Cleaning is the removal of foreign material (e.g., soil, and organic material) from objects and is normally accomplished using water with detergents or enzymatic products.  Thorough cleaning is required before high-level disinfection and sterilization because inorganic and organic materials that remain on the surfaces of instruments interfere with the effectiveness of these processes.  Also, if soiled materials dry or bake onto the instruments, the removal process becomes more difficult and the disinfection or sterilization process less effective or ineffective.  Surgical instruments should be presoaked or rinsed to prevent drying of blood and to soften or remove blood from the instruments.

Manual cleaning is done in use areas without mechanical units (e.g., ultrasonic cleaners or washer-disinfectors) or for fragile or difficult-to-clean instruments.  With manual cleaning, the two essential components are friction and fluidics.  Friction (e.g., rubbing/scrubbing the soiled area with a brush) is an old and dependable method.  Fluidics (i.e., fluids under pressure) is used to remove soil and debris from internal channels after brushing and when the design does not allow passage of a brush through a channel.  When a washer-disinfector is used, care should be taken in loading instruments: hinged instruments should be opened fully to allow adequate contact with the detergent solution; stacking of instruments in washers should be avoided; and instruments should be disassembled as much as possible.  For more detail on manual cleaning, see The Center For Disease Controls “Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities, 2008” at www.cdc.gov. 

ATS, Inc. provides products and services to assist your office in its endeavor for sterility assurance, protecting yourself, your patients and staff from the spread of harmful communicable diseases.

DID YOU KNOW?

§       Autoclave Testing Service, Inc. is one of the first companies nationwide to offer a Mail-In sterilizer monitoring service using biological indicators.  Serving the healthcare industry throughout the United States and Canada since 1986, we have thousands of satisfied customers.

§       We have on-line test results allowing you to access your results at your convenience!  Your Sterilizer Test Report (STR) is posted on-line upon completion of culturing, offering minimum turn-around time.

§       We have 24-hour test results for Steam sterilizers!

§       We have a comprehensive Glossary of Terms related to the sterile processing area (scroll below to view the Glossary).  This is invaluable information, assisting you with this important area of your facility.

ATS, Inc. now stocks sterilization pouches, sterilizer cleaners, chemical indicator products, sterilizers (new and used), ultrasonic cleaners, water distillers, and more!  (see Supplies).