Glutaraldehyde Concentrate

[SinisterSOB]

Hello,

I was wondering if anybody in the Seattle area knows where I can get any glutaraldehyde? The LFS told me to contact the GSAS, but I thought I might stop by here first and ask if anybody knows where I can find this organic carbon.

Thanks for any help.

Chris

[Seattle_Aquarist]

Hi Chris,

I purchase 50% concentration Glutaraldehyde by the liter from the East Coast; the Hazmat and shipping charges are almost as expensive as the chemical.

I offer it to my fellow GSAS Members either in concentrate or for those that are not knowledgeable or comfortable working with concentrated chemicals I dilute it to Excel strength.

[SinisterSOB]

Originally Posted by Seattle_Aquarist

Hi Chris,

I purchase 50% concentration Glutaraldehyde by the liter from the East Coast; the Hazmat and shipping charges are almost as expensive as the chemical.

I offer it to my fellow GSAS Members either in concentrate or for those that are not knowledgeable or comfortable working with concentrated chemicals I dilute it to Excel strength.

That would be excellent! The diluted formula would work great, and would save money on Excel. How can I purchase it from you?

[alfalfa]

I was about to mop my floors with a new cleanser over the weekend. I diluted it more than the instructions called for. I read the label and it said you could use it to clean walls and bathrooms, so I tried a little area and it definitely took the grime off... because it was melting the paint off! My sponge quickly became caked with paint goo. I read the label a little more. The only ingredient mentioned was where it said "Contains: Glutaraldehyde" and that was among all the warnings.

After a while my lungs were irritated enough that I felt like I was getting a chest cold so I dumped it out. I had to leave that area for a few hours. It wasn't a bad experience, but the universe was telling me I needed to back off and not push it. I'm very careful when I handle things like this and I can understand why people might be hesitant to mess with it. If anyone is unsure about messing with it, leave the preparation to someone else.

[dbosman@msu.edu]

Originally Posted by SinisterSOB

I was wondering if anybody in the Seattle area knows where I can get any glutaraldehyde? s

Any hospital supply shop will carry some % solution. Usually Cidex or Metracide.

[tankfish]

I can give you a gatorade bottle sized that I got for free, but I only come up to Seattle every two weeks or so. Let me know

[OverStocked]

Originally Posted by alfalfa

I was about to mop my floors with a new cleanser over the weekend. I diluted it more than the instructions called for. I read the label and it said you could use it to clean walls and bathrooms, so I tried a little area and it definitely took the grime off... because it was melting the paint off! My sponge quickly became caked with paint goo. I read the label a little more. The only ingredient mentioned was where it said "Contains: Glutaraldehyde" and that was among all the warnings.

After a while my lungs were irritated enough that I felt like I was getting a chest cold so I dumped it out. I had to leave that area for a few hours. It wasn't a bad experience, but the universe was telling me I needed to back off and not push it. I'm very careful when I handle things like this and I can understand why people might be hesitant to mess with it. If anyone is unsure about messing with it, leave the preparation to someone else.

Why are you cleaning your house with a hospital disinfectant and where did you buy it from? Metricide and Cidex are the commonly available ones, and they aren't designed to clean the floor or walls. they are designed for cold sterilization of surgical instruments like endoscopes that can't be autoclaved.

It isn't a soap and don't think it would be particularly useful to scrub things. It doesn't work like that.

[Seattle_Aquarist]

Hi Chris,

It was good meeting you today at APFP; let me know how the Nymphoides sp 'Taiwan' does for you!

[alfalfa]

Originally Posted by OverStocked

Why are you cleaning your house with a hospital disinfectant and where did you buy it from?

I ignorantly intended to use a product marketed as a household cleanser to clean my house. It's not like I knowingly and purposely put it in my fish tanks.

It is made by Colgate, called "Fabuloso", and we bought it at Target. Colgate lists some ingredients but conveniently doesn't list glutaraldehyde as an ingredient on their Fabuloso webpage. Ironically, they don't list any ingredients except for glutaraldehyde on the label:

Warnings: Irritating to eyes, respiratory system and skin. Contains Glutaraldehyde. Keep out of reach of children. In case of contact with eyes or skin, rinse immediately with water and seek medical advice. May cause sensitization by skin contact. Wear rubber gloves. Do not drink.

I also found confirmed the ingredients and other people having health problems from it by googling fabuloso glutaraldehyde.

The moment I saw the paint goo and found out glutaraldehyde was in it, we disposed of it. Keep in mind I never actually spent time using it. All I did was overdilute it in a gallon of water, dipped a sponge in it, and made some of the paint melt off of a test area on a door jam. I was having respiratory problems shortly thereafter. It wasn't that bad but I've had a slight cough since I used it a week ago. I had the feeling that I needed to get rid of it and get out of the area, especially since we become accustomed to smells and not realize it until too late.

It isn't a soap and don't think it would be particularly useful to scrub things. It doesn't work like that.

I'm not sure about scrubbing, but it will definitely remove some things just by applying and wiping it off, like that pesky paint that has a tendency to stick to walls. Nasty stuff.