Is Chlorhexidine enough?

If all tubs get wiped out and soaked with chlorhexidine for 5 minutes each time there is urine or excrement and water bowls get washed out with soap and hot water and replaced each time do I need to do anything else for sanitizing? Like should I occasionally use bleach or some other type of disinfectant?

I've been using chlorhexidine for years and haven't had a problem. I just spray, wipe clean, and wash water bowls and hides with hot soapy water. Never had an issue...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sho220

I've been using chlorhexidine for years and haven't had a problem. I just spray, wipe clean, and wash water bowls and hides with hot soapy water. Never had an issue...

---

x2

Just remember that you don't wash with chlorhexidine, you wash with soap. You disinfect with chlorhexidine after washing.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MarkS

Just remember that you don't wash with chlorhexidine, you wash with soap. You disinfect with chlorhexidine after washing.

---

X2 5 min may not be long enough unless you are using 2% straight and not diluted.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kitedemon

X2 5 min may not be long enough unless you are using 2% straight and not diluted.

---

How long then?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

depends on the dilution but at 1:32 (from 2%) I was told 20-30 min.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MarkS

Just remember that you don't wash with chlorhexidine, you wash with soap. You disinfect with chlorhexidine after washing.

---

I WASH rat tubs and snake tubs and glass tanks with chlorhexidine. It completely eliminates the odor on contact and leaves all surfaces like new.

I have never checked the bacteria levels after cleaning but I have been doing it this way for several years and it works for me. The only time I ever had a problem was when I stopped using chlorhexidine on the rat tubs and used a cleaner. Never again.

Well as long as it works for you. Chlorhexidine doesn't have any detergents or soaps in it and wasn't meant to be used as a cleaner. Any generic brand of dish soap does a better job of cleaning and is cheaper. I'll use the chlorhexidine in a spray bottle and soak tubs down with it after they've been washed then stack them up and let them sit for about 20-30 minutes before wiping them out. I'll also use the chlorhexidine as a soak for my water bowls.

Of course that's how I do it with my snake tubs. The rodent tubs I just recently washed for the first time in about 3 years. Usually I'll just scrape them out, add new litter and put the rats back in. :P

It is not a cleaner it is a disinfectant. You might also try healthy habitat it works really well to eliminate odours.