white vinegar?

Ok i worked @ petsmart in high school and they used white vinegar (diluted) for disinfecting everything..is this a safe disinfectant does it really clean? I also worked for a vet and they used something called quat(sp)..can anyone tell me the difference or even the pros and cons..thanks

I use 50/50 water/vinagar. It works well for me and it very very cheap. I can get a 2 gallon jug for 1.76 at certain stores. It is know to be really good at killing bacteria. I would use it.

eric said:

Ok i worked @ petsmart in high school and they used white vinegar (diluted) for disinfecting everything..is this a safe disinfectant does it really clean? I also worked for a vet and they used something called quat(sp)..can anyone tell me the difference or even the pros and cons..thanks

Click to expand...

quat is quattricide. it is a much better disinfectant than vinegar.

here is what it cleans. both quattricide and quattricide pv

QUATRICIDE PV

QUATRICIDE PV: QUATRICIDE PV MEETS THE SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE VETERINARY AND ANIMAL RESEARCH FIELD

Effective against the floowing pathogenic bacteria according to AOAC Use-Dilution, current edition, modified in the presence of 400 ppm synthetic hard water (calculated as CaCO3) plus 5% organic serum:

Pseudomonas aeruginosa -- Salmonella cholerosuis -- Streptococcus pyogenes -- Enterobacter aerogenes -- Klebsiella pneumoniae -- Serratia marcescens -- Shigella sonnei -- Proteus mirabilis -- Staphylococcus epidermidis -- Staphylococcus aureus -- Enterobacter cloacae -- Streptococcus faecalis -- Salmonella typhimurium -- Proteus vulgaris -- Shigella flexneri -- Salmonella typhi -- E. Coli

Fungicidal (tested aginst Trichophyton interdigitale and Candida Albicans), according to the AOAC Fungicidal Test, current edition, modified in the presence of 400 ppm hard water (calculated as CaCO3) plus 5% organic serum.

Virucidal against enveloped HIV (AIDS virus), Herpes simplex type I, Herpes simplex type II, Influenza A/Hong Kong, Rubella, Caine distemper, Rabies, Pseudorables, infectious bronchitis (Avian IBV), Vacinia and non-enveloped: Adenovirus type 4, Feline picornavirus, Feline leukemia, according to the Virucidal Qualification Test Modified in the presence of 400 ppm hard water (calculated as CaCO3) plus 5% organic serum.


QUATRICIDE

QUATRICIDE: For Hospital and Institutional Use (Safe for Home Use, Too!)

A PHOSPHATE-FREE FORMULATION -- PROVIDES EFFECTIVE CLEANING -- DEODORIZER, DISINFECTANT & MILDEWSTAT

Bactericidal: Quatricide Detergent/Disinfectant exhibits effective disinfectant activity against the organisms:

Pseudomanas aeruginosa PRD10 -- Klebsiella pneumoniac -- Salmonella choleraesuis -- Brevibacterium ammoniagenes -- Shigella dysentaria -- Staphylococcus aureus -- Escherichia coli -- Salmanella schuttmuelleri -- Streptococcus salivarius -- Streptoccus faecalis -- Entrobacter aerogenes

FUNGICIDAL: Quatracide Detergent/Disinfectant is also fungicidal against the pathogenic fungi, Trichophyton mentagrophytes.

VIRUCIDAL: Quatricide Detergent/Disinfectant when used as directed exhibits effective virucidal activity against influenza A2/Japan, Herpes Simplex Type I, Adenovirus Type 2, and Vaccinia virus.

http://www.healthypetcompany.com/page/892913

make sure and dilute it exactly as directed. sometimes you have to clean it off very well with a wet towel or wait for it to dry before putting the animal back in the enclosure. i do not know on these which you have to do because the directions on this are not available.
we keep quattricide around here but we do not even use it on our reptile enclosures, except for maybe once in a blue moon. the quattricide we have here we have to make sure and wipe off very well.

Distilled white vinegar does have disinfectant properties since it has a low pH. Many microorganisms cannot survive in acidic conditions, so vinegar is cheap and safe to use. Personally, I use quaternary ammonium compound (QUATS) because is will even kill the AIDS virus., but it is not very safe to use, and requires thorough rinsing and good ventilation. Another safe alternative is chlorhexidine diacetate (Nolvasan), which is probably the most commonly used disinfectant.

I use Virosan (Novulsan)...it works wondefully and does not have a nasty smell...

thanks for all the tips

I use Odoban. It smells good and it does a great job.

For general routine cleaning of my tubs, I use Healthy Habitat by Natural Chemistry. It is a fantastic enzymatic cleaner, is very safe, but it is does not have any disinfectant properties. For actual disinfection of tubs after geckos are sold or moved to other enclosures, I use the QUATS in a well-ventilated room, and rinse, rinse, rinse, rinse, and then air-dry.

lots and lots of rinsing

I use a bleach/water ratio for my pets.
For general house hold cleaning I do use a vinegar/water ratio since I'm all about green living and not having any harsh chemicals around. Or any of the environmental cleaners, but vinegar is nice and cheap and works just as well or better imo.

boutiquegecko said:

I use a bleach/water ratio for my pets.
For general house hold cleaning I do use a vinegar/water ratio since I'm all about green living and not having any harsh chemicals around. Or any of the environmental cleaners, but vinegar is nice and cheap and works just as well or better imo.

Click to expand...

*Edit (added) this is in regards to the bleach mixture....*

While I am sure it works beautifully for you, there are other products available that are not as dangerous to your health or the animals. I work with chemicals all day long, might I convince you to try something else? :main_huh:

I have used white vinegar in the past for cleaning cages, it works pretty good..

Chris that is a contradition sort of-bleach, yet we use no other harsh chemicals. Sometimes we use the vinegar or novalsan. I think I just got used to using primarily bleach or alcohol as a germ killer at the SPCA and vet offices is all. I know there are some other leo keepers here who use a bleach/water ratio as well-maybe only for certain cleaning times and not the daily/weekly clean.

boutiquegecko said:

Chris that is a contradition sort of-bleach, yet we use no other harsh chemicals. Sometimes we use the vinegar or novalsan. I think I just got used to using primarily bleach or alcohol as a germ killer at the SPCA and vet offices is all. I know there are some other leo keepers here who use a bleach/water ratio as well-maybe only for certain cleaning times and not the daily/weekly clean.

Click to expand...

See that sounds reasonable, only every once in a while....I certainly will not say it is wrong, because my wife and I used it for years to clean. Everyone did, but these days there are certainly suitable substitutes. I will also say that even a bleach mixture can be unhealthy for yourself and the animals if not managed properly ie proper ventilation, and well rinsed.

Bleach works very well when working with sick animals, or disinfecting a cage to introduce new animals.

Thanks for the post, and I hope you did not think I was poking at you I know everyone has their way of doing what they do, and while it may not be the same as me, it certainly does not mean it is wrong :main_thumbsup:

We use a bleach/water mixture primarily when we ( I mean I because my wife just swims in the pool while I sweat and work) have to clean all of our tubs once every three weeks. Living in FL we (I) take advantage of the sun and use a scrubby sponge and a liquid antibacterial detergent and wash every surface as much as humanely possible. Then we (I) let them soak in the soap with water and a 10:1 bleach solution for about 10-15 minutes. Then rinse, rinse, rinse and let them bake in the sun for a few hours until they are bone dry.

For regular cleaning up small messes we use Virosan, White Wine Vinegar solution, and a few other things we've found over time, but again mainly a very diluted bleach solution. The only problem with most of the these is the scent and need for ventilation. But we are freaks about husbandry and destroying any chance of infection, viruses, etc. so we don't mind taking the time.

We tried QUATS a few times and still use it for movement of Leos to new enclosures, after one is sold, or was very sick. But man is it potent stuff. Marcia mentioned ventilation.. thats an understatement.. that stuff is like huffing glue or gasoline.. (from what I'm told ) Even when we use it on the back deck I have to run a fan on it and me to keep from keeling over.. or maybe its the beer and hot sun.. who knows.. LOL

there are lot of options out there though.. see what works best for you..

We use QUATRICIDE PV at the shelter where I work. It comes in huge 55gallon drums. At home Ive used Virosan, bleach-water, and hydrogen peroxide at different times.

What about Chlorox "anywhere spray"

I've seen the commercials, they spray it next to foods, on kids toys, etc, and they say it doesn't smell. Kills 99 % of germs.
Has anyone tried this product ?