The frequent turnover of client animals in the daily business of the animal care industry for grooming salons, daycare facilities, kennels, and veterinary operations creates the need for cage and area disinfection that occurs multiple times a day. Selecting the disinfecting products that are safe to use around animals as well as personnel is not the only requirement to be weighed, but also an effective and easy-to-use application method that covers the facility’s needs and offers easy-to-apply operation that ensures proper coverage in minimal time.
In addition to the above requirements, the individual space disinfection and facility-wide surface and area-wide solutions to virus, bacteria, and fungal control need to be addressed. To ensure maximum protection for facility personnel, clients, visitors, and animal friends, it becomes necessary to understand some of the basics of disinfection and sanitation that animal care facilities offering grooming services are facing as part of their business model.
Sometimes we hear the words “sanitize” and “disinfect,” thinking perhaps the words mean approximately the same in what they do. But that presumption could not be further from the truth.
Sanitizing is the process of killing bacteria, mostly associated with food products that can poison, and is achieved using heat and/or chemicals. It is not generally an option to use detergents or sanitizers in most cleansing evolutions, and will require both types of products to ensure thoroughness of sanitizing.
In sanitizing grooming tools, for instance, the following steps should be followed:
- Remove hair follicles and debris from brushes and combs
- Mix hot water and antibacterial soap in a container
- Soak the tools for 15-30 minutes
- Dry implements with a soft cloth
Sanitizing with a chemical-type spray alone will not do the job if organic or inorganic material is not first removed. Halfway measures will not complete this function.
Disinfecting, on the other hand, is the process of cleansing a surface, a device, a supply of water, etc. by destroying, and deactivating or significantly reducing the concentration of pathogenic agents such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi. This is generally accomplished using a disinfectant such as chlorine, hydrogen peroxide, or sodium hypochlorites.
As we can see, both sanitizing and disinfecting is required in most, if not all animal healthcare, animal boarding, and especially animal grooming places and locales.
Picking the right disinfectant product that fits the business needs is the priority. Surface bacteria, viral and fungal threats are not the only concern. However, the safety for all persons and animals that may frequent the animal care facility is paramount.
Pet-safe products are available for household use, such as:
- Distilled white vinegar that kills bacteria microbes
- Baking soda to absorb odors
- Tomato juice to neutralize skunk odors
- 3% hydrogen peroxide solutions that kill viruses, bacteria, and fungi
Just as with alcohol, which does not kill all viruses such as norovirus, COVID-19, etc. because it cannot penetrate the capsid outer layer of this virus type, household products do not have product concentrations above 3%, as is found in off-the-shelf hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Thus, H2O2 at concentration levels of 7.5% to 12% that may be required for successful disinfection in human healthcare facilities, crime cleanup settings, and virus + mold remediation to achieve adequate disinfection results.
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) takes 1 minute to adequately disinfect compared to 10 to 60 minutes for diluted Clorox, and offers a practical, non-messy way to disinfect in a reasonable amount of time, which points to a more effective, faster disinfection in animal care facilities where space is at a premium and time to disinfect impacts normal business operation.
The efficacy of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as a first class disinfecting agent that’s fast-acting and relatively safe around people and pets makes this an excellent choice for surface and surrounding air space applications in controlling viral, bacterial, and fungal threats in animal care facilities.
Add to this the rapid kill attribute added to a swift breakdown of H2O2 into its basic parts of water (H2O) and oxygen (O2) which renders the disinfectant agent virtually harmless, biodegradable, and non-threatening to humans or animals, and you know you have a winner.
The use of Clorox or chlorine as a disinfectant certainly kills viruses, bacteria, and fungi, but does not dissipate as rapidly, certainly not quickly enough to give confidence that application personnel aren’t overexposed causing irritation to their lungs, their eyes, or even their skin due to its corrosive and poisonous effects. Research among experienced animal care professionals has also uncovered respiratory deterioration from longtime use and exposure to chlorines, not to mention the lingering and unpleasant odor produced.
Long-term use of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), especially at concentrations above 3% can cause similar irritations but to a much lesser extent than chloride-related products. Other products such as Lysol Bleach Multi-Purpose Cleaner and Mr. Clean’s Multi-Purpose Spray have been mentioned as products to avoid. Moreover, phenol-containing products and strong disinfectants should especially not be used around cats.
The following article will cover the application methods most appropriate for maximum effectiveness and efficiency using your disinfecting selection.
Till Next Time,
The Professor