does anyone kinow the difference between

I also have skipped this. I called Wyeth as well back when I was looking for Nolvassan here in Canada, which is actually Hibitane here. Anyhoo, there are many, many different uses and forms of this Chlorhexidine. Dental offices, like Kephy said, as well as vets use it. The first Chlorhexidine I got my hands on was in a soap form from the vet. They use it to wash their hands before sugery, and also for cleaning wounds. You can find it in a pharmacy, because it is also an acne treatment, though in lower percentages. I found it at a farm hardware store, because it is also used for cleaning teats on cows, before hooking up the milker. hmmm, yummy!

 

why not just get a power steamer, i got a portable one and it cleans the glass very well and clean steam the furniture as well, and now i like it even more since it can kill coccidia, and clean everything around the house.

 

I've got a question regarding the steam cleaning. If it's recommended you boil an item 3-5 minutes is that because it takes that long for something to be disinfected in boiling water? See there's some sort of discrepency here because if that's the case the steam cleaner may not be a very good way to go. Unfortunate but maybe so. Personally I'd love to be able to use a steam cleaner. What do you guys think?

 

I got a steam cleaner several years ago for snake cages. It works fine if you dont have a lot to do and you are not in a rush. The steam comes out hot but cools VERY fast so you have to use a lot to clean something big, then there is the water that has to be removed and the heat it generates (like being in a sauna if you run it long enough). Unless you get an industrial one, they dont hold a lot of water either. For an occation cleaning of a tank or two... ok but not for cleaning dozens of cages. Not for me at least.

 

Is it like a vacuum? Where did you buy yours, and what brand is it, Charleena?

 

the brand name is SCUNCI STEAMER and i got it at walgreens for $70.00, it's portable and has a lot of attachments, the steam gets over 200 degrees and very hot, i just run it on the glass blowing steam and cleans the glass instantly and disinfect at the same time, this was advertised on tv where it cleans just about anything, here's the pic.

 

if anyone is interested you can get them on ebay for 20 - 35 bucks..... i am getting one for sure.

http://search.ebay.com/SCUNCI-STEAMER_W0QQfkrZ1QQfromZR8

 

hey, now you make me feel so bad , that's good though, very good tool for our beardies.

 

I hadn't seen documented cofirmation about Novalscan and coccidia either -just a good anticeptic for bacteria- I asked my vet (not my herp vet, but my dog vet because I happened to be there) and he said that novalscan doesn't zap everything either. he recommended a 10% bleach solution but obviously rinsing thoroughly with it is a must.

 

Charleena, why do you feel bad???

 

Dr Mader comments in his book that he feels nolvasan does kill a lot more than what it is advertized for by the company and thinks that is because it has never done the more advanced tests required to qualify as that.

 

in regards to boiling and power steaming, since the temp of the steam is at boiling point plus high pressurized meaning more hotter when realeased could be the reason why it's good for killing bacteria, and btw, i just feel stupid when i saw the price on ebay.

 

I have a Shark steam cleaner and yes it uses boiling water but it is only hot for an instint. since it is a powered steam, it cools very quickly and does not heat the surface unless you move VERY VERY SLOW. I bought it thinking it would be great at disinfecting with no chem but I have serious doubt

 

Maybe the company doesn't hasn't done the tests, nor do they want to commit to the product killing coccidia....I like the stuff. I don't think the steamer would be the thing for me, because our beardie enclosure isn't a typical tank. Maybe for my leos or the ball python. But I don't have a problem puting our tanks in the bathtub, and filling them with the solution and letting them soak. We have an medical grade autoclave steam sterilizer here at work, and I know that the items being sterilized have to be in there for 40 minutes in the intense steam to be sterile. I just can't see a handheld steamer killing any bacteria.

 

when i steam i have the nozzle with cloth attachment pressed onto the glass and like you said it has to be slow, and the contact between the steam and the object is at boiling temp, even hotter because it's pressurized, and i think that when it kills the bacteria during contact, bacteria cannot survive boiling temp at contact, at least that's my understanding of it, besides, i'm just going with the couple of testimony from our forum and from one of the breeders claiming this is one of the best method in disinfecting, what do i know .

 

I know you've been told that, I'm not trying to argue. But even sterilizing baby bottles, they have to boil for awhile. For the steamer, it would only make sense that you would have to leave the nozzle in one spot for 10 minutes or so, before moving it. I have done a bit of research on sterilizers and such, because of my job (we do body piercings and I run the autoclave, and am responsible for cleaning, etc.), and as far as what the health department is concerned, that wouldn't really do much as far as killing bacteria. We also have a high pressure steamer at work, and I mean this is a professional 80 psi, blow the crap out of anything steamer, and we still had to get an autoclave for sterilizing.

 

Hey Janice, you just broke 1000 posts!!! Woohooo!! :mrgreen:

 

Hey keep going, you are almost there!!! I can't believe I beat you!

 

Teehee, and thanks for noticing.

 

There must be something wrong with the counter. :wink: