Veterinary disinfectants are an important part of any veterinary practice, as it helps prevent the transmission of various diseases that can affect both you, your coworkers, and future patients. As such, it's important to use them correctly. Here are the basic fundamentals of using a veterinary disinfectant.

Wipe It Off First

You should always remove all organic material (feces, hair, saliva, etc.) from an area before attempting to clean it or disinfect it. This will help keep the cleaning materials as useful as possible because they will not have to compete with other substances on various surfaces. This is especially true for porous surfaces. This is also true if you have a patient with ringworm as it can spread by contact from an animal's hair and fur. Once you have cleaned any extra material off of a surface you can then use your cleaner/disinfectant.

Follow the Directions

The number one most important thing when attempting to use disinfectants properly is to understand that each disinfectant is different and has different requirements. Each one will have different dilution needs and different abilities as well. For example, bleach is not a cleaner and can only disinfect clean surfaces as it deactivates when it is in contact with anything organic. Meanwhile, activated hydrogen peroxide can work as both a cleaner and a disinfectant. You must dilute the material according to instructions — more is not better, and too much disinfectant can strip materials.

Wipe It Off (Again)

Once you have used the disinfectant according to manufacturer instructions, you will need to wipe the disinfectant off. Not only can cleaners and disinfectants leave an area sticky if they are not wiped away with a damp towel, but they can hurt your patients if any gets on their paws or if they lick it. For example, bleach poisoning can affect canine and feline patients quite easily with only a little bit ingested. Once you are done with all these steps, you should have a clean and disinfected surface free of organic material and infectious diseases.

Disinfectants used in veterinary offices are an important part of patient (and staff) health and cleanliness. It helps keep a usable workspace while preventing the spread of disease. You must clean the area of organic material first before using either a cleaner or a disinfectant, and you must follow the manufacturer's instructions for the proper use and dilution of the disinfecting material. Once used, it must be wiped off for the health of future patients.

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