Antiseptics and Disinfectants

The following is a list of different classes of chemicals/compounds used as cleansing agents, antiseptics, and disinfectants or, as in the case of glutarldehyde based compounds, as cold sterilants. As you go through other parts of this course you may be referred back to this site for review of these important chemicals/compounds.

For proper selection of antiseptics or disinfectants, it is important for you to be familiar with what the following compounds can and cannot do. For example, as mentioned above, only glutaraldehyde-based compounds are considered effective in sterilizing instruments and then only after 10 or more contact hours.

Many of the chemicals/compounds listed below are either commonly used at UAF or are provided for historical or comparative purposes. Click on the class of chemical/compound for an overview and a discussion of specific products.

You are expected to be familiar with the compounds you are using whether they are for surgical prep of an animal or the disinfection of a cage or animal room floor.