# General Topics > General Discussion & News > Care Sheet Proposals >  Cleaning Outside Decorations

## Sandy Bear

Very often herpers will find something from outside that they want to  put in their terrariums, but they are not sure if it is "safe" and want  to know if they can make it safe.  Not cleaning these items can  contaminate your terrarium, beloved pet or home with unwanted pests  (silver fish, ants, etc...) parasites, toxic chemicals, bacteria,  fungus, disease, etc.... Here is what I do:

 Cleaners I use:
 Soap - Dawn Dish Soap
 Bleach
 White Vinegar

 Rocks:
 Wash in the sink with hot water, soap, and some bleach.  Scrub away any dirt and debris.  Rinse well.
 I will also put these in the dish washer sometimes after washing them in the sink.
 ***Never put rocks in the oven to bake***

 Fresh Logs/Branches:
 Wash in the bathtub, hot water, bleach and Dawn dish soap.  Rinse really well, allow to dry.
 If branches will fit in the oven, bake them at at 300 F for 1-3 hours, longer if really thick.  Do not leave unattended.
 If branches will not fit in oven, wrap them in a black garbage bag  and let them sit out in the sun during the hottest days of summer for a  few weeks.  Make sure that the bags are well sealed.
 Some people prefer to have the bark removed from the logs.
 Be sure that all logs and branches are collected from an area that  does not spray chemicals (pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, poisons,  etc...)
 Be sure that the wood that is collected is safe to use.  In general,  hard woods (trees with leaves) are safe, such as Oak, Maple,  Aspen/Poplar, and Birch.  In general, soft woods (trees with needles)  are not safe, such as Pine and Cedar.  There are exceptions to both, so  do your research prior to collecting!

 Leaves:
 Leave can be collected or bought to use as "leaf litter" which is a decorative top layer on the substrate used.
 Collect leaves from an area that does not spray chemicals
 Oak, Magnolia and Sea Grape are best to use.  Other types of leaves  can be used as well.  Check to make sure that they are safe to use.
 Fresh leaves can be washed in bleach water, rinsed well, and allowed  to dry on racks or pressed flat.  Leaves can be baked once they are dry.
 Naturally fallen leaves (in the fall) can be collected and baked in the oven.
 Bake leaves in oven for 20 minutes at 200 F.  Allow to cool, then use in terrarium

 Live Plants:
 Weather they are from outside, the pet shop, Walmart, or the garden center, you have to clean live plants too.
 First you will want to gently, manually remove as much of the dirt  from the roots, taking care not to damage the roots as you do this.
 Next, you will want to rinse off the rest of the dirt from the roots.
 Fill up a sink or pail large enough to submerge the plant in.  You  will want to do a 1:10 Bleach to water solution.  (I think its about 1  cup bleach to 1 gallon of water).  Let the plant sit in this for about 5  minutes.  Remove and thoroughly rinse!  Re-pot or place in the  terrarium immediately.
 Most plants will survive this treatment.  Be gentle with the roots, and make sure that the water is not too cold or too warm.

 Dirt (from the garden)

 Get a disposable turkey roaster and fill up with the dirt.  Add some water so the dirt is very moist.
 Cover and bake in the preheated oven  (300 F)  until the dirt reaches a temperature of 180 F/82 C.
 ***Do not allow the dirt to get to or over 200 F***
 I do not like using dirt from outside.  I prefer to plant terrarium  plants in a mixture of Coco-Fiber, Worm castings, Peat Moss, bark or  mulch, sand, perlite and LECA pellets depending on what I'm planting.

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