Product Care
Caring and protecting an instrument after its use play a vital role in creating long lasting durability and trouble-free experience, instruments maintenance is as necessary as using them. All Liberta International Techno reusable stainless steel instruments are autoclaveble and highly resistant to corrosion since having maximum percentage of Chromium and Nickel in them, but exposing stainless steel instruments to certain chemicals will corrode and discolour them.
Instruments should never be exposed to the contents that are not particularly produced to be used with medical instruments or for instruments cleaning and sterilization etc. There are certain chemicals that are extremely harmful for the instruments that includes Mercury Chloride, Mercury Salts, Phenol, Potassium Permanganate, Potassium Thiocyanate, Sodium Hypochlorite (bleach), Stannous Chloride, Sulfuric Acid and Tartaric Acid (Tarter & Stain Remover), Carbolic Acid, Chlorinated Lime, Citric Acid, Dakin’s Solution, Ferric Chloride, Ferrous Chloride, Hydrochloric Acid, Iodine, Lysol®, Tarter and Stain Remover, Aluminum Chloride, Aqua Regia, Barium Chloride, Bichloride of Mercury, Calcium Chloride, Chlorine or Chlorinated products, Household Bleach, these chemicals would adversely react to the instruments and can destroy them.
General Care & Maintenance
- Use instruments only for the purpose they were designed for.
- Handle instruments gently – avoid bouncing, dropping or overstraining.
- Soak instruments in Haemosol etc. to loosen blood and soil from box locks, ratchets, hinges etc. Clean instruments immediately after use to prevent blood and other debris from drying on to the surface. Blood causes a stain which is difficult to remove, and saline solution is highly corrosive to stainless steel.
- Rinse all cleaning residue thoroughly off the instrument.
- Use distilled or dematerialized water only for washing and rinsing as well as for sterilizing, along with a nylon brush, nylon pot scrubber and low-sudsing, near-neutral detergent (pH 7-a). Normal tap water will leave deposits on the instruments due to the high mineral content.
- Do not use steel wool, wire brushes, highly abrasive cleaners or detergents with a high pH (B-9) as this will damage the passive layer or skin of your instrument. The so-called passivation process during manufacturing forms a thin protective film on the surface of the stainless steel instrument.
- Through constant use and repeated processing an instrument will actually passivate itself. Older instruments are well protected by a tough layer of passivation as a result of hundreds of washings, dryings and sterilizations.
- Keep box locks and ratchets open when cleaning and sterilizing instruments. Disassemble all instruments with removable parts.
- Immediately after cleaning dip instruments in a water-soluble lubricant such as Instrument Milk, Preplube etc. Do not rinse or wipe off – the protection film of the lubricant should remain on the instrument throughout sterilization and storage. If ultrasonic cleaning methods are used it is essential to lubricate with Instrument Milk. Keep box locks, ratchets, hinges and serrations Free of any debris. If substances are allowed to build up in the box lock the instrument will become stiff and be subjected to misalignment and cracking.
- Thoroughly dry the instruments before wrapping them. Any remaining moisture, particularly in the boxmlocks, hinges and crevices may result in corrosion.
- Make sure your reusable instrument wrappers are rinsed thoroughly to remove all residues of the detergents used for laundering, otherwise staining or corrosion might occur during steam sterilization.
- Never mix stainless steel instruments with instruments of dissimilar material (carbon steel, copper, brass, aluminum). If a plated instrument is chipped or peeled an electrolytic action will carry particles from the exposed metal on to the surface of the stainless steel instrument. To eliminate problem replace all plated instruments with stainless steel, if possible.
- Never put stainless steel instruments and plated instruments together in the ultrasonic cleaner, as electrolysis will cause corrosion or etching on the stainless steel instruments.
- Avoid contact corrosion. Always keep stained or corroded instruments away from impeccable stainless steel instruments.