What’s the difference between veterinary disinfectant and regular disinfectant?

There are so many disinfectant products available for purchase online, via animal supplies distributors and even at places like Bunnings, Woolworths and Coles.

So, what’s the difference between veterinary disinfectant and regular disinfectant?

Disinfectants are definitely not all made equal. Some are very effective at killing pathogens but are harmful to animals and people. Others are more gentle but are only effective in eliminating certain germs. Then there are veterinary disinfectants – such as Safe4 – that are certified for use in animal settings that are both highly effective in killing harmful pathogens and are safe for use around animals and the people who care for them.

This table from an article by Jane Sykes and J. Scott Weese about the characteristics of selected disinfectants in veterinary clinics shows the risks and varied results when regular disinfectants are used in an animal-care setting.

Disinfectant Category	Activity in the Presence of Organic Matter	Advantages	Disadvantages	Precautions	Comments
Alcohols: Ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol	Rapidly inactivated	Fast-acting No residue Relatively nontoxic	Rapid evaporation	Flammable	Not appropriate for routine environmental disinfection Primarily used as antiseptics
Aldehydes: Formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde	Good	Broad spectrum Relatively noncorrosive	Highly toxic	Irritant Carcinogenic Requires ventilation	Used as an aqueous solution or as a gas (fumigation)
Alkalis: Ammonia			Unpleasant odor Irritating	Do not mix with bleach.	Not recommended for general use
Biguanides: Chlorhexidine	Rapidly inactivated	Nontoxic	Incompatible with anionic detergents		Not appropriate for environmental disinfection Primarily used as antiseptics
Halogens: Hypochlorites (bleach)	Rapidly inactivated	Broad spectrum sporicidal Inexpensive Can be used on food preparation surfaces	Inactivated by cationic soaps/detergents and sunlight. Frequent application required.	Corrosive Irritant May produce toxic gas when mixed with other chemicals	Used to disinfect clean environmental surfaces Only commonly available sporicidal disinfectant
Oxidizing agents	Good	Broad spectrum Environmentally friendly	Breakdown with time	Corrosive	Excellent choice for environmental disinfection
Phenolics	Good	Broad spectrum Noncorrosive Stable in storage	Toxic to cats Unpleasant odor Incompatible with cationic or nonionic detergents	Irritant	Some residual activity after drying
Quaternary ammonium compounds (QUATs)	Moderate	Stable in storage Nonirritating to skin Low toxicity Can be used on food preparation surfaces Effective at high temperatures and pH	Incompatible with anionic detergents		Commonly used primary environmental disinfectant Some residual activity after drying

Source: Sykes, J. E., & Weese, J. S. (2014). Infection Control Programs for Dogs and Cats. Canine and Feline Infectious Diseases, 105-118. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-1-4377-0795-3.00011-9

How is Safe4 veterinary disinfectant different from regular disinfectant?

Safe4 products were developed almost 30 years ago when the importance of infection control in animal care settings began to gain support. Safe4 disinfectant was created to provide a product that was highly effective in killing germs but also a safe alternative when used around animals.

In the ingredients list of Safe4 disinfectant, you won’t find any harmful phenols or aldehydes. You also won’t find any alcohol – a common ingredient found in regular cleaning and disinfectant products. While alcohol is highly effective at killing germs, it can be very harmful for animals if ingested, and may even be fatal.

Safe4 has also been assessed – and certified – by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority, providing certainty that the product does what it says it will do, and that it is safe for use in an animal care setting.

The last difference between Safe4 veterinary disinfectant and regular disinfectant is that animals and the people who care for them can be exposed to the disinfectant while it is still wet, so no rinsing after application is required. This is because Safe4 veterinary disinfectant has a neutral pH of approximately 7.6 when diluted and does not require rinsing after application. This saves you valuable time and makes cleaning a much more streamlined process.

The difference is clear

When you choose Safe4 veterinary disinfectant over a regular disinfectant, you can be confident that it will help prevent the cross-infection of harmful viruses and bacteria, and that is safe for people and animals.

You can learn more about what’s in our disinfectant, and how it’s performed in a range of efficacy tests against key viruses and bacteria by visiting the Safe4 website.

If you have any questions about our product range, call us on 1300 661 821, or drop us an email at info@safe4-aust.com.au.