Best way to disinfect?

I usually do the good old water with a little bit of bleach mixture when it comes time to completely clear the cage for a full cleaning, but I was wondering if you guys used any good disinfecting products. Anybody? Or do we all clean the way I do? :P

I use either 10% Bleach solution or this http://www.agri-med.com/site/255063/product/CHLRHX2SOL

Novalsan or Chlorhexidine work well for sterilizing. (They are the same thing)

I like it better than bleach.

Chlorhexidine or the like should only be used for daily cleaning of urates/pee and poop. And is not good for STERILIZING.

Using bleach is good for the once a month full cage/tub sterilizing.

I use chlorhexidine all the time to clean up messes and DISINFECT. And to rinse out water bowls daily.

Then once a month use the bleachy water to do a full out STERILIZATION.

Hope this helps :)

I disagree here.

Bleach is good for complete sterilization, like for quarantine procedures, etc.

Chlorhexidine is an antiseptic and is bacteriostatic. Therefore, a good sterilizer. Not for viruses. Not complete, but good for daily use.

And you should not be cleaning up poop with it. You need to remove the solid waste, THEN spray, wait, and wipe with Chlorhexidine.

Diluted Bleach for me...
BT

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Originally Posted by LadyOhh

Novalsan or Chlorhexidine work well for sterilizing. (They are the same thing)

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Let me edit this.. They are not the same thing, but have the same basic properties.

Here is a good link to a conversation about the differences.

http://www.ballpythonforum.com/forum...&mode=threaded

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Originally Posted by LadyOhh

I disagree here.

Bleach is good for complete sterilization, like for quarantine procedures, etc.

Chlorhexidine is an antiseptic and is bacteriostatic. Therefore, a good sterilizer. Not for viruses.

Not complete, but good for daily use.

And you should not be cleaning up poop with it. You need to remove the solid waste, THEN spray, wait, and wipe with Chlorhexidine.

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I agree Heather, another product i use is
simple greend Pro 3 - disinfectant/virucidal/fungicidial

You can get it in Home Depot. I don't use it in water bowls, they go in bleach and water. You want to rinse the Simple greend pro 3 real good. it is used in hospitals, cafeterias etc... It kills germs and viruses and is a great deodorant too!

I use chlorhexidene for daily cleaning, and I have used Kennelsol, Biocide, and dual-quat products for sterilizing.

would it be ok to wipe it down with the clorox wipes and then wipe it down with baby wipes after ??

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Originally Posted by babygerl3094

would it be ok to wipe it down with the clorox wipes and then wipe it down with baby wipes after ??

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You would then have to rinse everything down with water so to not leave any trace of perfumes or chemicals if you do.

Figured I'd throw this in the mix...

There's two types of Chrlorhexidine that most people use. Chlorhexidine gluconate is a surgical scrub that you could rinse your mouth out without any ill effects. This is great for everyday type cleaning in the snake's enclosure and you don't have to fear if your snake comes into contact with it.

Chlorhexidine diacetate (Nolvasan S) is a little bit tougher, killing off bacteria, yeasts, some viruses, etc, but to me seems a little more caustic than the gluconate formula...make sure you rinse well if you are cleaning water bowls with this.

So for cleaning soap and water will nto work if done throughly?

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Originally Posted by elevatethis

Figured I'd throw this in the mix...

There's two types of Chrlorhexidine that most people use. Chlorhexidine gluconate is a surgical scrub that you could rinse your mouth out without any ill effects. This is great for everyday type cleaning in the snake's enclosure and you don't have to fear if your snake comes into contact with it.

Chlorhexidine diacetate (Nolvasan S) is a little bit tougher, killing off bacteria, yeasts, some viruses, etc, but to me seems a little more caustic than the gluconate formula...make sure you rinse well if you are cleaning water bowls with this.

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So which one should we get? I have a glass tank and need to be able to clean it every now and then. Which one do we use to clean the poo with? Which one do we use to just wipe everything in the tank (hides, tree, waterbowl) once every week? And finally what do we use to completely kill all the viruses and stuff once a month? Sorry I'm asking this but you guys put so much different information in different posts that it got very confusing.

would something like this work well ??

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...=0027594000000
http://www.petco.com/shop/product.as...cm_ite=481254?
http://www.petco.com/product/12831/D...t-Cleaner.aspx

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Originally Posted by babygerl3094

would something like this work well ??

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produc...=0027594000000

http://www.petco.com/shop/product.as...cm_ite=481254?

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I wouldn't use this. I stick with Clorahexadine and bleach. Here are the ingredients and warnings for this over priced product.

Active Ingredients: Alkyl (C14 50%, C12 40%, C16 10%) Dimethyl Benzyl Ammonium Chloride 0.13%

Directions For Use

It is a violation of Federal law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling.
An antibacterial cleaner, disinfectant, and deodorizer for terrariums and small animal cages.
Can reduce the spread of bacterial infections in your animals.
Remove all animals, objects (hot rocks, caves, cage furniture, feeding and watering dishes/appliances) and substrate from your terrarium or cage (clean with Wipe Out 2).
Saturate the surfaces of the terrarium/cage by spraying on Wipe Out 1 and let it stand for five minutes. Then wipe all surfaces dry.
Do not return animals to the habitat until is it dry and ventilated.
Clean terrarium at least once weekly or more as needed.
First Aid
If In Eyes: Hold eye open and rinse slowly and gently with water for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove contact lenses, if present, after first five minutes, then continue rinsing eye.

If On Skin: Take off contaminated clothing. Rinse skin immediately with plenty of water for 15 to 20 minutes.

For Any Exposure: Call a poison control center or doctor for further treatment advice.

Precautionary Statements: Caution. Hazard to humans and animals. Causes moderate eye irritation. Harmful if swallowed; avoid contamination of foods. Avoid contact with skin, eyes, or clothing. Wash thoroughly with soap and water after handling.

Physical Hazards: Do not apply the product in or on electrical equipment due to the possibility of shock hazard.

Storage and Disposal: Do not reuse empty container. Rinse empty container thoroughly with water before discarding in trash.

EPA Reg. No. 69814-4
EPA Est. No. 69814-CA-001

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Originally Posted by hammerhead

So which one should we get? I have a glass tank and need to be able to clean it every now and then. Which one do we use to clean the poo with? Which one do we use to just wipe everything in the tank (hides, tree, waterbowl) once every week? And finally what do we use to completely kill all the viruses and stuff once a month? Sorry I'm asking this but you guys put so much different information in different posts that it got very confusing.

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Either one is fine. The gluconate is great for everyday type cleaning, rinsing water bowls, etc, where the diacetate formula is more effective for overall cage disinfecting. Its just something to pay attention to if you do decide to buy it.

But for the once-a-month cleaning deal, you can't beat a 10% bleach solution. That will wipe out EVERYTHING. Just don't forget to rinse, then rinse again.

For me a bleach solution works really well, I use it for cleaning all the animal enclosures I have as well as for cleaning around the house so I always have it on hand. I just prefer not to do a lot of ordering online, so I have not tried the chlorhexadine. Like others have said though, when cleaning out enclosures, just make sure that you rinse it really well.