| Tip:
Before autoclaving, lubricate all instruments that have moving parts. Use surgical
lubricants rather than industrial oils, as they are superior for surgical instruments. |
|
Most hospitals and practices use the Steam Autoclave for
sterilizing instruments. If this is your method, there are a few important points to
remember. First, only use distilled water for filling your
sterilizer resevoir. Tap water contains minerals that will cause staining, if left
to stand or dry on the instrument.
Second, if your autoclave has a steam line filter, clean it regularly
using the manufacturer's recommendations as a minimum guide.
Clean the inside of the chamber once a week. This will prevent
build-up of scale and will allow the sterilizer to operate more efficiently. To
clean the inside chamber, follow these steps:
 | Turn the unit off and allow chamber to cool. |
| Remove trays and racks. |
| Using towels, remove any water laying in the bottom of the autoclave. |
| Spray the inside walls of the unit with an approved solution, such as
Spectrum's Spectra-Clave™. Allow the solution to
stand five minutes (or as instructed on the bottle). |
| Using a stiff, nylon-bristle brush, brush the inside chamber very
aggressively. |
| after brushing, wipe the inside clean with clean towels. |
| Finally, using a moist towel, wipe the gasket clean on the inside of the
door. |
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