Sanitizing my equipment

[Reader]

How often do you sanitize blades and combs and brushes and all that? I know beauticians do it for every client. One of my sharpeners told me that blade cleaner can rust out your blades if you use it too much. Right now all I do is blow the hair out at the end of the day and wipe the blades with cleaner if they get gunked up.

I just heard that another groomer at a sister corporate location had a dog that got a staph infection and the owner accused the groomer of using dirty equipment. The vet said that all dogs carry staph on their skin, so it wasn't the grooming, but the owner still accused the groomer.

[Carisa86]

We spray everything with disinfectant after every dog (brushes, scissors, blades, muzzles, etc...) and at the end of the day we use the blade wash on the blades and oil them.

[plushpuppy]

We spray everything with disinfectant after every dog (brushes, scissors, blades, muzzles, etc...) and at the end of the day we use the blade wash on the blades and oil them.

me too, I also use barbaside and let my combs and scissors sit over night

[Gracy Rose]

I spray everything after each pet. I buy rubing alcohol from Sally's (they have different scents) and I put it in a spray bottle. Since alcohol evaporates so quickly I don't worry about it runing my blades, brushes or combs. Also, many disinfectants designed for grooming have an oil base and I don't want the residue if I am getting ready to a brush a clean dog.

[workingchihuahua]

i use clippercide on all my equipment after each dog and oil at the end of the day. i can not stress how important it is to disinfect after each dog.

[diamienono]

this was posts from Tim and Jeff the Blade Guyz

When you are in a bind for blade cleaner you can use rubbing alcohol. it does an okay job and dries quickly. Just like with many other cleaning products you need to dry the blade or scissor of any residual alcohol or it will rust. H42 will not rust a blade unless you get water in it.

Soap and water work too as do many other blade cleaners, the problem comes in when the blade or scissor is not completely dried off and oiled, which is what Jeff was saying in his post. Human nature is to not read the instructions or warnings on products and this is what gives many products a bad rap. BArbicide does weird things to different metals. I was asked one time if I could fix some thinning shears that were left in Barbicide overnight, there was nothing left but the pivot screw. Barbicide had eaten up alot of the metal.
I know some folks use barbicide withut any problems, but the instructions need to be followed to the letter I guess. I do know you cant leave cheap shears in it over night.
Good tip on finding H-42 at Tractor Supply. Every town has a Tractor Supply I think.

[Helly]

Good tip on finding H-42 at Tractor Supply. Every town has a Tractor Supply I think.

We don't have a Tractor Supply anywhere around us. We do have a farm supply store, but I don't know if they carry H-42. I guess next time I need some, I'll call and ask.

[pamperedpups]

Definitely sanitize after every client... ringworm, etc. can be transfered easily.

[wenndyr]

dont u find when u spray the brushes it makes the next the dogs coat oily?? What do u use on the brushes??

[Reader]

I have been using rubbing alcohol for about a week now, after reading these posts. It doesn't leave a residue on anything and I've not seen any rust on my blades. I just spray a little bit on and then wipe off and it's dry by the time I start the next dog. I also use a disinfectant on my table but not on my tools because the alcohol seems to work better for them. Thanks for the tips, everyone.

[workingchihuahua]

rubbing alcohol will not entirely disinfect, i use clippercide. you will run the risk of passing something along from one dog to the other.

[toomuchfunbnme]

I sanitise or disinfect evrything including the table between each groom. It's a necessary safety precaution as well as a powerful selling point.

[diamienono]

rubbing alcohol will not entirely disinfect, i use clippercide. you will run the risk of passing something along from one dog to the other.

How do you figure that aclohol will not kill everything?

[workingchihuahua]

rubbing alcohol is not a viricide, fungicide or bactericide (sp.) either a 10 % bleach or a commercially prepared kennel disinfectant is needed. those using bleach products, make sure they are a 10 % solution.

[toomuchfunbnme]

You are so right workingchihuahua. It's also necessary to thoroughly clean an item before it can effectively be sanitised or disinfected.
In general, to sanitize means to reduce the number of microorganisms to a safe level. A sanitizer may or may not necessarily destroy pathogenic or disease causing bacteria as is a criteria for a disinfectant.
A disinfectant is a chemical agent which is capable of destroying disease causing bacteria or pathogens, but not spores and not all viruses.