I have a cat that is being treated for a swollen wound on his forehead that oozes matter. He has been on strong antibiotics and still has this problem. Some of the infected matter has gotten on towels that are colored. He will be going back to the vet today and will probably have the wound lanced.
Anyway, since these are colored items, what can I wash and disinfect them with in the washer? I have the old Lysol brown solution, but it makes the clothes smell so strong. I used to be able to find the blue colored fresh smelling Lysol on the shelves, but can't find it anymore! Don't want to use clorax on the colored items that are not safe to use the clorax to keep them from bleaching.
-> I have a cat that is being treated for a swollen wound on his forehead
-> that oozes matter. He has been on strong antibiotics and still has
-> this problem. Some of the infected matter has gotten on towels that
-> are colored. He will be going back to the vet today and will probably
-> have the wound lanced.
->
-> Anyway, since these are colored items, what can I wash and disinfect
-> them with in the washer? I have the old Lysol brown solution, but it
-> makes the clothes smell so strong. I used to be able to find the blue
-> colored fresh smelling Lysol on the shelves, but can't find it
-> anymore! Don't want to use clorax on the colored items that are not
-> safe to use the clorax to keep them from bleaching.
->
-> Any suggestions?
I have found that I can bleach most expensive towels and they won't fade much. Of course, there's no way to know without trying. Is there some reason your towels must be a certain color? Just personal choice? Some of my cheaper towels completely changed color when bleached!
I bleach my towels every time I wash them, and the good ones are the same color they were when I bought them. Just a little faded.
Hi again, Michelle, Stain stick or similar enzymes should take out blood and pus stains. Ordinary washing will remove most of the bacteria, and a hot dryer will kill those that remain.
Very hot water and detergent should disinfect them. I wouldn't worry about the bleach, although as someone noted, you may be able to use bleach -- just test one. You might also get some Lysol (the original kind) and follow the directions for laundry if it makes you feel better. Still, most bacteria will be killed by hot water and detergent. Furthermore, most bacteria need some moisture to survive, so they won't make it though the dryer. Just the fact that they will be diluted in the wash water and two rinse cycles will be beneficial. You generally have to reach a threshold number of bacteria to get an infection since your body has natural defenses that constantly kill small numbers of pathogens. A bigger concern would be to make sure you wash your hands after touching the cat.
I wash all my towels and underwear (white AND colored) in bleach water. Over about a years time I have had some minor fading in my colored underwear, but nothing drastic. Perhaps putting 1/4 c. of bleach in the water and washing would ease your mind.
As an FYI, I also put a splash of bleach in my dishwasher.
I have been experimenting with similar things for similar purposes.
Dogs are really sensitive, probbly more than people, their sense of smell is acute.
There are two leads I can give you:
1.) T-Tree oil products. That is supposed to be anti-germs. The EASIEST way to get it is to find a Melaleuca distributor, its an MLM company, and probably you have friends in your sphere that want to show you their wares. There are amazing things they got, different strengths and such. Even the pure oil. Look up T-Tree oil in google for its properties. I"m a professional house-cleaner, and I like to use them and other non-hazardous substances exclusively in my work... cuz i do so much and don't want to be exposed to poison on an hourly basis.
2.) "Pink Solution": this is my STABPLE incredient. I use it on everything, and don't wear gloves for cleaning. I met the manufacturer, and he ate a spoonful for me. (I would gag uncontrollbly, not recommended for everyone to try.) However, it works out cheapest because I use it so diluted, or stronger when I want real action.
I would recommend cleaning/soaking the towels/coloured items in Pink Solution overnight in your washingmachine, before running the load, to get the stains and stuff out. YOu'd be surprised what Pink Solution gets outta stuff. It is my substitute for bleach. Gentle on bras and white things, doesn't yellow like Bleach does, and in fact, has removed yellow on a couple of things.
I DO NOT KNOW if its anti-bacterial or not... my forgetful brain fails me. MIGHT be, and I've been meaning to ask the manufacturer, the next time I get a chance.
However, you could then rinse the stuff in a T-Tree oil product made for the purpose of disinfecting, and that should do ya.
Hot water and detergents will disinfect the clothes. I suppose it is more satisfying to pour a lot of expensive products into the washer, but in the end, you are just flushing your money away.
Tea tree oil is highly toxic to cats. Cats' livers don't have the capability that humans and dogs have to handle the terpinols in it. They can get sick just from smelling it, and if they walk on a floor you cleaned with a tea tree oil product, it can seriously poison them by both absorbtion through the skin, and licking their feet.
Pets are sensitive to cleaning products and often don't like all the perfume that is added. I find that using a steam mop on hard surfaces is a very good solution. It doesn't use any chemicals or perfumes and the heat can disinfect the floor if used according to the directions.
wow... thanks Jamie! My friend has a very expensive cat, and she uses tea tree oil on EVERYTHING.... where did you learn this? I've never seen that before.
I MUST DISAGREE: I USE PINK SOLUTION partly becuz its WAY cheaper than the chemical nukes that go under brand names... if mixed properly, it goes further than anything else for the buck!
Online veterinary journals, and other articles written by veterinarians. The terpinols in the tea tree oil are similar to phenol (main ingredient in Lysol spray) and thymol (oil of thyme) and can cause liver, kidney and brain damage to cats.
And as it's often sold as a "natural" and therefore assumed to be safer cleaner, it should be noted that Tea Tree Oil cleaners are no less toxic to infants than common household Pine Sol cleaner, should they get in a cabinet and get the bottle open. But they certainly cost a lot more.
I guess you have a different idea of "cheaper" than I do. According to this site:
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oz of "Pink Solution" is $32 Canadian. I can get three 100 oz jugs of laundry detergent such as Era for $10 - $12 on sale - buy one, get two. I use about 2 oz of detergent in a load of laundry which means that it costs
8 cents a load. Here are the instructions for your "pink solution" as posted on the above website:
"Laundry: 1-cup heavy mix per load of wash. 2-cups if very soiled. "
Therefore, it would cost between $8 and $16 to wash a load of clothes with "pink solution." Since the OP was interested in disinfecting the clothes, and it is only necessary to wash them in hot water and detergent, that is $8 - $16 worth of expensive cleaner flushed down the drain.
See my earlier post for a link. It sounds very expensive to me at $32/quart. That works out to $128 a gallon and for that price it would have to do A LOT MORE than clean before I would buy it.
I assure you that I do not pay that per load... GEESH... you mix the stuff into a watered down solution, and ...... well, i guess you havent' used it, so you just don't know. I buy the biggest lot of it, more economical that way, too.
Also, since my hands are in cleaning solution all day long, and i have to breath the stuff, I do not like it to be toxic! I use it for windows, (do not need a squeegie, cuz it dries streakless), for toilets, laundry and especially great on wood floors... Compare that to windex, Mr. Clean, all the other seriously toxic ingredients that make you gag, or your bare hands burn. I can put my raw hang-nails into pink solution, and suffer zero discomfort or irritation. Try that with ANYTHING ELSE.. or BREATH ANYTHING else, and see you feel if you drink anything else.
If its not good for fishes to drink, then I don't want it in my toilet!
I can go one better than you pink solution. Just use steam. That's what I use for nearly all my cleaning jobs, other than laundry of course. Water is nearly free and is entirely non-toxic.
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