A comparison of the antibacterial action of five udder washes.

Five commercially available udder washes were tested for antibacterial action. Four contained iodine and one chlorhexidine. Each product was used exclusively for 10 days and its bactericidal action compared with that of water. Bactericidal activity was demonstrated in all five washes but the chlorine based product performed better than the iodine washes. However, the results suggested that the skin of cows' teats can be cleansed with water as effectively as with an added product.