Best Disinfectant

I getting tired of using Bleach to disinfectant my cages and am looking for a good substitute. Anyone got any good recommendations?

I use diluted chlorhexadine. I hear F10 works well also.

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Originally Posted by jinx667

I use diluted chlorhexadine. I hear F10 works well also.

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x2

I use vinegar and water.

I use F-10, works fine.

We use listerine. Disinfects and smells good :)

There are a lot on the market all have pros and cons F10 is quite broad and a little does a long way. I like it, the hand wash is great and the detergent is also good. Vinegar is easy to get and reasonably priced but has a low action it doesn't work against as much as others but it does kill some of the big ones. Salmonella... Some use dilute bleach... it is a bit more ranged than vinegar but is toxic so must be rinsed. Chlorahexidine is great too it has a shorter shelf life once mixed however, only a week if mixed with tap water in a air tight container.

The things to keep in mind when looking at

What is it good against?

How toxic is it for my snakes, for me?

How long does it have to be in contact for? (the average is 20-30 min for 90% in use)

Cost?

Mixed shelf life?

There is no easy product that is perfect if there was you would not have needed to ask. I like F10 as it is good against a large range of things, not overly toxic undiluted (for me) and not toxic diluted. Average contact time 20 min, reasonable price and and a long shelf life (6 months)

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Originally Posted by kitedemon

There are a lot on the market all have pros and cons F10 is quite broad and a little does a long way. I like it, the hand wash is great and the detergent is also good. Vinegar is easy to get and reasonably priced but has a low action it doesn't work against as much as others but it does kill some of the big ones. Salmonella... Some use dilute bleach... it is a bit more ranged than vinegar but is toxic so must be rinsed. Chlorahexidine is great too it has a shorter shelf life once mixed however, only a week if mixed with tap water in a air tight container.

The things to keep in mind when looking at

What is it good against?

How toxic is it for my snakes, for me?

How long does it have to be in contact for? (the average is 20-30 min for 90% in use)

Cost?

Mixed shelf life?

There is no easy product that is perfect if there was you would not have needed to ask. I like F10 as it is good against a large range of things, not overly toxic undiluted (for me) and not toxic diluted. Average contact time 20 min, reasonable price and and a long shelf life (6 months)

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I use chlorohexidine for now but I have been thinking about the F10. Where can one buy the F10 from?

I buy from here,
http://www.bigreptileworld.co.uk/f10...oducts-9-c.asp

I am in Canada so (oddly) the shipping is about the same so there is no big price difference. I really love the hand soap I use it for me and for the initial cleaning too. I also use the F10sc xd (detergent) when I do monthly cleanings I am not sure I would bother again but the waterless and hand soap are awesome. The US carriers only have the regular F10sc the base product but none of the soaps. I believe big reptile world us carries it and BHB I am sure there are some others too.

I like chlorahexinine but keeping track of how old what bottle is and such makes it a pain. I have some and still use it too. It doubles as an emergency topical just in case. I also have an iodine soap but it is hard on me so I rarely use it anymore.

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Originally Posted by kitedemon

I buy from here,
http://www.bigreptileworld.co.uk/f10...oducts-9-c.asp

I am in Canada so (oddly) the shipping is about the same so there is no big price difference. I really love the hand soap I use it for me and for the initial cleaning too. I also use the F10sc xd (detergent) when I do monthly cleanings I am not sure I would bother again but the waterless and hand soap are awesome. The US carriers only have the regular F10sc the base product but none of the soaps. I believe big reptile world us carries it and BHB I am sure there are some others too.

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Thanks so much for the information and also for telling where you get the F10 from! You are always so helpful!

I've used chlorhex in the past, but bleach simply kills a wider range of tougher stuff, so now I stick to bleach.

I haven't yet looked into what F10 kills.

Here is a link to test datum, I did a lot of reading before I switched.

http://www.f10biocare.co.uk/test.html

It is effective, depending on the dilution 1:1000 - 1:250 and contact time, against most gram pos / neg bacterial, many viruses, and fungi/spores. It is quite complete that way. I am not advocating it over anything else but it is a very effective disinfectant. I am somewhat allergic to bleach so that is off my list personally. Why I was so excited by the F10 products. There are other Q-A products on the market, how different this is to them I don't know. I have a background with photo chemistry, but my organic chem is not good enough to understand the differences between F10 and other Q-As (Quaternary Ammonia).

Another one that is QUAT based is the Simple Green D-Pro3 and D-Pro 5. Here is a great write up from BadCon on bearededdragon.org. http://www.beardeddragon.org/bjive/v...p?f=1&t=149514

I really like the Simple Green D-Pro3 and i get it from Canadian Tire but you can get it from Home Depot in the U.S. I believe. This one has a mild detergent but still doesn't require rinsing. I do make a new bottle every week though it is a 4L jug and only uses 1.5 -3 teaspoons depending on if I plan on doing a big clean. I am so happy to be away from bleach. I even use this now as a disinfectant for the kitchen. It was $15 CAN. Hope it helps.

Thanks for all the info. I think I'm gonna try f-10.

I use F-10. Can be bought from ProExotics.com

http://www.proexotics.com/store/prod...cat=249&page=1

I use healthy habitat. from Natural Chemistry.
One reason why i love it so much. Is because it is an enzyme based cleaner.
It is an organic based cleaner and it does not harm any animal even when they are in the enclosure. Takes the smell away too. which is a big plus. ( i use it on my dog when she makes problems on the floor)

I use it to clean glass as well. I have used it in frog enclosure even when a frog is in the tank. Have not had any trouble with it. nor has it hurt any of my frogs.
OVER ALL I USE IT ON EVERYTHING.

Check it out. It is cheap :]

http://naturalchemistry.com/products...y_habitat.html

I'm using a product called Benefect. 100% natural and used in hospitals. Doesn't need a rinse, but it has a strong odor of thyme (which it's made with) so wipe with a damp towel anyways.

Would this disinfectant be too harsh for reptiles?

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Originally Posted by pinkeye714

I use healthy habitat. from Natural Chemistry.
One reason why i love it so much. Is because it is an enzyme based cleaner.
It is an organic based cleaner and it does not harm any animal even when they are in the enclosure. Takes the smell away too. which is a big plus. ( i use it on my dog when she makes problems on the floor)

I use it to clean glass as well. I have used it in frog enclosure even when a frog is in the tank. Have not had any trouble with it. nor has it hurt any of my frogs.
OVER ALL I USE IT ON EVERYTHING.

Check it out. It is cheap :]

http://naturalchemistry.com/products...y_habitat.html

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That stuff is not a disenfectant, all it does is remove odors.

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Originally Posted by moonlightgdess

Would this disinfectant be too harsh for reptiles?

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Not sure without seeing the chemical makeup. Personally I would stick with Chlorhexidine or F10

Since I can't find this elsewhere....

What is this about shelf life for a chlorhex solution once mixed? What happens when it expires and why does this happen with our solution but not the solution that the chemical is sold as? Does it lose effectiveness? Become hazardous or unstable?

Thanks

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Originally Posted by MrLang

Since I can't find this elsewhere....

What is this about shelf life for a chlorhex solution once mixed? What happens when it expires and why does this happen with our solution but not the solution that the chemical is sold as? Does it lose effectiveness? Become hazardous or unstable?

Thanks

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This has already been touched on in this thread, it lasts about a week once mixed with water. After that it becomes less effective.

It has to do with the contaminates in the water. Most disinfectants do NOT work when in the presents of organic compounds, they become inactive. They are for use after cleaning is finished. If it is mixed with distilled water it lasts longer.

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Originally Posted by kitedemon

If it is mixed with distilled water it lasts longer.

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Do you know the shelf life when mixed with distilled water?

That was the post I was referencing; I was just curious as to why or the source.


Makes sense. Thanks.

6 weeks if the distilled is pure and not contaminated.

email from Pfizer Animal Health re. the Nolvasan CHG. I would assume the other CHG compounds would be the same. It is a good cleaner but is not as effective as some and storage concerns makes it a bit more problematic.

"Thank you for your inquiry regarding Nolvasan Solution. When reconstituted with tap water, Nolvasan Solution may be stored in tightly sealed containers, at 25 °C (typical room temperature conditions), for up to one week. When reconstituted with water purified by deionization or an equivalent method, Nolvasan Solution may be stored at 25 °C (typical room temperature conditions), in tightly sealed containers, for up to 6 weeks. Containers should not be dipped into."

What is CHG? Chlorhexidine Gluconate?

Since I didn't see anyone mention it, there are 2 types of Nolvasan. Chlohexidine Gluconate, which is what I believe Kitedemon is referring too. And there is Chlorhexidine Diacetate which covers a much broader range. It is made by the company Fort Dodge.

You can get F10 throught bhb or pro exotics. I got my f10 through pro exotics before the fire.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kitedemon

I buy from here,
http://www.bigreptileworld.co.uk/f10...oducts-9-c.asp

I am in Canada so (oddly) the shipping is about the same so there is no big price difference. I really love the hand soap I use it for me and for the initial cleaning too. I also use the F10sc xd (detergent) when I do monthly cleanings I am not sure I would bother again but the waterless and hand soap are awesome. The US carriers only have the regular F10sc the base product but none of the soaps. I believe big reptile world us carries it and BHB I am sure there are some others too.

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Glad you are happy with F10 :) its a great product, mainly used by vets and zoos all over the world however reptile keepers are fast catching on. We do carry the product in our US store (bigreptileworld.com) and will have several other of the F10 products available this year as well. If the EPA was a bit quicker we would have the full range available in the US.

cheers, John

Perfect timing of this thread for me - we are having a recurrence of mold problems in our crestie enclosure, but she's not very good at being in her travel box very long. I'm extremely sensitive to bleach, but now I'm curious by the mention of the Simple Green Pro. I've used their household products for years w/o me reacting to it, but does the pine fragrance cause a problem with herps? Looking at the data sheet I'm guessing it is completely artificial, so I'm probably worried about nothing and will wipe down the enclosure afterwards anyways because I'm like that. But the thought of not dragging that huge exoterra into the bathtub sounds great!

So I guess I'm asking, 1. Pine "fragrance" ok? 2. How long do you guys spray and soak for then? Thanks in advance, of course!

(I like the idea of f10, but with only one enclosure that would need it, the cost is a little extreme.)

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Originally Posted by sleepygeckos

(I like the idea of f10, but with only one enclosure that would need it, the cost is a little extreme.)

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I don't think so. At $16 this one 3.4 oz concentrated bottle would probably clean your one enclosure for an entire year.

http://www.bigreptileworld.com/f10-s...-34-oz-2-p.asp

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Originally Posted by AGoldReptiles

What is CHG? Chlorhexidine Gluconate?

Since I didn't see anyone mention it, there are 2 types of Nolvasan. Chlohexidine Gluconate, which is what I believe Kitedemon is referring too. And there is Chlorhexidine Diacetate which covers a much broader range. It is made by the company Fort Dodge.

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Nolvasan is a brand name, Pfizer is the owner of fort dodge. Yes CHG is Chlorhexidine Gluconate. I believe nolvasan is as you say Chlorhexidine diacetate, Chlorhexidine Gluconate, is the generic version, not nolvasan.


I had messaged fort dodge and got the response from the us head office of pfizer. My mistake, CHG is not the same however I believe (not sure) that it is basically the same with the same range of effectiveness.

I have seen 4% and 2% the 4 being surgical use the 2 general cleaning. Most of the disinfectant studies I have seen are for the 2% at 2%. The instructions on the bottle do not mention dilution. The range of effective disinfection is for straight 2% or 4% I never used it this way and have not seen studies of kill range for diluted 2%.

Pine smell is ok but things like pinesol (phenolic / carbolic cleaners) are highly toxic and should be avoided at all costs.

This stuff is hospital grade and what I use to disinfect everything and anything especially all my quarantine stuff. It kills all bacteria, virus and molds. I get it at Home Depot. Always rinse thoroughly;)

http://www.simplegreen.com/products_pro_3.php

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Originally Posted by heathers*bps

We use listerine. Disinfects and smells good :)

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Isnt the Animal reacting to the smell?

And what about Dettol? Does anybody uses that?