Chemical/Biological Cleaning Question

Well first off we have to know what type of materials we're cleaning here....is it glass, stainless steel, neoprene, all the above? As we know protein loves to cling to stainless, glass, not so much, and rubber I wouldn't think would be reusable...

Many materials in the blood sample pathway - stainless fittings, ceramic ports, silicone tubing, neoprene tubing, polyurethane tubing.

Looking primarily for cleaning rather than disinfecting (in this case).

In order to cook meat so that there are no ill effects to the consumer the meat must be maintained at at least 160°F, or more, for some time.

Humans cannot tolerate contact with water that hot. Water sprayed on a steel table will instantly cool, unless it is constantly replaced with fresh, HOT water. Don't even talk about a cloth soaked in "hot water".

While I am not qualified to render an opinion on this, I would never knowingly be admitted to any institution that used only hot water to clean their facility.

I can't imagine any hospital/entity that could possibly get JCAHO (What is JCAHO) accreditation using hot water as a disinfectant/cleaning agent.

First of all you need to make sure the differentiation between cleaning and disinfection is clear. If you are trying to clean (a protein build-up) then a detergent or cleaning agent would be better than a disinfectant such as bleach. Someone well-placed in the medical equipment industry once told me, regarding the cleaning/sterilisation of such equipment, that they had found that the most important part of the cleaning/sterilisation cycle was the high-temperature flush (they flushed through for several minutes at up to 95degC). But I suspect that this is more for sterilisation than for cleaning. They would not want, or be able, to use hot water alone.

The solution used to clean black money is grape flavor Kool-Aid mix, water, and chocolate syrup*.

If this solution can turn black slips of worthless paper into hunnerd dollar bills, it should be good to clean just about anything.

* This formula is protected; Rights to formulate yourself may be purchased by contacting LynDoor Industries.

These people make a proper labware detergent, you might want to look.

http://www.piercenet.com/products/browse.cfm?fldID=03020102&WT.mc_id=go_RBS_tom&gclid=CMH5sJ7z1bACFSITNAodhWSH2Q

Ought to work like Draino. Active ingredient is NaOH.

Well I would think that prion contamination would be a major concern,, they are not easily disposed of...

This from Infection control today mag...There is a whole list of procedures in the article...

". Cleaning is considered to be the removal of visible dirt, soil, organic matter or other foreign material from an instrument or object. Cleaning generally means the removal of, rather than the killing of, microorganisms.¹ There are basic principles of washing instruments, whether by hand or machine:

• Use a cool-water rinse to remove gross debris.
• Fat or protein sediments and debris dried to the instrument surface may require an enzyme detergent soak.
• Water temperature should be less than 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Choose a detergent compatible with the makeup of the surgical instrument.^1"

http://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/articles/2002/04/infection-control-today-04-2002-optimum-cleaning.aspx

There are a variety of machines and mostly enzyme cleaners used...

http://www.robbinsinstruments.com/instrumentcare/csolution.html

I'd think that a labware detergent might be more effective. For dried blood Hydrogen Peroxide is very effective,

Knowing what your trying to dissolve, render inert sterilize will be 90% of the battle.

This is the stuff I'm familiar with for general lab cleaning. http://www.alconox.com/downloads/pdf/techbull_liquinox.pdf

Most human cells are protected with enzymes against oxidation processes. There is a natural oxidation process that takes place in human bodies all the time. That is how the body rids itself of dead or dying cells. The healthy cell near a dying cell protects itself from the oxidation processes by enzymes like catalase or peroxidase.When a cell dies it discharges a small amount of peroxide and that will cause lysis that will help the body carry the dead cell out through the blood stream.

Although chlorine bleach is a powerful oxidizer, you may get better results with an agent like peroxide. Peroxide like chlorine is another powerful oxidizer. The main advantage would be that peroxide breakdown forms oxygen that then forms with itself to form oxygen gas O2. It is the same process you see if you pore peroxide on a cut and the foaming action. When you apply peroxide to protein and blood particles, the reaction will be to break the double bonds and the byproduct of the oxygen will help to detach the particle from its attachment to the equipment. Chlorine does not form the same O2 that will carry the product or detach the product. You still run the risk of having some particles remain attached.

I would suggest you look into lab reagent peroxide or even sodium percarbonate for use in you cleaning process. Peroxide in high concentration will also act as a disinfectant. There are no known adverse byproducts formed with the peroxide. Chlorine is a better disinfectant but it can form many byproducts of undesirable nature.

Good suggestion using peroxide. Research or technical peroxide is VERY highly concentrated and is usually cut to 3 to 4 % for mere mortals at the drug store. At concentrations of 50% it can be most dangerous to tissue. I would suggest cutting it down and use of all the lab apparel I could muster.

Hi Sid, you probably have heard Wofgang Pauli's statement, that "bulk is from G'd but the surface belongs to the devil". While I personally do not deal directly with lab- nor med-equipment, sometimes I do have to clean at home some kitchen-related things. From my experience, somehow-never really investigated this annoying fact-hot water tends to close the respective surfaces and there's no way to get to the lower, softer strata/bulk. IMHO this is the phase where mechanics come into the picture : I/You have to bend the surface You want/have to clean in order to crack the coagulated stuff so that the hot water/disinfectant will be able to get into the cracks and, again, with mechanics, it will help move the unwanted debris.Best would be to use hot water and, IF POSSIBLE some kind of detergent in order to help water's mechanics do a better job.

Tony's advice to call the manufacturer is the best advice on here. Unless you are an expert on the physical and chemical properties of every component of every device and a microbiologist, I'd suggest not guessing or experimenting. Lyn also posted a link to the JCAHO, which has a 24/7 tech line. In a hospital situation, guessing and experimenting with safety procedures is not an option.

This is much more complicated than just cleaning. H202 is an excellent killer of germs depending on the strength and Chlorine Dioxide is even better in some cases and leaves no toxic residue such as chlorine leaves behind when it comes in contact with organic material you create cancer causing agents.Both can attack rubber hoses and cause swelling and deterioration. Iodine solutions are used at times to flush out lines and tanks used for food preparation. As for the protein issue I would contact some companies that specialize in this area and are certified by some accredited agency. Chlorine would not be a first choice for me due to the side effects.

The only way that I know to absolutely disinfect is to use an autoclave........you must provide an elevated pressure and temperature to render microbes dead......viruses on the other hand are more difficult to kill off, even with an autoclave. This is what is used to disinfect surgical and dental equipment.

The 'protein buildup' is fibrin, notoriously difficult to remove, and made worse by time at room temperature, heat, and some chemicals.

http://www.astm.org/Standards/D7225.htm

Sodium hypochlorite is reported to be better at removing fibrin and other protein than enzyme detergents. Probably beats hot water too.

i would think there is some government healthcare regulations you would be mandatory to work by.. just a thought.