I’m often asked how to clean after having panleukopenia. While I practice strict quarantine procedures, the nature of what I do means I’ve had a couple of “outbreaks” over the years. Also, because I often take severely ill kittens, panleukopenia is not uncommon for me. I’ve never had a kitten contract panleukopenia in my house because I didn’t disinfect properly.
Cleaning is important, it’s not as important as disinfecting. Cleaning removed dirt and grime. Disinfecting kills the panleukopenia (and other) viruses from surfaces. Disinfection must be done correctly. “Close” isn’t good enough.
Understanding How Panleukopenia Spreads
To disinfect correctly you must use the right chemicals. Many people mistakenly believe that Lysol, hand sanitizer and alcohol kill panleukopenia. They do not. So don’t say you disinfected with Lysol. Yes, it killed a lot of other things with it, but not the parvovirus that is panleukopenia. How do I know? Lysol doesn’t list it as a virus that it works against. (Source)
To understand what needs to be clean, you need to understand how panleuk is spread. Panleukopenia is a hardy parvovirus that spreads through contact. It’s also a sticky virus, which means it clings to surfaces. You can spread the virus by touching a sick cat and then touching a healthy cat.
The easiest way to understand it is think of the panleuk kitten as being made of honey. Any thing they touch gets sticky. If you touch it, you get sticky too. And everything you touch spreads the stickiness. Except you won’t be able to know what surfaces are sticky (infected) and which ones are not. So you need to clean and sanitize everything that may be sticky.
Obviously everything that came in contact or was in the room with the cat or kitten needs to be disinfected. But also anything that you might have come in contact with as well: door knobs, light switches, floors, handrails, pens, cell phones, furniture, etc.
First Step: Toss
Some things are either too difficult to clean or not worth the effort. I toss toys, heavily soiled bedding, plastic food dishes and all litter boxes. I know some people who talk about tossing out kennels and cat trees. I have never done this because I am confident in my ability to sanitize them, but it is up to you.
Second Step: Clean
Before you can sanitize, you need to remove all the organic material and dirt from the object. If you don’t the material can protect the virus from the disinfectants. I like to use Dawn dish soap. It is safe for everything and something I always have on hand.
Wherever you clean will need to be sanitized after you are done, so don’t clean on your grass. You could be rinsing off the virus and since it isn’t killed, it will live on whatever surface is there. I use a stiff brush to scrub away any material.
Once you are done cleaning and the surface is dry, you can start sanitizing. I prefer to wait for the surface to dry to ensure the solution isn’t diluted by the wet surface.
Third Step: Sanitize
The third step is the most important. Two of the these methods require “contact time.” This is the time the chemical stays wet on the surface. You must apply enough of the solution to keep the object wet for that time or it will not work. For this reason, it’s best not to do this outside on a sunny day.
A garden pump sprayer can help ensure you cover surfaces completely and evenly. You can get one at most hardware stores or online at Amazon (example). Regular spray bottles also work, but they can tire your hand and don’t distribute as evenly.
Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide
Accelerated hydrogen peroxide is most commonly sold as Rescue™ formerly Accel, which you can find on Amazon. When diluted at a concentration of 1:16 (1 cup to 1 gallon of water) it must have a contact time of 5 minutes. It is the best chemical to use but it is also expensive and sometimes difficult to obtain. If you use a weaker dilution, such as 1:32, you must extend your contact time to 10 minutes. (Source)
If using Rescue on surfaces that are not totally clean or more contaminated, it is recommended you use a stronger concentration and/or a longer contact time. (Source)
Bleach
Using bleach can be tricky because not all bleach is the same. Check the label before using. First, make sure it says it can be used for disinfecting. Some splash-less varieties can NOT be used. Also, most bleach that is sold is 5.25%, which is the amount of sodium hypochlorite it contains. But concentrated bleach may be 8.25%. What dilution you use depends on the percentage you have.
Bleach expires one year after production and quickly begins to degrade after opening, especially if not stored correctly. (Source) For safety sake, buy a new bottle. Also, you must make fresh every 24 hours and keep it out of sunlight. And you must clean thoroughly before using bleach as it won’t penetrate organic materials. (Remember when I said bleach is tricky. Now you see why.)
When trying to find a source for the exact concentration and contact time necessary, I found a lot of different answers:
- According to Clorox, dilute at 1:20 (3/4 cup to 1 gallon) and use a contact time of 10 minutes. (Source) However, this is for 7.5% bleach.
- ASPCA says to dilute at 1:32 (1/2 cup to 1 gallon) when using 5.25% bleach. (Source) They do not give a contact time.
- Maddie’s Fund says to use a 1:32 solution of 8.25% bleach but list this as 1/3 cup to 1 gallon, which is incorrect. 1/3 to 1 cup is closer to 1:40 solution. They do list a contact time of 10 minutes. (Source)
Confused? Yeah, it can be. I recommend doing what I do: Use 1 cup disinfectant bleach to 1 gallon of water with a contact time of 15 minutes. This is more than what is required but not so much that it becomes corrosive or toxic. It also is the same as what is listed for Rescue, so you don’t have to worry about mixing them up (but don’t mix the Rescue with bleach as that is toxic). Rinse well after the contact time is up.
Steam
Steam cleaning is the third method I use, but probably the most controversial due to a lack of specifics. No one seems to know at what temperature the parvovirus is killed.
Some studies state that it can be readily inactivated at boiling temperatures which is 212 degrees F. (Source) A good steam cleaner may heat up higher than that, but you have to do your research. It should state what temperature it heats up to. Keep in mind that the further away you are, the more the temperature will decrease. You must keep the steamer close to the surface when using.
A good example of a steam cleaner is the MOSCHE Handheld Pressurized Steam Cleaner on Amazon. It states that “Emits pressurized powerful hot steam (250-270F) for up to 20 minutes!” and the price is less that $50. The Comforday Power Steamer has similar specs but is under $40 on Amazon.
These are just two examples.
Other Chemicals
There are a few other chemicals that are known to kill panleukopenia, such as Potassium peroxymonosulfate( Trifectant® or Virkon). However, I don’t use them so I haven’t included them here. If you have something you think works, always check with the manufacturer to ensure that it says it kills parvovirus or panleukopenia.
Fourth Step: Repeat
It is best that you repeat this process at least two (preferably three) times. This should be done over a period of days, to ensure you’re not tired and come at it fresh each time. I repeat the process to ensure that I don’t miss anything. Also, if for some reason part of my process broke down (the chemical didn’t work or the surface didn’t stay wet long enough) I will catch it the next time. I also like to use at least two, if not three, of the methods I list here.
For more information, check out my page on How to Disinfect Everything After Panleukopenia and a complete list of Resources on Panleukopenia Cleaning.