Reptile & Amphibian Forums

you guys use as a cleanser for daily cleaning. I have been using Nolvasan in a spray bottle but I just read it doesn't kill some bacteria. I use bleach and water for my more thorough cleaning but not the day to day use.
always looking for something better

I think Nolvasan is an excellent, safe daily cleaning agent. Nothing kills EVERYTHING. Chlorhexidine, the active agent in Nolvasan, is routinely used as a prep scrub in sterile surgery. Contact time is very important. Leave the Nolvasan solution on for ten minutes for more thorough antibacterial effect. An interesting fact about bleach....mixed too strongly (greater than a 2% solution), it does not attain the optimal pH to kill many organisms and will be far less effective. Most people believe the stronger you mix it, the more effective it will be, but this has been disproven in multiple controlled studies. If you're diligent enough that you're cleaning with a disinfectant on a daily basis, you're doing far better than most. You probably don't need to worry about which product you use. The physical removal of wastes and other bacteria- harboring stuff from the enclosure is likely far more critical to minimizing the risk of infection than the disinfectant you use. Hats off to you for a job well done!!!

Thanks for the info. Its nice to know what I am doing is about all I can do. I will need to leave it on longer, a good tip.
I didn't know that about bleach. I dont mix it stronger though due to the smell.
thanks again

I have used simple green, but usually just use a mild bleech solution. For heavily Sneezed on glass, I use viniger. Never tried Novasan, will give it a try.