So, how do you wash your hands before cleaning tanks?

[~*LuvMyKribs*~]

That antibacterial thread in chit-chat made me wonder.

How does everyone clean thier hands before cleaning your fish tanks? What soap do you use? Are some soaps bad?

 

[valerie]

I usually dont' wask my hands before unless i know i have touched chemials or have hand lotion on. When i do wash my hands i dont' use soap as you might leave ressidue on your hands. I just do it with hot water.

 

[Dapple2]

Smae here with the hot water. In fact I'll even wait to take my shower until after I've cleaned the tanks or at least space them well apart. At the aquaculture lab I interned at though, we were required to use a bleach dip, followed by a hot water rinse. Perhaps those tanks are big enough to where any residual bleach doesn't do any harm?

 

[OrionGirl]

Hot water, here. And, I admit that I am probably not as good about this as I should be.

 

[ukclaire]

Hot water for Rupert and myself too.

Regards
Claire

 

[DEmigh]

I'm a little compulsive about handwashing, so when I want to work on the aquarium and realize that I just washed my hands I have to sit on em' for a while. Then I rinse with the hottest water I can stand, dry with paper towels, and sit on em' a while longer...

After the second or third rinse, I finally feel safe to work in the tanks.

 

[kveeti]

Another for a long rinse under hot water, rubbing up my entire arms. Because I have to use the utility sink in the basement, I also drape the taps with one of my aquarium towels (washed in hot water) over the taps, so when I turn off the water, I'm not touching anything that may be on the taps.

 

[~*LuvMyKribs*~]

I use hot water too. But from i've learned it doesn't do that good of a job removing bacteria. Especially because our skin is full of little crevasses that house germs. But i guess these aren't extremely hazardous to our fish?

I was just wondering if there were any natural soaps that would be safe for aquariums and good for removing germs.

 

[LMOUTHBASS]

jeez

you guys are compulsive! i don't unless i touched some chems or something but i wash em good when im though cleaning

 

[Slappy*McFish]

I usually just give them a quick rinse under warm tapwater, my hands generally are already pretty clean when I'm at home. I'm not worried about bacteria on my hands getting into the fish tank ...the tank has far more bacteria than my hands. Though, I usually just make sure my hands are free of soaps, detergents, lotions, etc, before putting them in my tanks.