There are numerous options for disinfecting a reptile enclosure, all of which have their shares of ups and downs. However one class of products that seems to always have more ups is quaternary ammonium compounds, or QUATS. Quats are used universally in the food service and medical fields because of their effectiveness at disinfecting surfaces whilst retaining a high level of safety. Compared to things like bleach, they have little or no smell yet offer disinfection levels as good or better. Additionally they retain much of their effectiveness in the presence of organic solids, and can easily be combined with a detergent for an all in one cleaner and disinfectant.
Perhaps the most important facet of QUATS, and why they have such relevance to the reptile industry, is their ability to be used without rinsing. When properly diluted these solutions simply need to be wiped dry...the area does not need to be rinsed afterwords. This is not true for bleach and many other common disinfectants. Additionally QUATS are food safe, and are commonly used in the restaurant industry as the final stage sanitizer of flatware and utensils (when properly diluted of course). Additionally the meat packing industry uses QUAT based disinfectants during their DAILY cleansing of the work tables and machinery, all without rinsing.
But what really makes QUATS stand out is their overall effectiveness at eliminating even the most pernicious microorganisms. H1N1, Adeno, Parvo, MRSA, AIDS, and even Coccidia (and the oocysts), are no match for a properly diluted QUAT solution. No other disinfectant kills more microorganisms relevant to the pet trade then QUATS.
As for what to look for, you are likely to find two major categories of QUATS. The first category is the all in one disinfectant, cleaner, and deodorizer. These products are typically used as general maintenance cleaning solutions in various industries, and certainly have their place in the pet trade. However the detergents and deodorizers often make them less appropriate for use in small poorly ventilated spaces (like a reptile enclosure) if you don't have the time to let them air out (typically 1-2hrs). This doesn't mean they don't have their place; for a seriously dirty enclosure, or one in need of some deodorizing, they are great. They are certainly ideal for use in places where a serious cleaner/deodorizer is necessary, like kennels. There are countless manufacturers that offer QUATs in this category, and the variability in price is significant. Generally the more recognizable the brand, the more expensive it will be. The higher end products almost always come with a long list of industry certifications...though this doesn't necessarily make them better, they simply payed for the testing.
The high end combination products include
Roccal D (and Roccal D+) ($100 gal online)
F10 (several types offered, straight disinfectant or cleaner combo) (prices vary...but its expensive)
3M QUAT ($50 gal online)
Cheaper combination alternatives
Simple Green-d Pro 3 ($15 gal @ Home Depot) (at 1ounce to a gallon, this product has a very mild herbal scent...it dissipates in about 30 minutes based on my experience. Really good cleaner too!)
Zep Disinfectant cleaner + lemon (Discontinued, but can be found for $10 a gallon online)
Carrol Disinfectants Clear Pine/Lemon/Mint (three smells available, nuetral PH formulas. They also offer their Omni-Q product which is ready to use (no dilution)) ($10 gal online for concentrates)
Straight disinfectants (no detergents or scents added...which equals no fumes)
F10 (they also offer a combo cleaner as mentioned above)
Simple Green-d Pro 5 ($15 gal online) (can be found at office depot too)
Carrol Disinfectants Multi-Q ($10 gal online) (This product actually has a ridiculous dilution ratio of 1ounce to 4 gallons of water, though it can be scaled up to roughly 1 ounce to a gallon if needed)
I'm sure there are others...
As a reminder, all of the concentrate items listed above have significant dilution ratios...typically in the order of 1oz of concentrate to 1 gallon of fresh water, if not less. Always keep fresh solutions, so mix small batches at once. A quick browse of the MSDS will give you an idea of the active ingredients (the percentage of QUAT in the mixture). The formulations are more or less similar...and honestly, they all perform about the same in similar dilutions.
So are there any downsides? Not really...as mentioned above a combination product might not be the best bet if you don't have time to let the enclosure air out before returning the dragon. Other then that however, these products outclass just about any other disinfectant you may use. A common disinfectant used is Chlorhexidine Gluconate...and while it matches a good QUAT with regards to safety, its not nearly as effective. Factor in the very long contact times of Chlorhexidine, and a QUAT will win hands down. Typical QUAT contact times are 60 seconds for quick disinfection (99.9%) for many common bacteria (including salmonella), and 5-10 minutes for tougher baddies like parvo, MRSA (antibiotic resistant staph), etc. Chlorhexidine is 15-20 minutes and it doesn't kill some of the tougher microorganisms. Chlorhexidine has its uses however, primarily as a wound wash...though QUATS are also used as skin antiseptics too, just depends on the formulation.
If you are still not entirely convinced, then think about this. All of the direct marketed "pet" disinfectants are QUAT based. Zoo Med Wipe Out is perhaps the most common (its a combo product, mild QUAT+detergent+lime scent). One of the biggest reasons why is shelf life. Most disinfection solutions quickly expire once mixed..QUATS, when blended properly, can be made to last awhile in the bottle. Don't assume this will be the case with your home mixed solutions however...so always use distilled water when possible (hard water lowers the effectiveness of disinfectants), and replace the solution often (varies, but quats should be stable for several weeks once diluted). They do sell QUAT test strips online...a large roll is only about $5, and they will tell you just how effective your cleaning solution is. For general maintenance, you'll want 200ppm active QUAT, and for serious cleaning you'll want 400-600ppm in the solution.
Are QUATs the only disinfection solution? Absolutely not. There are a variety of products out there, many of which will work wonders in our hobby. However, none offers any serious advantages over a good QUAT based disinfectant...and when you factor in the near universal industry saturation and the long list of test results, it becomes rather difficult to use anything but a quaternary ammonium compound.
Why did I post this? Not a darn clue...been up all night and needed to kill some time. Been wanting to write something about disinfection anyways, as its a question that comes up a decent amount. There are good sources of info out there, but none really seem to slant one way or the other. So I figured I'd simply tell y'all that if you want a clean lizard cage...use a QUAT
Perhaps the most important facet of QUATS, and why they have such relevance to the reptile industry, is their ability to be used without rinsing. When properly diluted these solutions simply need to be wiped dry...the area does not need to be rinsed afterwords. This is not true for bleach and many other common disinfectants. Additionally QUATS are food safe, and are commonly used in the restaurant industry as the final stage sanitizer of flatware and utensils (when properly diluted of course). Additionally the meat packing industry uses QUAT based disinfectants during their DAILY cleansing of the work tables and machinery, all without rinsing.
But what really makes QUATS stand out is their overall effectiveness at eliminating even the most pernicious microorganisms. H1N1, Adeno, Parvo, MRSA, AIDS, and even Coccidia (and the oocysts), are no match for a properly diluted QUAT solution. No other disinfectant kills more microorganisms relevant to the pet trade then QUATS.
As for what to look for, you are likely to find two major categories of QUATS. The first category is the all in one disinfectant, cleaner, and deodorizer. These products are typically used as general maintenance cleaning solutions in various industries, and certainly have their place in the pet trade. However the detergents and deodorizers often make them less appropriate for use in small poorly ventilated spaces (like a reptile enclosure) if you don't have the time to let them air out (typically 1-2hrs). This doesn't mean they don't have their place; for a seriously dirty enclosure, or one in need of some deodorizing, they are great. They are certainly ideal for use in places where a serious cleaner/deodorizer is necessary, like kennels. There are countless manufacturers that offer QUATs in this category, and the variability in price is significant. Generally the more recognizable the brand, the more expensive it will be. The higher end products almost always come with a long list of industry certifications...though this doesn't necessarily make them better, they simply payed for the testing.
The high end combination products include
Roccal D (and Roccal D+) ($100 gal online)
F10 (several types offered, straight disinfectant or cleaner combo) (prices vary...but its expensive)
3M QUAT ($50 gal online)
Cheaper combination alternatives
Simple Green-d Pro 3 ($15 gal @ Home Depot) (at 1ounce to a gallon, this product has a very mild herbal scent...it dissipates in about 30 minutes based on my experience. Really good cleaner too!)
Zep Disinfectant cleaner + lemon (Discontinued, but can be found for $10 a gallon online)
Carrol Disinfectants Clear Pine/Lemon/Mint (three smells available, nuetral PH formulas. They also offer their Omni-Q product which is ready to use (no dilution)) ($10 gal online for concentrates)
Straight disinfectants (no detergents or scents added...which equals no fumes)
F10 (they also offer a combo cleaner as mentioned above)
Simple Green-d Pro 5 ($15 gal online) (can be found at office depot too)
Carrol Disinfectants Multi-Q ($10 gal online) (This product actually has a ridiculous dilution ratio of 1ounce to 4 gallons of water, though it can be scaled up to roughly 1 ounce to a gallon if needed)
I'm sure there are others...
As a reminder, all of the concentrate items listed above have significant dilution ratios...typically in the order of 1oz of concentrate to 1 gallon of fresh water, if not less. Always keep fresh solutions, so mix small batches at once. A quick browse of the MSDS will give you an idea of the active ingredients (the percentage of QUAT in the mixture). The formulations are more or less similar...and honestly, they all perform about the same in similar dilutions.
So are there any downsides? Not really...as mentioned above a combination product might not be the best bet if you don't have time to let the enclosure air out before returning the dragon. Other then that however, these products outclass just about any other disinfectant you may use. A common disinfectant used is Chlorhexidine Gluconate...and while it matches a good QUAT with regards to safety, its not nearly as effective. Factor in the very long contact times of Chlorhexidine, and a QUAT will win hands down. Typical QUAT contact times are 60 seconds for quick disinfection (99.9%) for many common bacteria (including salmonella), and 5-10 minutes for tougher baddies like parvo, MRSA (antibiotic resistant staph), etc. Chlorhexidine is 15-20 minutes and it doesn't kill some of the tougher microorganisms. Chlorhexidine has its uses however, primarily as a wound wash...though QUATS are also used as skin antiseptics too, just depends on the formulation.
If you are still not entirely convinced, then think about this. All of the direct marketed "pet" disinfectants are QUAT based. Zoo Med Wipe Out is perhaps the most common (its a combo product, mild QUAT+detergent+lime scent). One of the biggest reasons why is shelf life. Most disinfection solutions quickly expire once mixed..QUATS, when blended properly, can be made to last awhile in the bottle. Don't assume this will be the case with your home mixed solutions however...so always use distilled water when possible (hard water lowers the effectiveness of disinfectants), and replace the solution often (varies, but quats should be stable for several weeks once diluted). They do sell QUAT test strips online...a large roll is only about $5, and they will tell you just how effective your cleaning solution is. For general maintenance, you'll want 200ppm active QUAT, and for serious cleaning you'll want 400-600ppm in the solution.
Are QUATs the only disinfection solution? Absolutely not. There are a variety of products out there, many of which will work wonders in our hobby. However, none offers any serious advantages over a good QUAT based disinfectant...and when you factor in the near universal industry saturation and the long list of test results, it becomes rather difficult to use anything but a quaternary ammonium compound.
Why did I post this? Not a darn clue...been up all night and needed to kill some time. Been wanting to write something about disinfection anyways, as its a question that comes up a decent amount. There are good sources of info out there, but none really seem to slant one way or the other. So I figured I'd simply tell y'all that if you want a clean lizard cage...use a QUAT
