Friday, December 19, 2008

Clean your house to keep ringworm from effect.

My momma cat and her kittens got ringworm from a farm kitten my husband brought in to save (it was starving), and now it's turned into a disaster! The cat and 6 kittens are at the vet for treatment because I just couldn't get it under control with cream for them, so I'll be paying through the nose for that, but now I need to take care of the house so we don't all get it. I am very upset! What can I do for carpet and furniture? I read to wash what you can with bleach, but I can't do that for carpet and fabric! Will lysol spray kill the fungus?
Use a disinfectant with high levels of phenol. An example is full strength Lysol - not the spray, but the liquid. This is what hospitals use. It doesn't smell great, but the odor goes away soon after cleaning. I remember in microbiology class, we tested many disinfectants, and this one killed everything in less than 3 minutes! Use this to wipe down all surfaces and mop the floor with it too. You'll need to wash all bedding, and yes, I would also spray regular Lysol on the carpet and furniture, or have it professionally cleaned. The possibility that it has spread on a dry surface is very low because fungi does need water/moisture to survive. I would still clean everything very well though.

I went through a similar situation. my roommate brought a Lynx home. said lynx was horribly infected by ringworm. Ringworm:
Ringworm is a fungus, not a worm. it is the same fungus that causes athletes foot. If you or your any family members have contracted ringworm, you will most likely see signs within the next week. It starts as a single spot, similar to a pimple. On some people it itches. What ever you do, don't scratch it. Scratching the spot will release a spore like reaction spreading the ring worm about your body. Should you suspect that you have contracted ring worm, purchase Lamisil ultra, or generic brand as they have the same active ingredients. Apply a thin layer on the affected area, and cover with a bandage. Scrub under your nails to keep from spreading.
With the carpet and the furniture, i used a rug doctor. General soap and water is the best defense. Carpet and furniture did not likely scratch the animal so infection on the items should be minimal but DO need cleaning. Rug doctor comes with an upholstery cleaning attachment.
Following cleaning, while the furniture is drying, air out your house. once dry, spray with an antibacterial or an anti fungal. You can use the athletes foot creme on the furniture if you are terribly worried about it spreading from the upholstery.
I washed my clothes in tide with bleach, and the fungus never returned.
Remember to apply the cream daily for 7 weeks, even after the affected skin is back to normal. Good luck and dont worry, the carpet and upholstery is probably the easiest thing to clean.
AND!!! the anti fungal CREME is more effective than the spray.
Also, You can mix a little POWDER tide with the rug doctor soap so the bleach included doesnt stain or strip coloring but it removes the fungus effectively.

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