How do you sterilize stuff?

submitted almost 12 years ago by joekerr37

Just wondering, how do you guys sterilze your stuff... bottles, syringes, etc.

I was watching an RBA video and the guy took a torch to his silica wick before using it for a flavor wick. He did this to 'sterilize' it (although he could have easily just used a lighter).

Anyway, I re-use my plastic bottles and don't really do anything to them other than let some distilled water soak in them.

So any 'sterilizing' practices that you guys do?

Comments

3 points

by onions_can_be_sweetalmost 12 years agoMixologist

You can put things in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes to kill microbes.

Sometimes a dishwasher can be used.

Either of these methods will kill bacteria and microbes, but will not kill fungal spores or prions (the latter are probably not an issue with e-juice).

Too much heat will melt plastics. Some plastic bottles are particularly wussy.

Rinsing in hydrogen peroxide will sterilize things. Usually 35% is used with a cycle time of 6 seconds (works fast), but you could probably use 3% and just let it soak a bit. Alcohol will kill most microbes too.

I don't generally bother with sterilizing bottles and syringes. I wash them with soap and water then rinse them in clear water, and let them completely air dry. These are for my own use only, when I sell juice it is in new bottles (probably cleaner from the factory than I could make them at home).

Heating a silica wick with a torch sterilizes it, yeah... but that's not really the point. The point is to clean it of oils and other combustible debris which might interfere with flavour.

Also, PG is supposed to be anti-microbial. They fog hospital surgeries with it, and it is amazing stuff for doing that because it is super-effective at killing airborne microbes and non-toxic to humans.

3 points

by mxjfalmost 12 years ago

I work at a hospital as a sterilization tech and I've never seen fog in the ORs

We do however use a UV strobe light dealio to kill MRSA and C. diff and other nasty stuff.

2 points

by onions_can_be_sweetalmost 12 years agoMixologist

I think the PG fogging is fairly innovative. I'm pretty sure I found the link to the article about it on /r/ecr, but I'm too tired for more than a failed cursory search. I should learn to save the interesting ones.

1 points

by CoalCreekalmost 12 years ago

Since you're a sterilization tech, I hope you don't mind me asking this. I've wondered about it a few times. Once you sterilize something (say a tool), how do you keep it sterile until it's used? I believe it goes into some sealed plastic package. My question; how did the inside of that plastic package become sterile? I'm just curious.

3 points

by mxjfalmost 12 years ago

That would be instrument processing downstairs that handles that, but we would use ethylene oxide gas to sterilize anything that would melt in the autoclaves.

1 points

by P_Schrodensisover 11 years ago

There are autoclave-resistant bags in which you can seal an item so that the interior of the bag gets sterilized along with its contents and it then can remain sealed until use. Don't know if that's the common practice in hospitals tho.

3 points

by gonzolifealmost 12 years ago

Sterilization is an absolute term, you guys are talking about sanitizing. If you wanted to make bottles or syringes completely sterile you would pressure cook them for 10-15 minutes at 15 psi.

1 points

by mxjfalmost 12 years ago

Just took this picture at work for the hell of it.

http://i.imgur.com/9PXIIvh.jpeg

Steam sterilizer

1 points

by LlamaOfLuciferalmost 12 years ago

Isopropyl Alchohol bath.

1 points

by over9000almost 12 years ago

Everclear

1 points

by theBigDaddioalmost 12 years agoMixologist

bleach solution, just like I do for brewing beer.

1 points

by shortyjacobsalmost 12 years ago

I...er....I rinse it? I guess? Sometimes in hot water, but usually just warm, really.

I also drink directly from the juice jug in the fridge sometimes....am I gonna die?

1 points

by Mellemaalmost 12 years ago

Here is an abstract from a 1991 study.

I use 70% PG (more than double the concentration of the PG in the study), so I'm not worried about any microbes surviving. On top of that, VG is antimicrobial also, I just don't know the levels necessary for it.