A Guide to Veterinary Cleaning Products
A Guide to Veterinary Cleaning Products
Cleaning protocols in a veterinary practice must be strictly followed by all members of staff in order to break the cycle of infection and neutralise the possibility of cross-contamination in all areas of the practice.
The RCVS Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons states that “Veterinary surgeons must maintain minimum practice standards equivalent to the Core Standards of the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme.” If your practice has to undergo an assessment you need to be able to show that adequate disinfecting protocols are in place.
When it comes to cleaning products for veterinary clinics, you’ll need to use different products to complete the disinfection process. The full disinfection process should look like this:
1. Remove biohazardous material (faeces, urine, blood, hair, body tissue, along with soiled materials like wipes and tissues)
2. Clean and dry surfaces
3. Disinfect surfaces
When a pathogen enters the clinic, it is the responsibility of the whole team to remove the pathogen and minimise the chance of it spreading and infecting other patients. As a clinic owner or manager, it’s your job to make sure veterinary cleaning products are available to all staff.
What types of cleaning products should be used in a veterinary clinic?
PPE
One of the most important aspects of hygiene in a vet’s clinic is personal protective equipment. This will not only keep you clean during and between appointments, but will also make cleaning up easier, and reduce the chance of cross-contamination from the offset.
Basic PPE that should be present in a veterinary clinic includes:
You might also consider stocking up on finger cots for precision examinations and face masks to protect against Covid-19. Our pack of masks, gloves and finger cots is ideal for this.
It’s a good idea to make sure hand sanitiser is readily available, not only in the exam room but in the waiting room and around the reception desk so that other staff and clients can keep their hands clean.
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Disposal
The first step in the cleaning process is to get rid of any detritus or biohazardous material. This means you’ll need supplies for collecting and disposing of material properly. Any fluids that an animal produced like blood or urine should be dealt with using a biohazard kit, or super-absorbent powder can be used to make the spill easier and safer to clean up.
Any used needles or sharp objects like scalpels should be disposed of in a sharps bin so they don’t risk tearing a waste bag or hurting someone. All other potentially infectious materials like soiled wipes and cloths as well as fur should be collected and disposed of in a yellow biohazard waste bag.
Cleaning
The next step in the process is to wash down surfaces, countertops, chairs, floors, and any other non-porous areas that need attention. The aim of this is to clean the area but it doesn’t yet need to be disinfected. A soap and water solution is enough.
A solution like Hospec Liquid Detergent is ideal. It is pH-neutral and unperfumed. Hospec can be used to clean dishes, manually wash tools and instruments prior to sterilisation, and clean hospital furniture and surfaces. There’s no need to search for veterinary floor cleaning products, either, as Hospec can be used to mop floors too.
Disinfecting
Disinfection is the final stage in the cleaning process. Veterinary disinfectant products could include:
It’s a good idea to keep a supply of both in your clinic for use at the end of a cleaning session, and for spot cleaning. Some disinfectants need to be left for up to ten minutes to take effect and some also need to be rinsed off afterwards with water. To make your cleaning process as thorough and as efficient as possible, the Steroclenz spray will:
- Kill 99.999% of germs, fungi, and viruses.
- Be effective for 4 hours.
- Cleans and sterilises at the same time, cutting down your cleaning process considerably.
- Sprays a white foam that is easy to see, in a wide fan coverage.
- Does not need to be rinsed off afterwards.
2-Step cleaning and disinfection can be achieved in one go using universal wipes like PDI Sani-Cloth® AF Wipes (formerly known as PDI Sani-Cloth Universal Wipes) significantly reducing cleaning times needed throughout the day for non-porous surfaces and non-invasive medical devices.
Universal disinfectant wipes are capable of killing bacteria, viruses, fungi, and TB and are alcohol-free meaning you can protect pets from fumes that might be damaging to them.
Sterilisation
Non-porous tools will need to be sterilised so a liquid steriliser is a required piece of kit for a veterinary clinic too. The Milton Liquid Steriliser kills 99.9% of germs, bacteria, and viruses, works for up to 24 hours, and is often a choice for midwives and parents too.
Order this complete list of vet cleaning products here on our website. We also stock a wide range of other veterinary supplies including dressings and bandages for animal care and everyday vet clinic essentials.
A Guide to Veterinary Cleaning Products
Watch our video below to find out everything you need to do to keep your practice clean:
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