Chlorhexidine: Mix a new batch weekly?

Do you need to mix a new batch of Chlorhexidine weekly? Does it lose it's effectiveness after so long?

Most things ive read say you have to mix it fresh every use.

This is where I seen you have to do it weekly:
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...=Chlorhexidine
It is just crazy to me that it would loose it's effectiveness so fast just being in water...

i dont think it will lose effectiveness, would probably be good for at least a few weeks if you keep it tightly sealed. Depends how often you use it i guess, but i would change weekly for sure.

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Originally Posted by pvdgod

i dont think it will lose effectiveness, would probably be good for at least a few weeks if you keep it tightly sealed. Depends how often you use it i guess, but i would change weekly for sure.

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Where did you see you have to make the mix daily at? Do you have any links? Thanks :gj:

Hell, I dont even mix it weekly....ok maybe weekly just because I use it all.

My girlfriend is a vet tech, and my mother is an oral surgery tech(used as a mouthwash), and I can promise you that is BS.

They sell it premixed AND un-mixed concentrate. It does not go bad, nor need to be "re mixed" for effectiveness.

The premixed stuff and rinses must have some kind of stabilizer in it. The stuff we all get from our vets or Reptile Basics does INDEED go bad after 1 week in tap water, or 6 weeks in distilled water. This is to the BEST of my knowledge.

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Originally Posted by 2kdime

The premixed stuff and rinses must have some kind of stabilizer in it. The stuff we all get from our vets or Reptile Basics does INDEED go bad after 1 week in tap water, or 6 weeks in distilled water. This is to the BEST of my knowledge.

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Not tryin to be a stick in the mud, but where did you find this info? Is there a place that I can see this?

Halflife of Chlorhexidine maybe?

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Originally Posted by Patrick Long

Not tryin to be a stick in the mud, but where did you find this info? Is there a place that I can see this?

Halflife of Chlorhexidine maybe?

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I am wondering where the info is coming from also? Not saying anyone is wrong but I can't find anywhere on google that states once you mix Chlorhexidine gluconate with water the chlorhexidine looses it's effectiveness after a certain ammount of time. It's not even on pro exotics site unless they send you a piece of paper in the mail stating that when you buy the pure concentrated stuff from them :confused: They should not even say mix one ounce per gallon if most people are not even going to go through a gallon weekly. They should just give you the ratio for a spray bottle and tell you that it looses it's effectiveness in a week. I know Deb has said it looses it's effectiveness in a week too so maybe she can shed some light on the issue...

This is the reply I get from First Priority, one of the distributors from Chlorexhidine Gluconate. Not that it helps to answer our question but I'll keep looking.

Good morning Mr. Alejandro,

We do not have any data to support the shelf life once the chlorhexidine is mixed with water. The longevity of the mixture can vary due to the type of water used in the solution (i.e. – tap water, distilled water, etc.). We suggest that you mix up just enough for a single use and discard any remaining solution in order to guarantee efficacy.

I hope this helped to answer your question. If you need additional assistance, please feel free to contact me at the phone number or e-mail address listed below.

Sincerely,

Mic Griffin
First Priority, Inc.
800-650-4899 X 116
mic@prioritycare.com

Yep, thats consistent with what i've heard about this. Really if all you are mixing is a spray bottles worth, its not that much of a pain and you use about half a capful of the stuff. My little 16oz bottle will prollly last me 10 years LOL

If you're using half a cap full per bottle and you have to mix a new batch every time and you are cleaning weekly then your bottle wont really last that long.

Here you go folks..I mix small batches everytime I clean after reading this post a while back...

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Originally Posted by KLG

There are different types of Chlorhexidines available - diacetate (2%), gluconate (2%), digluconate (20%), etc. Each needs to be mixed specifically according to directions. Different dilutions have different contact times & effectiveness against various pathogens, so it's important to know what you're using & for how long, etc.

To my knowledge, chlorhexidine's effectiveness is reduced after prolonged exposure to organic matter - i.e. using a sink full of water mixed with clorhex, and soaking funky water bowls in it isn't going to be the most effective way to use this disinfectant, but spraying/let set/rinsing water bowls would be a better application. I've heard this from several sources that I trust (vets, experienced zookeepers, etc), and if I'm not mistaken it also got a mention in VPI's ball python book as well. Different water qualities (hard water vs. distilled vs. regular bottled) may be known to reduce the effectiveness also which is why I go by the "better safe than sorry" of mixing only what I'll need for that day/time, and going from there.

Not to say that the various Chlorhex's aren't good products - they can be very effective when used according to directions. It's just all the conflicting information about them that makes me nervous sometimes, but I'm a worrier by nature & would again, rather fall back on "better safe than sorry." I could easily go through a day's worth of mixed Chlorhex if I was using it for all my disinfecting, so that wouldn't be a problem...there are just other products I prefer to use instead. I personally use Nolvasan-S for wound irrigation (both human and animal), and either Trifectant or Virkon for all my other disinfecting applications.

The most important thing - regardless of what disinfectant you use - is to thoroughly research its effectiveness, necessary contact times, etc, and then make the best educated decision you can in terms of use for your collection. (which is why you're on B-P.net in the first place! :rockon: )

Just my $.02...hope it helps! :)

K~

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Another good post from the same thread...

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Originally Posted by rabernet

Thanks Kara! I love the Barker's book, and I refer to it often. So....here is what they have to say:


P. 178, Ball Pythons of the World, Vol II: Ball Pythons by Barker and Barker

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Chlorhexidine gluconates

A variety of chlorohexidine disinfectants are found in use in snake rooms. Some of the brand names with which we are familiar are Nolvasan, Virosan, and a product simply called Chorhexidine Solution.

Chlorhexidine products are often used as disinfectants for inanimate objects or as antiseptics for cleaning skin wounds. Some chlorhexidine compounds contain alcohol, and these have been found to have antimicrobial properties superior to those containing only chlorhexidine. Chlorhexidine is effective against many bacterias, and against yeast (especially Candidia). It is not effective against most viruses, mycobacteria, bacterial and fungal spores or Pseudomonas.

Convenience is the main thing that chlorhexidine products have going for them. They are readily available and reasonably priced. They are a moderately effective disinfectant against many microorganisms. They are not corrosive to snake hooks or other equipment left to soak. We have used dilute solutions of Nolvasan to clean the shells of incubating ball python eggs of mold and fungal growth without any observed deleterious effects on the eggs.

The disadvantages are that this class of disinfectant has poor activity against most viruses and many gram-negative bacteria. Only Virosan has any activity against Pseudomonas (Johnson, 1996). Chlorhexidine products are not effective in the presence of organice debris. These products must be mixed and discarded daily.

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There is also an interesting section on Disinfectants and Why Use a Disinfectant at All if anyone is interested.

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Originally Posted by Boanerges

It is just crazy to me that it would loose it's effectiveness so fast just being in water...

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Actually many chemicals rapidly break down in an aqueous solution. I don't know specifics about chlorhexidine, but its not that uncommon.

I mix up a new batch everytime I clean. I got a gallon of the concentrate which = 128 gallons or working solution. I just mix up enough for a spray bottle's worth, I've had that gallon a couple of years, and its barely 1/4 of the way down. So far worth every penny I spent on it.

I figure its better safe than sorry, and with it being so cheap, no reason not to.

That probably means that it has ionic bonds in it, as water is very good at breaking ionic bonds (salt water anyone?)

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Originally Posted by Spaniard

Another good post from the same thread...

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this is where i read that you have to mix it fresh, now i remember.....can't go wrong with what the Barker's say about anything relating to ball pythons ;)

My line of thinking with it being fine in water is the fact that they put it in mouth rinses and such that sit on the shelves for longer then 1 day periods. I am going to have to change the way I currently do things starting today...

do you guys really do full weekly cage cleanings? I only do that once every 2-3 months, other than that I just spot clean

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Originally Posted by pvdgod

do you guys really do full weekly cage cleanings? I only do that once every 2-3 months, other than that I just spot clean

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I clean my tubs once a week. I use newsprint as a substrate so you can't really slack on cleaning. Once its wet it needs to be changed or you run the risk of scale rot. Other substrates are more forgiving and allow for spot cleaning, but even when I used aspen and tanks I would still clean everything once a month along with spot cleaning regularly.

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Originally Posted by pvdgod

do you guys really do full weekly cage cleanings? I only do that once every 2-3 months, other than that I just spot clean

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I personally keep all my ball pythons on paper towels for the smaller ones and newspaper for the larger ones. As soon as any of them make even the smallest mess I throw out all the paper towels or newspaper in the tub, spray the whole tub down with the Chlorhexidine, let it sit for a few, wipe it down, put new paper towels or newspaper in and put the snake back in.

my kids are all on cypress mulch in boaphiles and they like to "go" in the same little spots pretty much all the time, so i only clean where they soil. After 2-3 months the substrate is still 95% clean. Once i get my rack i'll probably go over to paper and start with the weekly cleanings. I can see why you have to change the paper as soon as its wet or soiled.

As for the chlorhexidine, when i let my water dishes soak in it i really rinse them very well with hot water afterwards because im afraid of too much chemical residue in the water dish. I know its safe, but do you guys do this also? Maybe im worrying too much, but the water dishes are the one thing i really want to make sure are rinsed well.

If you're going to soak stuff I would recommend a 10% bleach solution. Chlorhexidine I use mostely for tubs. I spray some on a paper towel and use it to clean any snakes that may have been sitting in feces/urine. I use it to quickly clean out water bowls and hides as well. Once a month I give everything a good soak in the bleach solution, hides, bowls and my feeding hemostats.

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Originally Posted by pvdgod

do you guys really do full weekly cage cleanings? I only do that once every 2-3 months, other than that I just spot clean

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Tubs, full wipe down, whether they need it or not. The only time I will skip doing it for my snakes is if they made a mess less than 3 days prior that I had to clean up.

I think the problem lies in the fact that Chlorhex precipitates out in hard (tap) water...but how long it takes for it to do this, I'm not sure...so it's probably best to dilute it in distilled water or to dilute only what you need for one cleaning!

Late to the party but here are some info from Agrilabs who is one of the distributors of this product

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I asked one of my former employers the guidelines he uses.

I also called the company that manufactures our chlorhexidine product and spoke with their chemist.

The short answer to your question is, we don’t really know. No one has done a study on diluted chlorhexidine over time, nor, to the best of my knowledge, have researchers ever looked at the antimicrobial effects of dilute chlorhexidine over time.

Theoretically, if properly stored, and kept from being contaminated, it might be good for some time. It of course depends on the storage conditions (light, temperature, container, storage location, use, etc). The chemist suggested that it would be best to discard any unused diluted solution after 1 day. That was just a shoot from the hip rule of thumb that she uses. This would minimize the chance of contamination and ensure maximum chemical efficacy.

If you are using it to dip foal navels, or flush wounds, I would suggest you mix it up fresh, every time. Using deionized or bottled water probably ensures maximum effectiveness and minimal contamination as well, though many dilute with just regular tapwater. The risk there is minerals in the water, or contaminants from the tap itself. Certain bacterial and fungal organisms are not very effectively killed by chlorhexidine.

If you are using it in a spray bottle as a disinfectant, you should probably change it at least weekly. Again, just a rule of thumb given to me by my former veterinarian employer that he uses in his clinic.

I hope this helps. I wish I could give you a better answer! Besides veterinary medicine, I have a degree in microbiology, and this would make an excellent project for a masters degree, and would greatly benefit veterinary medicine.

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Originally Posted by Deborah

I asked one of my former employers the guidelines he uses.

I also called the company that manufactures our chlorhexidine product and spoke with their chemist.

The short answer to your question is, we don’t really know. No one has done a study on diluted chlorhexidine over time, nor, to the best of my knowledge, have researchers ever looked at the antimicrobial effects of dilute chlorhexidine over time.

Theoretically, if properly stored, and kept from being contaminated, it might be good for some time. It of course depends on the storage conditions (light, temperature, container, storage location, use, etc). The chemist suggested that it would be best to discard any unused diluted solution after 1 day. That was just a shoot from the hip rule of thumb that she uses. This would minimize the chance of contamination and ensure maximum chemical efficacy.

If you are using it to dip foal navels, or flush wounds, I would suggest you mix it up fresh, every time. Using deionized or bottled water probably ensures maximum effectiveness and minimal contamination as well, though many dilute with just regular tapwater. The risk there is minerals in the water, or contaminants from the tap itself. Certain bacterial and fungal organisms are not very effectively killed by chlorhexidine.

If you are using it in a spray bottle as a disinfectant, you should probably change it at least weekly. Again, just a rule of thumb given to me by my former veterinarian employer that he uses in his clinic.

I hope this helps. I wish I could give you a better answer! Besides veterinary medicine, I have a degree in microbiology, and this would make an excellent project for a masters degree, and would greatly benefit veterinary medicine.

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This actually makes more sense to me than ANY OTHER post in this thread.



My girlfriends boss has been in business for over 40 years...and does not remix his Chlorhex......EVER......just sayin.