Hey guys, I was wondering for those who use 12% Hydrogen Peroxide, how often do you use it to fully disinfect an enclosure/tub? Currently, I spot clean and use Chlorhexadine to wipe the spot down (along with spraying down the water bowl in between water changes). In addition, I plan on using either Chlorhexadine or F10 (then washing out with Dawn and water) when I do a full substrate change. Planning to incorporate a 12% hydrogen peroxide spray to thoroughly kill off any bacteria and viruses once every other month or three months as well.
How often do you use it or what is your cleaning regiment?
Hello @nisarg! I have used a product called “Healthy Habitat” for years. It is an all natural product that is not harmful to reptiles and can be used with the animal still in the enclosure to spot clean. I have not had any issues so far with this product such as bacteria or viruses. And all my animals have always been healthy….
Personally I would always choose chlorhex over peroxide. Especially at that concentration and being asthmatic.
Any hydrogen peroxide % over 10 can cause problems when inhaled. I would also want to avoid that risk with my pets. There is also the risk of skin irritation or burning if not wearing gloves.
Chlorhex at a 2% concentration is much less dangerous. At higher concentration it can cause problems as well if aspiration occurs, but is far less likely than the way that HP works.
If you do use the peroxide, I wouldn’t use it in a spray form and be sure to air it out or wipe with clean water before returning your animal to the habitat.
Edit: I’m also a bit biased because again, asthma and the vet hospital I worked at always used clorhex as a surgical scrub for the location. Hydrogen peroxide was almost never used unless we wanted to get blood off our clothes between patients. XD;
Appreciate the input guys! Only reason why I’m wanting to use Hydrogen Peroxide at that concentration is that it’s the only known easy to obtain cleaner that is known to kill crypto where Chlorhexadine won’t kill everything completely. I’d def be wearing a mask and everything when using it and washing with water/wiping down with Chlorhexadine (overkill I know) once it’s done soaking.
Appreciate the replies, suggestions, and information guys!
If crypto makes it into your collection, what you’re cleaning with isn’t going to matter. That said, a 3% solution with a 20 minute soak period will do just as well as a 12% solution with far less risks to yourself and any other living creatures in the area.
We’ve all definitely been there. I’m pretty sure every keeper goes over what kind of cleaning & quarantine protocol they’re going to have more than anything else. What’s too much, what’s not enough, tweaking it here and there. In the end, it’s what works for you and makes you feel comfortable with the way you’re doing things! We’re always here to help.
Yeah in hospital we never replied on either in the case of a severe breakout of any kind…
If we had a nasty abscess in surgery or any virals/bacterials like crypto or distemper in dogs or pneumonia cases in isolation we basically Clorox bleached the heck out it.
I had a viral scare here when one that just finished quarantine mysteriously died… I have never whipped out the bleach that fast in my life. And then spent 72 hours stressing over how to tackle my main collection while waiting on lab testing and a necropsy results.
Thankfully they were negative on virals and bacterials that I really needed to worry about, so I just did a deep clean with F10 amd chlorhex on things sooner than waiting for later.
I just use diluted chlorhexidine to clean enclosures. If I needed to clean a previously-occupied enclosure for a new animal, I’d probably use something more hardcore, but I don’t see any reason to go all scorched earth just on routine spot and deep cleans, when the same animals are going back into the same enclosures.
