Guide to steralization

i finally managed to get 100ml isopropyl alcohol after answering about a million questions (they’re very strick about selling it here)

when they say ‘cleanse stylet tip and tweezer’ do they mean a quick dip in the alcohol and then let it dry because i presume if you thoroughly clean the stylet tip with alcohol it will probably bend.

the alcohol is in a bottle so is it ok if i just dip the tweezer and stylet tip inside the bottle or do i have to pour out some alcohol into another container and then dip it in that?

[ August 03, 2002, 02:20 PM: Message edited by: allowit ]

Where do you live where they hassle you for trying to purchase rubbing alcohol? Is it in the USA? In the wake of the terrorist activity I am no totally surprised but that is still ridiculous!

BTW, it would probably be best to use the 91% alcohol for sterilizing instruments. It is a little harder to find but Target and Wal Mart usually have it.

RJC2001

I can’t believe they gave you a hard time about rubbing alcohol! Maybe they thought you were going to try to drink it (which can make you go blind).

You should soak the stylet and tweezer tips in a shallow amount of alcohol (enough to cover it completely. Let it sit for a few minutes. You should also swab down the machine with the stuff before and after treatment with a alcohol-soaked cotton ball.

If you can’t find alcohol, you could use bleach. Just be causeful not to satin anything, and to wash your hands if you get bleach on htem.

From what I know about some of the home electrolysis kits is that they come with one needle, (probe, stylet). However, to sterilize one of these you need to use a dry heat sterilizer, auto clave, etc. When you clean things with alochol you are just disinfecting it.

Good pooint, electro. Barring an autoclave, at-home people could boil their needles for 5 to 10 minutes.

However, soaking them in bleach for a few minutes, followed by a rinse in hot (preferably boiling) water, and a wipe-down with alcohol should kill pretty much anything on the probes.