Veterinarians – Take Your Cleaning Regimen to the Next Level
Cleaning Goal: Most veterinarians strive to create and maintain a sanitary facility in order to prevent the spread of communicable diseases, including parvovirus and kennel cough. This concern is typically addressed with conventional and “green” cleaning products whether office staff or an outside service cleans the facility.
Conventional Cleaning Procedure: There are usually two cleaning processes that occur in a typical day:
– During business hours speed is of the essence and the most expedient method of cleaning between patients is to spray and wipe the surface or other area.Bodily fluids on floors, examination tables, walls, in the OR, etc., are generally wiped up with a paper towel then the surface is sprayed with a chemical based cleaning chemical and re-wiped.
– At the end of the day a general cleaning of the facilities’ fixtures, floors, and furniture.
Residual Build-Up: As spraying and wiping is repeated during the day a residue from the product being used builds up each time. Fluids can easily seep into tiny cracks and crevices and generally remain untouched because they are beyond the reach of a cloth or towel being used to wipe the surface.
Two Key Questions Arise When Using Commercial Cleaning Products:
– Are the microorganisms, bacteria, and other infectious germs from the fluids and otherwise left in the facility by animals actually killed when sprayed and wiped? – Will the residue left on the surface by a cleaning product adversely affect animals if ingested, inhaled, or otherwise contacted?
How Do You Know With Certainty? Did the cleaning product penetrate the porous stainless steel examination tabletop or was the cleaning only superficial? What ingredients are in the products and are there potential side effects, particularly when used in a quarantine area, on kennels, and aviaries. If so called “green” products are being used would you drink their content?
Minimize the Risk Without Using Chemicals: An extra measure of safety can easily be implemented at the end of the day by using heat generated from dry steam vapor to clean stainless examination tables and other critical areas because it kills microorganisms, bacteria, and infectious germs on contact without leaving a residue. Since water is the only cleaning agent animals cannot be affected by it and the issue of ingredients is moot and the process is definitely “green”.
Cleaning With Dry Steam Vapor: Heat is the oldest and most effective method of cleaning known to man. Heating ordinary water to a very high temperature then pressurizing it creates odorless dry steam vapor. Millions of hot vapor molecules attack, break down, and clean surfaces as they penetrate deeply into the pores, nooks and crannies of the item being cleaned. Heat and molecular size provide the power that enables vapor to clean deeper and far more effectively than any conventional product.
Benefits Include:
– Cleans, sanitizes, and deodorizes at the same time
– Kills microorganisms, pathogens, and other bacteria on contact
– Instantly breaks down any residual build-up from spray products
– Effortless to use because vapor does all the work
– Has only 5 – 6 % water content so virtually no mess remains after use because the surface dries within seconds – Complements traditional cleaning regimen
– Truly “green” cleaning can be effectively used in marketing.
Vapor Cleaning Products: There are many excellent products available but I recommend commercial grade VaporStrike(TM) because of its durability, effectiveness, ease of use, and ability to produce continuous vapor so work is not impeded when water is required. It produces dry steam vapor by heating water to 297A?F. Additional information can be found at
Carol Prinster, Manager of Saguaro Veterinary Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona and her staff have found that VaporStrike(TM) is particularly effective in achieving that extra degree of sanitation in the OR and appreciate it being chemical free.