Household disinfectant for stables?

muckypony

muckypony

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My stables need a good clean now that the swallows have disappeared. I want to disinfect them and would usually use Virkon but was wondering if I can just pick one up from Tesco or somewhere instead?

Also whilst on the subject, I want to clean my feed bowls too (as stupid me didn't put them away over the summer so the birdies have gotten to them too...), can you use a disinfectant in them too? Or best not too and just clean with boiling water?
 
We always used to use Jeyes Fluid for stables, though I've used Dettol as well. I think I've used Dettol for buckets as well, none of the horses seemed to suffer any ill effects! But tbh for a good bucket scrub you can't beat fairy liquid :)
 
I use Jeyes every year once the birds have left, very satisfying getting the stables ready for winter.

Feed buckets I'd just use very hot water and washing up liquid
 
Any disinfectant is fine. When we have a clear out I usually use dettol if I've got it or just pick up something from the shop on the way to the yard. You can use it in feed bowls although hashrouge is right nothing beats fairy! As well as disinfectant in stables and Bowles I always being the pressure washer down and everything gets a good clean with just water.
 
Virkon is an anti viral and to be honest ,a waste of time and money. Jeyes fluid is the best in my opinion,especialy for strangles
 
Some vets (including mine) advise against using dettol - and savlon - on a horse's skin as it is too harsh. But I know not all do. And anyway this is on stuff not animals! Cinnaomontoast - there was a lot of press attention over a dog poisoned with Jeys fluid in 2013. Might that be what you were thinking of? Like dettol and others it shouldn't be applied to an animal neat. But I think it says that on the bottle!

Personally I like something called - cleverly - "Green goo" to clean stables because it neutralizes ammonia. But I stable year round and use it to clean the matting anbd the concrete under the matting. On vets advice I do use Virkon to clean event stabling but I will go back and check that. Looking at the manufacturers spec it isn't just a viricide. It also targets bacteria and fungi. So I'm not entirely sure Mike007 is quite correct. But I wouldn't bother using it on my own stables. Anything my horse is carrying that ends up on the stable structure is on his body anyway!
 
I was told that Jeyes was not to be used if you have rubber matting, presume it causes it to perish quicker. I tend to use cheap supermarket disinfectant.
 
I have used Wilko's Multi purpose outdoor disinfectant which says it is safe to use around animals (around £2 for 500ml) but prefer Green Gloop which smells lovely but is a lot more expensive (usually buy it from Robinsons when they have free delivery offer)
 
cinnamontoast said:
This is ringing a bell for me, something to do with dogs and never using Jeyes? Blowed if I remember why.
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I think there's something about cleaning fluids that go cloudy in water (like Jeyes and Dettol) being potentially poisonous in some way as it soaks through the pads of the feet - came across this in relation to cats. Not entirely sure what 'non-cloudy' disinfectants there are though (that are any good)! I also suspect the concentration in which you would apply it to your kitchen floor would not be enough to be really problematic. Maybe if you were applying it neat or nearly so and they walked across it that would cause issues (II have used neat Jeyes outside, but cats have been kept well offside until I've finished and it's hosed well away). I've been using Dettol/Jeyes etc at home for years with cats and only came across this recently.
 
Industrial bleach, similar stuff to that used by dairies for cleaning the milking equipment. Dilute it and apply through a knasack sprayer. I defy any microbe to survive that. I think the undiluted stuff was quite cheap (£5 a gallon?) but I haven't bought any for a while.
 
Thanks everyone!

I went out on Saturday night to get some as I wanted to start first thing Sunday - something I don't advise doing, there are some real characters in Tesco after 9.30pm on a Saturday, I wasn't helping the imagine walking around with my dustpan and brush with a bottle of disinfectant.... What a booming social life I have!

I got some Jeyes Fluid. My god does it stink! I only got to the feed/hay room so didn't use much, just on the outside of the feed bins, but it smells so clean! Am a little concerned about using it on the rubber mats from what some of you have said but as I'll only be doing it once, maybe twice a year at a push, I'm hoping it'll be ok! So looking forwards to clean stables!
 
For feed and water bowls, try milton sterilising liquid or tablets; or the supermarket own version. If you can give a baby a bottle that's been soaked in it you can feed your horse from it! I would not jeyes anywhere near buckets and bowls
 
Llanali said:
For feed and water bowls, try milton sterilising liquid or tablets; or the supermarket own version. If you can give a baby a bottle that's been soaked in it you can feed your horse from it! I would not jeyes anywhere near buckets and bowls
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Do you know where I can get this from?

I gave them a good scrub just with water the other day which I'm sure is fine. Just worried about the bird poo on them passing something nasty on, but I'm sure they eat worse in the field.
 
What would you use on rubber matting ideally? Don't want to use Jeyes if it rots them, they were so expensive!
You get Milton tablets from any pharmacy.
How often do you clean/sterilise buckets?
I have a scrubbing brush by the cold tap and usually only use that and water, but give them the occasional proper clean with fairy and hot water when I get around to it.
 
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