Alkaline Products Can Dissolve Everything, Even the Skin of a Strawberry

By now everyone knows to rinse your produce under the flow of water before eating. Many people still don’t know that fruits and other produce bought from the grocery store are covered with a thin layer of wax and pesticides to prevent spoilage. Removing the wax is as easy as soaking the produce in a solution of water and baking soda for no more than 15 minutes. Rinse, of course, but using the alkaline solution will dissolve the wax and any pesticides leaving you with safe/healthy produce to enjoy. However, forgetting to rinse, or leaving the alkaline solution on the produce for longer than 15 minutes will lead to the solution dissolving the produce itself. It will break down the skin of the produce and will destroy the texture and flavor of the fruit. Dissolving is the power and the danger of alkaline products. And have you considered what it can do to your surgical devices and even to your skin?

If you get an alkaline solution on your skin, of anything above a pH of 9, you will be in for a nasty surprise. At the very least, the solution will cause irritation and itching, and at worst, you will develop a rash with blisters as the solution dissolves your skin. If you breathe in the fumes of an alkaline solution or consume some, the recommendation is to seek urgent medical attention and to contact a poison control center. Alkaline solutions, especially ones used for cleaning, are no joke. Special care and handling must be done to protect the users of the product when items are cleaned. Importantly, use PPE when handling contaminated devices and when using caustic cleaners. Yet, we see so many of these products, especially environmental wipes being used everyday in clinics and healthcare facilities, and sometimes applied by staff without gloves.

Sterilization containers and surgical instruments are subjected to repeated wash cycles and exposure to a variety of chemical agents. Imagine, repeated use of alkaline detergents when rinsing is overlooked and everything is left to marinade in a stew of residual chemicals. We've previously discussed the potential dangers to us and to reusable devices when caustic cleaners are used. I have seen environmental wipes with pH of 12 repeatedly used to clean surfaces as well as sterilization containers without rinsing. We've observed containers going into cart washers with alkaline detergents, acid neutralizers and a caustic sheeting agent to follow. It is no surprise then that the results after "cleaning" are white powder residue build up, containers stripped of their anodized seal, and damaged or corroded surgical equipment. Just like the fruits and vegetables and the tasty strawberry we refer to above, medical devices are being damaged by the same alkaline processes that dissolve the protective skin of the fruit.

We know with over 30 years of experience developing surgical devices that alkaline cleaners dissolve surfaces and create corrosion. Yes that happens on our containers, too. That is why we recommend a pH neutral enzymatic or non-enzymatic detergent to clean SteriTite containers and reusable devices. Remember to follow with a thorough rinse. In this way, you will retain the useful life of our containers and your devices too. We cannot guarantee the results if you decide to use a wipe off-label, or a cart washer with a caustic cleaner, or an alkaline cleaner in your automated washer. If you sterilize devices in low temperature units, plan for proper cleaning, rinsing and drying after each use. And if you see white powder, wash it away. Investigate your process. Look for those caustic chemicals in your department. Remeber, with our SteriTite container, you can restore it, if not terribly damaged, when you run it in an autoclave.

Keep it simple. Avoid the unnecessary use of alkaline detergents. Consider Case Solutions and Supernova EPA Safer Choice certified cleaners to retain the useful life of our SteriTite containers and your critical devices. If you must use a wipe, use one that is pH neutral, non-caustic and validated for the intended purpose, like our PentaWipes for routine use. Follow with a rinse under the flow of water or consider our Rinse Wipes when your sink and washers are occupied. Hazardous chemicals are not helping to speed the process. Enzymes do. You can avoid cancelled cycles from chemical residue, or porous surfaces when you clean and rinse properly after use. You will retain the useful life of devices. Clean, don't dissolve; it's unecessary and potentially harmful, too. And remember to rinse your fruits and vegetables. Yum, Yum!

Visit us anytime at www.casemed.com to learn more about our products and services. We are here to help. Case Medical is a U.S. EPA SAFER CHOICE Partner or the Year for Manufacturer Formulator and recognized in NJ as Innovative Manufacturer of the Year.

Kindest Regards,

Marcia Frieze and the Case Medical team