Frequently Asked Questions about Autoclaves and Sterilizers

What is the right temperature to run a sterilizer at?
It depends on many variables.
1)are the instruments bagged or not.
2) what is the specifications of the product you are sterilizing.
3) how long will the cycle be? the autoclave temperature chart will give this answer.

Do I have to bag my instruments?
If you want to use the instruments right after the sterilizer comlete its cycle, then you do not need to bag your instruments. However, if you want to use the instruments in a future date, you will need to bag them.

How often should I test my sterilizer?
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) vol. 42/No. RR-9 calls for once a week. Proper functioning of sterilization cycles should be verified by the periodic use (at least weekly) of biological indicators (i.e. spore tests).

Heat sensitive chemical indicators (e.g. those that change color after exposure to heat) alone do not ensure adequacy of a sterilization cycle but may be used on the outside of each pack to identify packs that have been processed through the heating cycle. Spore Testing is the ultimate test.

How do I clean the sterilizer? and how often should I do it?
* If you run 6 cycle per day, you should clean it once a week.
* With wet cloth clean the face of the chamber and the gasket.
* Use sterilizer cleaner to run a cycle with. Alfa Clean will do the job.

I Would like to use Hufriedy Cassettes.  Which sterilizer shall I get?
* It depends on the size of cassettes you want to use.  There are several Instrument Cassette which you can use.