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...

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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...

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x2

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

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Originally Posted by MarkS

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

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

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Originally Posted by kitedemon

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

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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.

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Originally Posted by MarkS

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

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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.

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Originally Posted by MarkS

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

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I cannot see this working for me. There's always "stuff" stuck to the bottom of the tub and the thought of just letting it sit for three years is unimaginable.

Spraying the tubs with CHD loosens all the "stuff" and allows me to wipe it away. It takes less than a minute and the tubs smell fresh.

I have been usin a QUAT based disinfectant called Simple Green D-Pro 3. It has a detergent in it as well. I only have a couple reptiles right now but this stuff works well for me. I spray and scrub any dirt an waste, then spray again an let sit for 20 minutes. I rinse dishes with Hot water after.

I couldn't find chlorhexadine locally. Simple green was only $14 for a 4L jug and 3 TSP for a 32 oz. spray bottle for heavy cleaning and 1.5 TSP for everyday spot cleaning.

Contact time is 20 minutes for full disinfection (hospital grade) and 99.9% after 1 minute. There is also Simple Green D-Pro 5 which is just the disinfectant.

The only downside I am aware of is that once mixed it looses it's disinfectant ability so you have to mix a new bottle every week. I waste a little but not too much because I use it around the house too.

I have just begun my adventure with my husband with our new snake, but I have been a part of the medical community for about a decade. I can say with 100% certainty that Chlorhexedine is used as a scrub/wash for wounds after surgery extensively (for humans) and also used as a mouthwash to disinfect and clean after mouth surgeries. I do not know exactly if how this would apply to our beloved creatures, but I hope this insight helps.

We use Fluker's Super Scrub because it is supposed to be organic and help clean/sanitize/deodorize the terrarium.

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Originally Posted by JohnNJ

I cannot see this working for me. There's always "stuff" stuck to the bottom of the tub and the thought of just letting it sit for three years is unimaginable.

Spraying the tubs with CHD loosens all the "stuff" and allows me to wipe it away. It takes less than a minute and the tubs smell fresh.

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Actually it's not that bad, I use a 6" plastic putty knife to scrape everything out. There is a little bit of stuff stuck to the bottom but not much and it doesn't build up over time, it pretty much looks the same week to week. I've been told that this is good for the rodents because it'll still smell like 'home' to them. Supposedly its also supposed to smell better over time because the rodents don't have to re-scent mark their new territory every week. To be honest I've never noticed this, but at least it doesn't smell worse.

I don't use CHD much as a primary disinfectant but I do keep in on hand for wound wash if needed. It is a great product and works super well especially if you follow the usage instructions. Like simple green and 99% of the others it needs time to work.

Wisper CHD is harder to get here in Canada it is considered a medical product and is not as easily found on the open market. I believe Robin @ exclusive snakes carries it in Canada, in case you were interested. Personally I use F10SC and as a cleaner I use F10SC XD but there is nothing wrong with the CHD I just don't use that much and like the stability of the f10 once it is diluted.

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Originally Posted by whispersinmyhead

I have been usin a QUAT based disinfectant called Simple Green D-Pro 3. It has a detergent in it as well. I only have a couple reptiles right now but this stuff works well for me. I spray and scrub any dirt an waste, then spray again an let sit for 20 minutes. I rinse dishes with Hot water after.

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I've heard some good things about simple green, I didn't know it contained a detergent too. I'll have to see if I can find some around here to try it out. I really like the chlorhexidine but the shipping charges are ridiculous.

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Originally Posted by MarkS

I've heard some good things about simple green, I didn't know it contained a detergent too. I'll have to see if I can find some around here to try it out. I really like the chlorhexidine but the shipping charges are ridiculous.

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Simple Green has a few varieties. The D-Pro 3 has detergent. D-Pro 5 is just a disinfectant with no detergent. I like the herbal scent of D-Pro 3 and it isn't strong so I don't have to wait too long for the cage to air out. If you have a lot of cages/tubs though you may want to use the Pro-5 and use soap and water to clean.

Here in Canada you can find it at Canadian Tire and Home Depot. In the States it is supposed to be available at Home Depot ( I saw the D-Pro 3 on the website).

Does it say safe for animals on the bottle of Simple Green?

I use the simple green d pro 3 and it is excellent. I also use Chlorhexidine too but the pro 3 wipes out everything, hospital grade. All my quarantines are cleaned with this stuff:gj:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...ku=05029039000

I usually get it at Home Depot but this link is a great price.

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Animal Testing - Does Simple Green® test on animals?
Today, Sunshine Makers, Inc. (the makers of Simple Green brand products, including Simple Green Naturals) does not conduct animal testing either at the outset of introducing new products, or on any ongoing basis upon new or existing products. If we have need to verify the health and safety features of a product, we choose non-animal test methods.

Previous toxicity testing (done in the early 1980’s) was conducted on animals per government requirements at the time (Occupational Safety and Health Standards, Subpart Z, Toxic and Hazardous Substances Hazard Communication Standard Section 1910.1200 issued under 5 U.S.C. 553). Simple Green is more than just a household cleaner; it is used extensively in the industrial and commercial marketplace. The OSHA Toxic and Hazardous Substances Act is designed to protect workers from exposure to hazardous substances. Because the non-toxicity of Simple Green was determined, there was no longer a need to satisfy government regulations with animal testing.

Simple Green has been used all over the world to save the lives of birds and animals caught in oil spills and chemical lagoons, because it enables them to be cleaned and then returned to the wild with no ill effects. Simple Green has also been used to maintain safe and clean environments for animals, fish and birds that are temporary guests of veterinary clinics and wildlife rehabilitation centers (such as The World Bird Sanctuary, The Marine Mammal Stranding Center, and the Dolphin Rescue Center,) as well as for those animals that are permanent residents of zoos, aviaries, and aquatic centers (The National Zoo, Shedd Aquarium, Wellington Zoo, and Monterey Bay Aquarium are a few examples.) We hope that you will take this into consideration when making your evaluation.

Until such time as government agencies stop requiring animal tests in order to prove that products are safe for the workplace, or science comes up with affordable, accurate tests to determine toxicity, irritancy, carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, and other hazard classifications that do not involve animal tests, this conflict will exist.

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Pets – Is Simple Green® safe for use around my pets?
Yes, Simple Green is safe for use around pets. Of course, we do recommend using common sense and caution when using in pet areas, and never to leave puddles or containers of concentrate or dilute solution where pets or wildlife can drink, because Simple Green can cause upset stomachs and diarrhea, due to its detersive properties. See our cleaning tips for specific uses around pets, livestock and even birds.

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These are off of the simple green site. Just did a quick search. I read a lot of info when I was looking for a bleach alternative for my cage cleaning. I got the recommendation and other QUAT based cleaners. This was an available and affordable option for me and it was used by many members with many more reptiles than myself. I loved the switch and i couldn't find CHD locally. I do rinse all water/food dishes in hot water after 20 minutes of waiting. It seems like a really good product and the only downside is mixing a new batch every week but really not terrible. I use it for the kitchen and bath now instead of bleach. It kills more than bleach too.

I just read the materials Safety Data Sheet and it looks pretty good, I only have a few concerns. It looks like it uses a lot of ammonia in it's formula and while this is fine, I know that ammonia can cause certain plastics to shrink and crack, this has been a problem in the past with the clear plastic windows on some cages. Anyone know if this is a problem?

http://www.simplegreen.com/pdfs/MSDS_EN-US_dPro3.pdf

Ammonium Chloride derivatives should not be a massive issue with plastics for the contact times that are likely, 20-30 min every week or less. I believe (not certain) that most polypropylene is quite resistant to chemicals (aldehydes, I believe are an exception, things like formaldehyde) also UV is the big problem. I know KIS tubs are PP and rubbermaid mostly are I am guessing most of the others are as well.