Cleaning products

[Bogertophis]

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Yep, this topic comes up in multiple earlier threads, and the Nolvasan quote above is from a 2011 post when BP.net members discussed this issue and contacted manufacturers, like Nolvasan, to get answers on chlorhex efficacy and shelf life once diluted with tap water or distilled water.

I came on this forum in 2008 when I was introduced to reptile rescue and rehab by a vet tech friend, and spoke to several breeders on this site as well as my own reptile-only veterinarian (I was new to reptiles and really annoying with questions) about the best disinfectants for me. I chose chlorhex for my particular situation. I ended up doing a little animal rescue, too, so I had no problem going through a gallon in a year's time...

Thanks starfire, for finding that clip- it brings up something I wanted to mention earlier- that is, the reason behind not having the diluted solution sitting around more than a week or two.

Our tap water, while safe to drink, is not perfectly devoid of contaminants, & it's those tiny contaminants that weaken the effectiveness of products like chlorhexidine, Nolvasan, F-10, or even bleach, just as it does when you spray a "dirty" enclosure & think you're killing all the germs that way- you're not. All disinfectants work best in the absence of all contamination (fecal & other biological materials), so for the best possible disinfection by the product of your choice, don't mix up so much solution that you cannot use it up in a week or two.

And that's why, in the above clip for Nolvason, they say the solution can be stored longer (for up to six weeks) if the water used to make the solution was purified by deionization or an equivalent method. (That's their subtle, scientific way of reminding us that tap water isn't as perfectly clean as we'd like to think, lol.)

And btw, @ Homebody: I used to use Nolvasan, so that's one place I remember reading this, but similar notes are found on other products too, even the generic ones, or should be.