[kenji226]

I work for a company that cleans up things like mold, sewage, and crime scenes. We have lots of expensive commercial disinfectants on hand like Microban and some quat. am. disinfectants. These are designed for fungus, bacteria, and viruses. We even have one that is EPA approved for food surfaces. Would these be a good alternative to using bleach for disinfecting wood and stone? I find bleach to be very destructive and a lot more toxic than these other disinfectants.

 

[MollyAttack]

I don't know about any of that stuff, but I use diluted chlorhexidine as a disinfectant. It's what vets use on wounds and it absolutely 100% safe, it's also used in things like canine mouthwash.

 

[Ed]

If you look in Amphibian Medicine and Captive Husbandry, the recommendations are for bleach or ammonia. The reason is that they do not have residues and are safe once air dried. At this time, none of the other disinfectants are recommended for use with amphibians for a number of reasons such as retention on various surfaces such as hoses or plastics (at one institution, the amount of iodine that leached out of a plastic container disinfected with wescodyne despite multiple washes with fresh water was enough to kill a number of dendrobatids.... (again Amphibian Medicine and Captive Husbandry, 2001, Krieger Press).

Ed

 

[hydrophyte]

I thought that bleach could soak into a substrate and persist(?). I think that I have observed this with plastic pails retaining a bleach odor for a while after use and plenty of rinsing.

 

[Ed]

I thought that bleach could soak into a substrate and persist(?). I think that I have observed this with plastic pails retaining a bleach odor for a while after use and plenty of rinsing.

If this occurs, then a simple soak with sodium thiosulfate or letting it dry in the sun resolves the issue or once those miniscule levels of bleach contact organics it ends up neutralized... This can't be done with a number of commercial disinfectants as they often have surfactants that end up staying behind (why you don't use soap for frog stuff).

Ed

 

[hydrophyte]

What do you think about Physan? I heard that it basically evaporates off eventually.

 

[Ed]

What do you think about Physan? I heard that it basically evaporates off eventually.

Are you talking about Physan 20? If so then, no... It's listed as having a residual action see Physan 20 under general instructions. If it has a residual action then I wouldn't consider it safe for amphibians.

Ed

 

[kenji226]

I guess I'll stick with the old standby, bleach. Seems a shame to have access to all these fancy disinfectants and not be able to use them.

 

[Ed]

I guess I'll stick with the old standby, bleach. Seems a shame to have access to all these fancy disinfectants and not be able to use them.

If you have one that doesn't leave a surfactant residue then that probably can be used with the frogs, I wouldn't try it with anything that is going to house tadpoles or materials that have crevices other spots that may retain the disinfectant.

Ed