Arming Yourself With Sanitation Education

One could dream of pets as clean, spotless creatures emitting aromatic scents laced with lilacs, each one acting as a disinfectant Roomba. However, we all know reality isn't always that sweet smelling.

But, alas, it’s just a dream. Whether you are in the pet care industry or a classic pet owner, you are surrounded by surfaces that need to be sterile, living spaces to be clean and environments that are odor free. So where do you start? Cleaners say they do a good job. So do sanitizers and disinfectants. But where do sterilizers fit in? What if you just pile one on top of the other in the belief that more is better?

Let’s end the nightmare by arming you with the right knowledge to make your clean dream become a reality.

Going Beyond the Look and Smell

Congratulations, cleaning solutions account for 90% of your battle to control disease. And it’s a sure bet that you already use cleaners. It’s that last 10%, however, that is the lingering issue because cleaners leave behind microbial life: viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. Adding a disinfectant to kill a majority of the microorganism population is a plus, as are sanitizers, geared toward lowering the number of bacteria-only germs to levels that are non-threatening. Full-blown sterilizers, which have the power to kill all forms of microbial life could even be your last line of defense.

But does that mean multiple products on your shelf? If so, which ones? No. Your best bet is a solution that combines many of these sanitation powerhouses, one that you can use with confidence to not harm your animals or caregivers, while eliminating the filth, odor and germs.

Enter KennelSol^®, Balance, and Safety

KennelSol^® is a broad-spectrum germicidal one-step cleaner, safe disinfectant, and deodorizer, created by Dr. Shawn Seitz of Alpha Tech Pet, and designed to be used by both Animal Care Professionals and the average pet owner. Having used his fair share of solutions that claimed they were one of the four main sanitation solvents (cleaner, sanitizer, disinfectant, sterilizer), Seitz developed a formula filled with ingredients that pack a punch and kill off pathogens in one simple step.

“Balance is key when shopping for disinfectants,” explains Seitz, “you must balance ‘safety’ with ‘efficacy’ for products that are exceptional cleaners, capable of killing remaining pathogens of concern, especially the difficult ones, with products that are as safe as possible.”

According to Seitz, it’s not a perfect world when it comes to the use of chemicals. But if you read labels knowing what to look for, you can find products like KennelSol^® that come close to the ideal solution for the majority of needs, including effectiveness against viruses such as canine parvovirus, fungi, and bacteria, and one that is as safe for animals as it is for humans.

Barbara Ail Noll, Owner and Operator of TailBanger’s Pet Resort, LLC, learned the hard way that finding the right product is essential when her pet facility had an outbreak of kennel cough and they struggled to contain the culprit.

“Regardless of all the cleaning and sanitizing, we could not beat the virus,” said Noll. “We started using KennelSol^® and changed many cleaning procedures and workflows to prevent cross contamination. The staff became thoroughly engaged in fighting the virus. Within a few days, we noticed the building smelled cleaner and the outbreak was quickly declining. KennelSol^® definitely outranks the products that we were using and has made our resort a cleaner and safer place for our daycare and lodging guests.”

Sanitation Safety For All

There are other considerations that Seitz recommends in choosing the right sanitizing solution for pets:

1. pH neutral so not to damage facilities or harm animals and people
2. easy to use
3. able to function in a dirty environment

Designed to retain its efficacy, even when faced with hard water, products like KennelSol^® don’t require unnecessary rinsing and if spilled on surfaces and clothing, which is non-staining, non-corrosive and, of course, a formula that has what everyone in the industry is looking for…odor control that leaves behind a fresh, clean wintergreen scent.

Sterilization Is Part Of The Equation

There is no single solution for proper facility sanitation, especially when you are in panic mode and experiencing a disease outbreak. In moments like those a liquid surface sterilizer, such as SteriCide^®, the only EPA approved liquid surface sterilizer presently available in the USA, should be deployed.

“Sterilizers are like placing surfaces in an autoclave – they kill all forms of microbial life, 100% - leaving nothing left to chance,” says Seitz. “I always recommend a multi-product approach to sanitation: an excellent cleaner/disinfectant/deodorizer, such as KennelSol®, designed specifically for the animal care marketplace, complimented with a sterilizer for the outbreak emergencies.”

Bleach Is A Dirty Word

Part of your sanitation education is to understand the misconception Bleach, is not the peace of mind you have come to believe. According to Seitz, there are many reasons to avoid using bleach, and here are but a few:

• Bleach is significantly inactivated by organic debris which means dirt affects the ability for bleach to be effective
• Bleach degrades with age and loses about 50% of its effectiveness within 60 days of being manufactured. The EPA requires special labeling stating age degradation
• Bleach has a high pH of 11.5 because it needs to be stabilized with lye which is not ideal for use around animals or people, and definitely damaging to surfaces
• Because of its instability, bleach solutions also need to be disposed of every few hours else it becomes ineffective
• Precleaning is necessary with bleach and must remain on surfaces for 10 to 30 minutes.
• Bleach is a very potent mucous membrane, tissue, and upper respiratory irritant – not something appropriate for human or animal health
• People often mix bleach with other products in an attempt to enhance cleaning which can be dangerous. If bleach is mixed with acids, toxic chlorine gas will be released.

And these are just a few of the reasons to not use bleach.

Knowledge is Pungent Power

While not always easy to find, pet cleaning products that are both safe, effective and fragrant are highly sought after in the animal care industry and pet homes. By arming yourself with sanitation knowledge, it will save you time and energy, so you can spend it enjoying your furry friends.