Elizabeth Heckert <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote
>Heh I know I've asked this before and I really should write the answer
>down... but what's the proper concentration of bleach I should use when
>scrubbing down gerbie cages? Also, is it safe to use this stuff on
>plastic or will it seep into the plastic? (May be a dumb question, but
>you can never be TOO safe.)
>
>Elizabeth
Most rodent species are sensitive to bleach. Ammonia vapours can hang
around for weeks even when the concentrations are too low for humans to
sense. Because of this it is probably not a good idea to use bleach at
all. It isn't really necessary anyway except in certain circumstance
(see below).
The safest thing to do is to wash things in very hot water (no
detergents). Wipe them clean with paper towel, and leave to dry in
sunlight. Sunlight can be a very effective antiseptic agent.
Where there is a risk of infection, for example you have had gerbils
with Tyzzer's disease or E. coli, then cleaning with bleach can be a
good idea. To do this effectively you need to immerse in the standard
dilution on the packaging for washing surfaces for at least 30 minutes
to ensure the death of Tyzzer's spores. After doing this it is best to
air for several weeks before using again.
--
Julian
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* Jackie and Julian *
* [EMAIL PROTECTED] *
* National Gerbil Society *
* http://www.gerbils.co.uk/ *
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