Where many businesses began making disinfection a priority during the pandemic, Veterinarians and their staff members have always know how critical it is to the safety of the animals they care for. When it comes to stopping the spread of sickness-causing germs, bacteria, and viruses, disinfecting is essential. Because of the strong and often toxic ingredients in conventional disinfectant products, they have to be used carefully, with the proper protective gear, and according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Supply chain issues and disinfectant shortages added stress to all our lives, but this was even more extreme in the case of veterinary practices and other critical healthcare providers. Hoarding or storing disinfectants can leave you with little storage space and using products with reduced or negligible efficacy. Worst of all, conventional disinfectants and cleaning products (like bleach) contain chemicals that put the safety of your staff, clients, and patients at risk. From accidental ingestion to unprotected exposure to the skin, eyes, and respiratory systems, these products can cause severe burns and irritation – one recent study found them to be as harmful to our lungs as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day! The disinfectant and cleaning product industry is incredibly poorly regulated in the US, with many products including toxic chemicals that are directly linked to serious health problems like asthma, cancer, and hormonal disruption and the scientific community is now considering exposure to these products an important public health concern.
We’re proud to have created an EPA-registered disinfectant that is powerful enough to kill 99.9% of viruses, bacteria, and germs and is listed on the EPA’s List N as an effective disinfectant against the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. Happily, it’s also gentle enough for humans to use without gloves, masks, or eye protection – and for animals to come into contact with without worry. Here’s how you can harness the power of hypochlorous acid in your veterinary practice.
Top Tips Tor How To Disinfect Your Veterinary Practice With Force of Nature.
The active ingredient in Force of Nature is hypochlorous acid, the same substance created by our immune systems to fight infection, and one that is so gentle it’s used in wound healing products. It has an unparalleled combination of safety and efficacy so that it’s common in veterinary medicine. Here’s how you can use it in your business to keep animals, staff, and human clients, safe from germs and protected from dangerous chemicals.
1. Ensure Your staff Understands The Difference Between Cleaning and Disinfecting
It’s important to know the difference between cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting. Cleaning removes soil on a surface, thereby reducing germs. Disinfecting is a regulated term and, in order for a product to claim it is a disinfectant, it must meet certain standards in testing by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In testing in EPA approved labs using EPA approved protocols, the product must demonstrate that it kills at least 99.9% of the microbes it says it does within a “dwell time” (usually 10 minutes). To effectively disinfect, the product needs to come into contact with the entire surface, so it needs to be clean of debris first. Here’s how to know when to clean and when to disinfect.
2. Disinfect Your Waiting Room and “High Touch” Areas
High touch areas are any areas that humans or animals come into contact with frequently, like door handles, waiting room furniture, elevator buttons, and communal coffee machines or water fountains. Force of Nature is animal-friendly, so you can wipe down fish tanks, bird cages, cat or dog toys, beds, and cages, and any other pet environments. Spray down any surfaces that are high touch and allow to air dry.
3. Disinfect Shared Technology and Gadgets
If your clients check in using an iPad or other office tablet, or your team members share computers, keyboards, phones, TV remotes, or another tech, it’s a good idea to frequently disinfect. To protect your devices, first, spray a cloth with Force of Nature and then wipe them down, preferably when they are powered off. Never spray any liquid directly on your devices!
4. Disinfect Chairs, Lights and Exam Rooms
The veterinary exam room is a hard-working place! Virtually every surface will come into contact with a staff member, animal, or caregiver during a visit. Between patients, every surface of the exam room can be cleaned and disinfected without worry about damage to your valuable equipment. Force of Nature can help you clean and disinfect everything from blood pressure cuffs to stainless steel exam tables, chairs, lights, instrument trays, screens, cabinet and drawer pulls, and much more.
Even better: no need to rinse! Where many disinfectants leave harmful residues that can put animals and humans at risk, Force of Nature is free of top allergens and certified SkinSafe by the Mayo Clinic. It is gentle enough to use on surfaces your patients will come into contact with and for your staff to use continuously throughout the day.
5. Disinfect Communal Areas
If your staff shares a break room, lunchroom, or kitchen, you can disinfect it with Force of Nature. Spray appliances and food prep surfaces, countertops, small appliances, and eating surfaces with Force of Nature and allow them to air dry.
6. Disinfect Bathrooms
Bathrooms get a bad reputation for being germ-havens (and rightly so), but they’re also incredibly easy to clean and disinfect with Force of Nature. You can spray Force of Nature directly on virtually any bathroom surface including faucets, stall door handles and locks, countertops, toilets and door handles.
7. Disinfect Personal Belongings
Before leaving for the day, staff can disinfect their personal belongings to avoid tracking germs home to their families. Some areas to focus on are the soles of shoes, eyeglasses and sunglasses, car keys, phones, bags, and lunch items. These items can all be sprayed with Force of Nature.
We’re In This Together
Force of Nature is a gentle, effective disinfectant solution for veterinary practices that gives you the control to effectively clean and disinfect your business without exposing your patients, staff, and clients to harmful toxins and chemicals. Our convenient, on-demand system and subscription capsule refills allow you to take advantage of our low-cost, high-impact 3-in-1 cleaner, sanitizer, and disinfectant without the need to take up valuable space at your business to stockpile products, or buy expensive protective gear to handle harsh chemicals. We’re proud to have created a veterinary practice-friendly solution that you can trust during these challenging times and beyond. We have 2 size options to meet the needs of smaller and larger spaces: our original 12 ounce Force of Nature, and our new large-capacity, commercial-grade Force of Nature Pro that makes 32 or 64 oz. Purchasing for a large business or organization? We can customize pricing, assortment and training for you! Click here to get started.
