Sanitization Questions

[Toyguy]

Being a home brewer, I've had to be aware of sanitization requirements for all of that equipment. I currently use a product called Star San, which works wonderfully and is very easy to use, leaving no smell or taste behind. I've been seeing that a lot of folks use bleach and/or ammonia solutions to clean their enclosures. You can do that with beer too, but it is hard to get rid of the smell and requires a ton of rinsing.

Has anyone ever tried using Star San or any of the other food-safe sanitizers on their enclosures and decorations?

Dave

 

[kariann]

What are the contents listed on the Star San product packaging?

 

[Toyguy]

When used at the recommended dilution of 1 oz in 5 gallons, it provides 300ppm dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid and 780ppm of phosphoric acid. It requires 60 seconds of contact time.

 

[JeffSimpson]

Being a home brewer, I've had to be aware of sanitization requirements for all of that equipment. I currently use a product called Star San, which works wonderfully and is very easy to use, leaving no smell or taste behind. I've been seeing that a lot of folks use bleach and/or ammonia solutions to clean their enclosures. You can do that with beer too, but it is hard to get rid of the smell and requires a ton of rinsing.

Has anyone ever tried using Star San or any of the other food-safe sanitizers on their enclosures and decorations?

Dave

Hey, another homebrewer, sweet!

Yes, I use starsan in my enclosure, same dilution as when I'm brewing. I usually leave it sit for 5-6 minutes, then wipe it down with a clean cloth. It's really the only time I fear the foam... 8) ... I'm not sure what if it would really hurt anything, but it makes me feel better.

 

[Toyguy]

Excellent! I don't think the foam would cause them any trouble but since it's easy to wipe away, why risk it? I'll do the same thing. I was really hoping to avoid the bleach/ammonia thing. This sounds like a great alternative!

Thanks Jeff!

 

[BadCon]

After researching this product, it seems to be very effective against many of the common pathogens associated with reptiles, however it also proves to be extremely corrosive to many of the materials found in beardy vivs. Plastic (including many paint sealants), and rock materials are all fair game for this product, so make sure to use it at the prescribed 1 oz to 5 gallons dilution rate.

Another thing to note is that concentrations higher than whats listed above are not considered "no rinse". This is straight from the mfg, so if you use this product...keep the dilution rate to 1oz to 5 gallons. If we do some conversions, thats 30 milliliters to 5 gallons, 6 milliliters to a gallon, and 1.5 milliliters to a quart. Now, even though most brewers will agree that at the above mentioned dilution of starsan isn't overly irritating to skin, they do note some irritation. This makes me think that a quick rinse after cleaning would be a good idea. The instructions say not to rinse, but this is because rinse water can introduce bacteria to your cleaned beer bottles....when bottling home brewed beer, this is bad. However rinsing a beardy viv with clean water is perfectly fine. So as a brewer, you may not fear the foam...but that foam could irritate your dragons skin, eyes, mouth, etc...so do them a favor and rinse.

That said, this product doesn't have any fumes...making it a candidate for "real time" use, meaning you could leave the dragon in the viv during cleaning, specifically spot cleaning. Factor in the 60 second contact time, and you have a great product. Pick up poop, spray area with Starsan, count to 60, wipe with a wet rag....and your done! I currently use chlorhexidine for this purpose, and while chlorhexidine is safer (no risk to skin), it has a much longer contact time.

I should mention that mixed solutions of either product have a short shelf life. Starsan says you can "refresh" the PH of the product, extending its mixed shelf life. However, I would say that mixed solutions should be discarded after 2 weeks. If the PH is 3 or under, its still good to use...so if you have a PH strip, you'll know when to chuck it.
For reference, mixed chlorhexidine (tap water) is good for 1 week, and about 1 month if you use distilled water. Mixed bleach is good for 1 week or less. Same applies to most other solutions.

 

[JeffSimpson]

Plastic (including many paint sealants), and rock materials are all fair game for this product, so make sure to use it at the prescribed 1 oz to 5 gallons dilution rate.

In practice, you'll be fine leaving it set for a minute or two will not cause any issues, and yea... mix at the prescribed rate.

That said, this product doesn't have any fumes...making it a candidate for "real time" use, meaning you could leave the dragon in the viv during cleaning, specifically spot cleaning. Factor in the 60 second contact time, and you have a great product. Pick up poop, spray area with Starsan, count to 60, wipe with a wet rag....and your done!

Actually I'd add Pick up poop, clean with a wet rag, spray area with Starsan, count to 60 (or 120), wipe with a wet rag....and your done.... A dirty surface won't be sanitized, so clean first then sanitize.

I should mention that mixed solutions of either product have a short shelf life. Starsan says you can "refresh" the PH of the product, extending its mixed shelf life. However, I would say that mixed solutions of starsan and chlorhexidine be discarded after 1 week. Though this applies to other common solutions like bleach and ammonia.

From past experience, what I have read, and heard from interviews with the owner, properly prepared the solution will last several months. Using distilled or RO water will increase shelf life, as well as keeping it in a sealed container.

 

[BadCon]

I was in the process of editing the post regarding shelf life, while you posted. Anyways, in perfect conditions a two month shelf life might be possible for a mixed solution. But when you factor in most people are going to mix it up in a spray bottle and let it sit on a counter, I wouldn't expect the solution to last more than a month, especially with the variability in water sources. So unless you have a PH strip, I would chuck the solution after a couple weeks. With a dilution ratio of 1.5ml to a quart lol...your not going to be wasting much money .
When I mix chlorhexidine, I chuck it after a week regardless. If my goal is to kill pathogens, then I don't want there to be any doubt.

As for the picking up the poop, that sentence was purposely worded in a way to express the "wow" factor associated with such a short contact time. If I were to write an exact protocol, I would have been a bit more thorough. Regardless, you are absolutely correct. Removing all debris is necessary before you can properly disinfect a surface.
Something interesting about starsan however is its effectiveness in the presence of organic debris...something most of the other disinfectants we use don't have. This alone makes it almost ideal for use in reptile cages, where its not unusual for surfaces to have various nooks and crannies where debris can accumulate. This doesn't negate the need to clean a surface, but it does mean starsan is much more useful in a typical viv...especially those that are challenging to clean, such as those with permanent cage structures like large wooden items, grout rocks, etc.

 

[Toyguy]

All good points! I do keep pH strips on hand so I can check my mixed solutions before brewing. I think I'll mix up a smaller batch then divide it up into a tub and a spray bottle.