Anyone use bleach to clean & disinfect enclosures?

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Sock Puppet

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Hi all,
I have been using Reptikleen to clean my enclosures until now, & I know a lot of people favour F10 to do theirs. But I was wondering if anyone uses regular household bleach to clean & disinfect their enclosures & cage furniture? It's readily available & very cheap compared to the other products. Not only that, but it's recommended by the DECCW (NSW) in their hygiene protocol (refer to link attached below) diluted to 0.15%. As I've just run out of Reptikleen, I'm going to give the bleach a go unless anyone can advise me otherwise.

http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/nature/hygieneProtocolSnakes.pdf
 
I've actually started using a cheap form of .....baby wipes....that young mums use to clean their babies bums up with. You can get an unscented one and they come in a packet of about 80 for the real cheapies. I've also used diluted bleach in water which I feel works well.
 
F10 is a veterinary disinfectant and has been tested an proven to kill bacteria, fungus and viruses depending on the concentration (see instructions), bleach does not have any of those claims. It's a good general cleaner that prevents many micro organisms but is limited against some bacterial spores, and fungi, so is not considered to be an overall pathogen preventer. It depends on what you are trying to achieve with your cleaning.

Bleach must be rinsed thoroughly after use because of residue, it effectiveness is also reduced when used around organic materials.

Gird
 
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never used bleach my self, but f10 can be watered down to certain ratios to kill just about any thing. i mix it up into a spray bottle i think 250:1. this is the same stuff as all big time breeders and keeps use and most vets as well. never had a drama since i have been using it.
 
i think what the problems are with bleach are the fumes? i have used it before and rinsed it out well and had no prblems but know of people who have been lazy and not rinsed it out and had more problems
 
After a bit more research, this from Wikipedia
By far the most cost-effective home disinfectant is the commonly used chlorine bleach (a 5% solution of Sodium hypochlorite) which is effective against most common pathogens, including such difficult as organisms tuberculosis (mycobacterium tuberculosis), hepatitis B and C, fungi, and antibiotic-resistant strains of staphylococcus and enterococcus. It even has some disinfectant action against parasitic organisms [12].
Positives are that it kills the widest range of pathogens of any inexpensive disinfectant, is extremely powerful against viruses and bacteria at room temperature, is commonly available and inexpensive, and breaks down quickly into harmless components (primarily table salt and oxygen).
Negatives are that it is caustic to the skin, lungs, and eyes (especially at higher concentrations); like many common disinfectants, it degrades in the presence of organic substances; it has a strong odor; it is not effective against Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium; and extreme caution must be taken not to combine it with ammonia or any acid (such as vinegar) as this can cause noxious gases to be formed. The best practice is not to add anything to household bleach except water.
 
As a comparison;

- F10SC is a total spectrum disinfectant that, unlike other strong disinfectants on the market, has no adverse side effects on people, animals, or on equipment and surfaces. It is ecologically friendly and biodegradable, and carries a wide range of registrations and approvals from around the world. In Australia, F10SC is registered by the APVMA for use in animal production and housing facilities and is approved by AQIS for use in food export processing as a non-rinse disinfectant. The benefits of using F10SC include:



Kills all types of pathogen – F10SC is bactericidal, virucidal, fungicidal, sporicidal
Minimal chance of microbial resistance due to F10SC’s unique benzalkonium chloride and polyhexamethylene biguanide combination of actives and mode of action
*Rapid kill times – less than 30 secs for gram positive bacteria, 60 secs for gram negative bacteria, Canine Parvovirus 30 mins
**Successfully tested against avian influenza (bird flu) viruses at a concentration of 1:500 in 10 mins
Non-corrosive, non-toxic, non-tainting, non-irritating, aldehyde-free
Highly cost effective
Biodegradable & ecologically friendly
Tried, tested, independently verified and documented, and approved around the world
 
Fair enough, sounds more of a complete package than bleach eh! Thanks for the info & replies all.
Thanks Girds, that was a comprehensive description, just what I was after as a comparison.
 
Just wanted to add my 10cents worth.

I virtually guarantee that F10 diluted to approx 500:1 will be more cost effective. This costs $30 for a 250ml bottle.

All you need to do is spray on. Bleach needs to be washed off...baby wipes wpuld not last as long and may not be suitable for germ killing even if used on babies...not to mention time saving costs with only having to do half the job...i.e spray on enclosure and leave...no wiping/rinsing etc.

IMHO why use non reptile related cleaning equipment at the risk of harming your rep. Just cos DECCC say it doesnt make it right...most of them dont even know what a reptile is or at least thats what I have seen in their ballots (getting species wrong etc)...oh oh..probably just earned myself a visit from them...oh well..bring it on cos I got nothing to hide. All my enclosures are up to their new recommendations and my paperwork is up to date.

To be fair to DECCC they do a good job but most of their resources etc would be in other areas than reptiles.
 
I use bleach too, it's cheap, you dilute it so it doesn't need washing off, and you air it out for 15 - 20 minutes before placing animal back in. kills oders fast. kills germs and other nasties, lifts animal poo pretty fast too. and none of my snakes have ever died from the fumes.
 
its mixed with water firstly so it's not that strong to begin with and there's mainly poo left after removing the news paper with all the urine on it. so I dout anything would really happen
 
see your vet got f10 250ml for 22bucks wholesale cheap as chips doesnt harm animals i love the stuff and like everyone has said its cheap
 
While visiting my X in hospital recently a couple of bottles of the pink disinfectant / handwash may have left with us . lt is perfect for cleaning cages and disinfecting hands , just takes a few minutes for the smell to go . lt is a 0.5% solution of Chlorhexidine Gluconate , whatever that is .
 
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