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Once your home has been exposed to Canine Parvovirus, a strict cleaning schedule is in order. If you’re looking for products that KILL Parvo (other than bleach) you’re in the right place!
Does Lysol Kill Parvo?
NO, according Lysol’s own website which lists all of the viruses that their product kills, Canine Parvo virus will NOT be killed by the ingredients in Lysol. But bleach and a few other (non-bleach) cleaning agents absolutely KILL Parvo.
Before bringing another animal into your home you’ll need to arm yourself with products that actually KILL the Parvo virus.
What kills Parvo besides bleach?
In the next section, we will provide links to at least 5 products (other than Clorox bleach) readily available to consumers like you and me which will also KILL the Canine Parvovirus.
The bleach alternates come in the form of:
- Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide
- Potassium Peroxymonosulfate
- Chlorine Dioxide
And the above parvo disinfectants all kill canine parvovirus when used as directed. Even better: most of them work better than bleach on organic material such as yards and have a much longer shelf life.
Take a look at our top picks based on the size of your cleaning needs and then use the rest of this guide to learn how to use each product and how to disinfect for canine parvo. The upcoming table below is what is recommended for household parvo disinfection purposes based on job size and what exactly needs disinfecting.
Animal Industry & Parvo Disinfecting
But first, if you are a dog boarder, groomer, or kennel operator and looking for a Clorox bleach alternative that kills canine parvo, you should definitely investigate the Wysiwash Sanitizer -V (link to product) for 5 reasons:
- Wysiwash kills parvo in about 2 minutes
- It also kills Distemper
- Easy, Direct Dispense via outdoor hose – No mixing required
- Even with Sprayer Investment it costs pennies per gallon.
- Biodegradable and no rinsing required (unlike bleach)
This system is really superior for spraying down and disinfecting dog runs, kennels, artificial turf, concrete, and kennels on a daily basis for both parvo and distemper.
Household Jobs: Parvo Disinfecting Sprays and Tabs (Ready to Use or Concentrate)
If you are not in the animal industry and do not have a constant need to disinfect for canine parvo or distemper, you can definitely get by with any of the following parvo disinfectant spray products and tabs. These parvo sprays and tabs (or powders) don’t require you to invest in equipment like Wysiwash.
Some can even be used directly on your dog as you’re about to see:
Images are Clickable and Link to Product Pricing & Availability  Sniper |   Trifectant |   Rescue |   Virkon-S |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Check Price | Click for Price | Click for Price | Click for Price | Click for Price |
| AWARD | Best Overall | Best Traveler | Kills FAST | Big Jobs |
| Approximate Cost Per Ounce | $$ .37/oz | $ .05/oz | $$$ .65/oz | $ .01/oz |
| Size | 1 Gallon (128 oz) | 50 Tablets Makes 800 oz | 32 Oz | 10 Lb (20,000+oz) |
| Form | Liquid | Tablets | Liquid | Powder |
| Mixing | Ready To Use | 2 Tabs per 32 Oz. Water | Ready or Concentrated | 1 part Powder 100 parts Water |
| Uses | Yard Clothing Carpets Furniture Dog Fur & Paws Hard Surfaces Air | Hard Surfaces | Hard Surfaces | Hard Surfaces Yards Air |
| Contact Time Needed | 10 Minutes | 10 Minutes | 1 or 5 Minute | 10 Minutes |
| Best Features | Eco-Friendly Food Friendly Fur/Paw Friendly | Travels Easy | Kills Parvo FAST | Bulk-Bucket |
| Biggest Drawback | Sometimes on Backorder | Corrosive Irritant Until Mixed | Hard Surfaces Only | Corrosive Irritant Until Mixed |
| Also Kills | Staph MRSA HIV 1 Hepatitis B Legionnaires | Kennel Cough E.Coli Herpes Salmonella Pink Eye Ring Worm | Distemper FIPV Bordella E.Coli Listeria | E.Coli Salmonella Canine Hepatitis Equine Hepes 1, 3 Foot and Mouth |
Bleach Alternatives that Kill Parvo
The alternatives to bleach that will actually KILL Parvo and what thousands of kennels and veterinarian offices use to kill viruses and keep their places clean between clients are available commercially.
While these products cost more than bleach, they are NOT cost prohibitive, especially when you consider that you need to kill one of the most resilient viruses in the world and not a lot of products can do the job.
Here are the bleach alternative products that actually kill Parvo and more information about the best uses. They are in no particular order:
Bleach Alternate 1: Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide – which is in these 3 recommended products:
Accel – Link to Product (Sold in Bulk)
Rescue – Self-Mix Link to Product (Kills in 5 Minutes)
Rescue – Ready to Use Link to Product (Kills in 1 Minute)
One thing to note about Rescue: if you want the ready to use (RTU)parvo disinfectant spray that kills parvo in one minute, it’s sold in the squeeze bottle. The gallon size is a parvo killing concentrate that you dilute and requires 5 minutes of contact time. The links above will take you to the right product.
Recently I noticed that my Veterinarian uses the 1 Minute Rescue (link to product) in their appointment rooms. I’m sure this has everything to do with the fact that Rescue kills canine parvo (and many other viruses and bacteria) in the fastest time.
Here is a picture of Rescue disinfectant spray sitting on my vet’s counter.
It makes perfect sense for veterinarians to use Rescue because they only have so much time in between pet appointments. I know when I walk into the appointment room, the Rescue has been used because I can smell it. Rescue smells clean, and non-offensive.
I keep a bottle of 1 minute rescue in my home because I bathe my dog at the public dog wash tubs located inside Pet Supplies Plus. Before my dog gets in the tub, I spray Rescue on the floor and walls. This ensures that I’ve killed any pathogens left by previous dogs, before my pup enters the tub. In literally 1 minute…I have peace of mind.
Bleach Alternate 2: Potassium Peroxymonosulfate – which is in these 4 products:
Trifectant Commercial Size (link to product)
Trifectant Household Size (link to product)
Virkon Commercial Size -Very Big Jobs
Virkon Household Size (link to product)
These tablet and powder products are also very popular with kennels and boarding locations but they can be used around the home too. Their appeal is that you get a lot of product for the money.
Big kennels or boarders that have high turnover of pets and regularly hose off and disinfect large areas can save a good amount of money by going with Potassium Peroxymonosulfate as their bleach alternates. The tabs also travel well and are popular at animal shows.
If you have a big job or if you do a lot of hosing off of animal equipment, consider Trifectant or Virkon-S. They are highly effective, just be prepared for the chlorine-like smell, which dissipates as the product dries.
Bleach Alternate 3: Chlorine Dioxide – which is in these 2 products called Sniper:
Sniper (gallon size) – Regular Household Jobs – Product Link
Sniper (16 oz. spray) (small jobs product link)
Of all 3 household products, Sniper is the most eco-friendly parvo disinfectant spray of them all. In fact, this product can be used to spritz on your dog’s anus area, and it can be a paw dip if needed.
It’s also reportedly effective when sprayed on clothing, furniture and can be used to clean carpets that have been infected with parvo mess.
Because Sniper is mild, it is commonly diluted and then sprayed directly on dogs and cats for killing viruses and other pathogens of fungus such as ringworm… and it’s used to deskunk pets as well.
Sniper is also used in hospitals for safely disinfecting numerous viruses and pathogens. For Small jobs, consider Sniper in a 16 oz spray, otherwise get the gallon size.
Product Advantages (Non-Bleach)
Some other advantages that these products have over bleach is that some are not as corrosive to metal surfaces or respiratory system (though you’ll still exercise common sense) and most of these do not have to be prepared daily.
When using bleach, you have to use fresh bleach and after mixing, it begins to lose its effectiveness so you cannot use it the next day. Most of these products have a 5-10 day shelf life after mixing – some come ready to use (sniper and rescue) and lasts for years.
Don’t Completely Dismiss Bleach for Killing Parvo
If you are not to get bleach alternatives, bleach is still a really good Parvo killer and should be used where logical. For instance sealed, non-porous surfaces like sinks, dishes, some countertops etc., can handle the 30:1 water/bleach ratio without too much concern.
But you’re right to be concerned with bleach. It is not suitable when color bleeding, or allergies are a concern and bleach becomes deactivated when it comes into contact with organic material.
Therefore, you cannot use bleach effectively when trying to clean near organic material and you can’t use it to clean without worrying about fumes. This is where bleach alternatives that actually KILL Parvo will come in handy.
Why Parvo is So Hard to Kill
On average, an unprotected dog who comes in contact with just a thousand viral particles is at risk of contracting Parvo. When infected dogs shed the virus, they can shed 20-40 million viral particles per ounce of feces. That’s one reason it’s so hard to kill.
Parvo virus has no restrictions when it comes to habitat. It can be on a plush toy, a leather couch, a grassy lawn, a fence post or hiding under snow, which makes it impossible to isolate. If your household has been exposed to Parvo, pretty much every square inch of the house needs to be disinfected.
Finally, Parvo is so hard to kill because it can live for months and sometimes even years on an object. This is why cleaning is not a one-time event. It’s a one-time floor to ceiling followed by a daily routine of cleaning, disinfecting, and wiping down and then possibly a final floor to ceiling, spread over weeks.
So speaking of cleaning, let’s get into the steps required for eliminating your home of Parvovirus.
Steps to Killing Parvo in the Home
Where to Begin
Step 1 – Toss What You Can
Begin by methodically double bagging everything that you can live without. You can spread the Parvo virus across your entire household and it makes no sense to transport old, worn out infected bedding, sheets, clothing etc., to your basement or bedrooms or linen closets if they might carry the virus. So take a good hard look and decide what’s really worth keeping.
Carefully roll up items you will dispose of and set them in large plastic garbage bags. Close the bag up as you move room to room. Wear disposable gloves and change them often (drop them right into the double bagged garbage).
Once the garbage bags are outside, please, do the world a favor and spray a good amount of the 30:1 water/bleach solution directly in the bag before tightly tying it closed. If you are not going to do this step, then you should launder everything rather than spreading Parvo throughout your neighborhood.
Step 2 – Start Disinfecting Laundry, Beginning with the Laundry Room
First, disinfect your laundry room. There is no sense in pulling disinfected blankets out of a dryer only to get re-infected when they touch a contaminated basket.
Launder clothing, bedding, towels, etc., in hot water. Use a good quality detergent and remember to add bleach to whites or Sniper Disinfectant (link) or Rescue – Ready to Use (link) on colors. Many people who use Sniper and Rescue report that they can safely dampen their clothes with the product without fading. However a test spot is always recommended.
If your machine has a pre-soak option; use it. Do laundry in small loads, and use a clothes dryer (on hot) rather than hanging items up to dry.
Keep your clean laundry in the clean laundry area until your home is disinfected.
Step 3 – Choose your Parvo Killer and Start Disinfecting
You can Use any of these products to kill Parvo and we’ll briefly review the procedures below:
- Bleach Labeled for Killing Parvo-such as Clorox.
- Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide such as Accel or Rescue
- Potassium Peroxymonosulfate such as Trifectant or Virkon
- Chlorine Dioxide such as Sniper (most eco-friendly and multi)
Using Bleach to Kill Parvo
Where you can use bleach, go ahead and do so. Clorox regular bleach absolutely, positively kills the Canine Parvovirus when used as directed. In fact their website shares the Parvo killing instructions. Per the Clorox website,
Use ¾ cups of brand new Regular Clorox (not a bottle that has been sitting around) mix with 1 gallon of water. Prewash the surface and then clean the surface using the Clorox solution. Leave to sit for 10 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and air dry.
The brand name of bleach is not important, but the percent of sodium hypochlorite (what we call bleach) in the bottle does matter when it comes to mixing your bleach with water ratio.
Therefore, do not use a bleach that isn’t labeled for killing canine parvo virus. A bleach that is capable of killing canine parvo will proudly say so on the back of the label. After all, they have to pay money to the EPA in order to be rated as an effective canine parvo disinfectant.
TIP – Even though the bleach solution will be diluted, you’ll want a good respirator because it doesn’t take long for your throat to feel scratchy. Wear rubber gloves too and while you’re at it, put on toss away clothes and shoes or cover them.
Use the bleach solution wherever you are comfortable using bleach. Walls, floors, garbage cans, dog dishes, cabinets, windows, sills, cages, beds, shoes, door handles, mats.
The Bleach solution must stay in contact with the surface for at least 10 minutes after which you can rinse off and let air dry. Bleach will not be effective on lawns or porous surfaces and that’s where your bleach alternatives can take over in the battle against Parvo.
Killing Parvo with Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide (AHP)
This is not hydrogen peroxide you buy at the corner drugstore in the brown or green bottle. This is a patented blend of commonly used ingredients all of which are considered safe that combine with low levels of hydrogen peroxide.
As a result of the combination, accelerated hydrogen peroxide can kill germs and viruses that individually, these ingredients are not capable of killing. For example: ACP kills Canine Parvovirus.
Some are RTU (ready to use) some requiring dilution. Mix the ACP according as directed on the packaging.
Before attempting to use on a carpet or couch, make sure you spot test. Depending on your fabric and what dyes were used, it could be okay or not. Most reviews have great results when using on color worry fabrics. But always do your own test first.
Killing Parvo with Potassium Peroxymonosulfate
Besides being a mouthful, Potassium Peroxymonosulfate is an oxidizing agent and it comes in powder or tablet form. You prepare the solution in advance and its ability to kill the Parvo virus lasts for 7 days after it’s mixed.
It retains its effectiveness longer than bleach when applied to organic material such as earth and grass. While the concentrated powder can cause skin and eye burning, when mixed property with water skin irritation is practically eliminated. Always wear protection on hands and eyes.
Killing Parvo with Chlorine Dioxide (Sniper)
Of all of the parvo cleaners: bleach, Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide, and Potassium Peroxymonosulfate, and Chlorine Dioxide, it is Chlorine Dioxide that is the safest to use around the house, humans and dogs (birds and cats too).
If you need to spray clothing and you don’t want it to stain, then Sniper is the product with the best odds. Or, if you have to clean a stained carpet, couch or blankets, etc., then Sniper Disinfectant (link to product) should at least be in your arsenal.
It is ready to use and can be diluted and still effective. They give great information on cleaning laundry, carpets and sniper can even safely be used to spritz a parvo covered dog (like when feces sticks to fur).
Sniper is commonly used directly on dogs and cats to treat ringworm, deodorize anal glands and to “de-skunk” a curious pet.
Killing Parvo with High Heat or Freezing Temps
Heat – This has not proven successful at killing Parvo. Wash your dishes with the bleach solution and then run them through the dishwasher. Repeat daily, then weekly. A washing machine using hot water is not enough to kill Parvo. Bleach must be added.
Freezing – Unfortunately the Parvo virus is like a perennial plant of the east and highly capable of over-wintering. The combination of warming temperatures and melting snow (snow that was burying Parvo infested feces) makes spring a prime time for Parvo breakouts.
Killing Parvo Outside of the Home
Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide, Chlorine Dioxide and Potassium Peroxymonosulfate are far more effective when used outside because they don’t degrade like bleach as soon as they hit organic materials.
However, best results for dealing with parvo on lawns, rocks, soil and anything organic is either:
Sniper Hospital Disinfectant (Link) or
Although I went with Sniper (because it’s so versatile), both companies responded immediately to my questions about using their product on grass, dirt and mulch. Both agree that it’s difficult due to the nature of all the crevices, but if you can get the area saturated for the required amount of time, it will kill the parvo virus.
For yard application, they both recommended using a pump sprayer with a fan pattern broadcaster and soak the lawn. Alternatively, you can use a cheaper handheld sprayer that happens to come with the fan pattern nozzle like this one: pesticide sprayer (link to product info) that are commonly used for weed killing spray or insect spraying.
For a quick read on How Long Parvo Lives in Soil: Click Here.
Tips for Cleaning After Parvo
- Avoid Using Mops. The best way to clean floors is with a spray bottle and disposable rags (old socks or t-shirts) for wiping clean and then tossing the rag.
- When using the washing machine, do not overload. You need lots of room for the bleach or Sniper to help.
- Use the clothes dryer vs. line drying Parvo contaminated clothing and bedding.
- No matter which produce you are using, they might irritate people and animals at their concentrated levels. As you dilute them they become much less abrasive but still: use a mask, gloves and never let the dangerous ones be ingested.
- A one-time cleaning is not enough. It’s accompanied by a daily wiping and cleaning routine with products that KILL Parvo.
- Whichever disinfectant you decide to use to kill the Parvovirus, make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions for dilution, for application and make sure you leave it the product to sit for the required contact time in order for proper disinfection to occur.
Words of Encouragement when Eradicating Parvo
I’d like to wrap this up with some words of encouragement.
Cleaning after Parvo infection may seem very daunting but countless people live through the process every year and successfully bring another dog into their home. Try not to think of the problem in its entirety but break it down into the steps. Get your products ready and take it step by tiny step.
After your one-time cleaning, your house will be extremely clean and in good order, which makes the follow up cleanings a lot easier than you are currently anticipating because a clean house is just easier to keep cleaning.
You’ve got this!
Thanks for visiting SeniorDogDays!