never chemical cleaners, which linger and harm spoods.
4. Rinse and dry decor before returning it.
5. Let everything dry to the point of droplets-not-films before misting again.

Deep clean between spoods

Before a new spood moves into a secondhand enclosure: full substrate replacement, decor washed and dried thoroughly, and a multi-day airing. If a previous spood died of unknown causes, replace the substrate entirely and consider a wait before introducing a new resident.

Warning signs to clean for

• Fuzz on substrate or food remains: mold — remove immediately and reduce moisture.
• Tiny moving specks on glass: possible mites; deep-clean and dry the enclosure fully.
• Sour or musty smell: drainage and moisture management need attention.

Making it easy

Log cleanings in Polly's Web's care log — a visible "last cleaned" date keeps the routine honest and helps you notice whether cleanings and mite/mold events correlate with moisture levels.