Orchidarium, how would you clean it? - Orchid Board

Becca · #1 04-10-2011, 08:20 PM

Gosh I'm not sure what forum section this question best belongs posted to so here it is.

It's cleaning day for my swamp pond....I mean my Orchidarium. As I am cleaning it...I'm wondering what products would be best to use for cleaning it. Currently I take out all removable parts...such as the plat forms, which are basically white lighting grid or whatever it is called, and then the rubber liners. Everything that can fit into the dishwasher...well in it goes! But that still leaves the stainless steel bottom to be cleaned because I modified the Orchidarium and installed a MistKing misting system. A lot of mist builds up on the sides and runs down the sides, and also from me spraying my mounted orchids...so water gets under the rubber liners and sits and gets icky with green algae stuff. The water also gets into the slider track for the doors. So what is the best way to clean this? Currently once I remove everything I soak up all the excess water with a towel, wipe everything down to dry it and then spray it with a solution of Physan 20. Then I let that dry and then I make sure I don't have any remaining gunk built up anywhere and get all the water out of the sliding door tracks and then put everything back together. I'm getting faster at it, but it still takes a majority of the day. So I'm wondering if I am even using the right product to try and kill the algae and if just using that is enough? Is there something else I should be doing? I only clean it like this every few months...when it starts smelling nasty to me....and super nasty to everyone else...lol. So please let me know what you would do differently! Hopefully I didn't leave anything out!

Connie Star · #2 04-10-2011, 08:38 PM

Physan 20 kills algae. I used some and didn't actually change out the drip trays that the algae was growing in. The algae died and it smelled like a drying pond at the end of the summer- So I think it's not enough to just kill the algae; you have to wash it out.
Could we see a picture of your terrarium?

Becca · #3 04-10-2011, 09:06 PM

Well I do wipe it out and all the algae and then spray the Physan 20, so I'm not just spraying the algae and leaving it as is. And I can't really wash it out due to it being in a carpeted bedroom and I need something that is safe for the orchids as far as fumes since usually I try and leave some of the orchids on an upper shelf while cleaning the lower part. It isn't really a terrarium....its really just a wardian case. Hope the picture helps!

Connie Star · #4 04-10-2011, 10:37 PM

I'm lucky enough to have tile floors in my growing space- unusual in New England. I can see how difficult it would be to clean something on a carpeted floor.
I really like your case. Did you build it or buy it?
Heres some photos of my growing space. It is really the whole living room.
http://www.orchidboard.com/community...my-setups.html

Becca · #5 04-10-2011, 10:54 PM

Nice set up! I wish I had your windows! Oh, and bought my wardian case from Orchidarium.com.

This Side of Paradise · #6 04-11-2011, 06:42 PM

I bring mine outside once a year for a scrub down. During the year I spray with Physan 20 to keep the algee down

Becca · #7 04-11-2011, 11:57 PM

I wish I could take it out and do that! It's a major ordeal to disassemble and to heave to me assembled...I don't think it would even fit through the bedroom door!

trdyl · #8 04-12-2011, 02:45 AM

I wonder if spraying it down with bleach from time to time would help.

Becca · #9 04-12-2011, 07:09 AM

Hey Ted! Yeah I have thought of bleach, but since I have no way of truely rinsing it out I'm affraid of what residue would be left over and the plants being exposed to it especially when the misters turn on.

calypsoB · #10 05-29-2011, 12:12 AM

I don't know about orchids but when cleaning an aquarium I was always told to use baking soda