Cleaning / Decontamination; Care And Cleaning Of Stainless Steel - Thermo Scientific 1500 A2 Series Operating Manual

Cleaning / Decontamination

Section 5
Several procedures can be used for decontaminating the biological safety
cabinet. Which procedure is selected, depends on the potential risk
imminent in the agents used, and/or the degree of cleanliness required by
an experiment or work process.
One possible decontamination procedure is to clean, rinse and dry with a
disinfection liquid or spray, and sterile distilled water.
UV disinfection can also be used. It is particularly suited as a more intense
disinfection after the above procedure.
Autoclaving (sterilization with steam) can be used for treating the
removable stainless steel components. The work tray(s), armrests and paper
catch grids are autoclavable components.
Disinfection with formaldehyde can be performed if a sterile sample
chamber is required for the work procedure. This sterilization procedure is
mandatory before filters are replaced, or before the unit is discarded.
Care and Cleaning of
Stainless steel is a combination of many different metals including iron and
chromium. Iron, the primary element in stainless steel, tends to corrode
Stainless Steel
(rust) when in its natural state. The chromium content in stainless steel
prevents corrosion.
Stainless steel is not corrosion or rust proof, just resistant to stains, or
stains "less". The chromium, in the presence of oxygen, forms a tough,
invisible, passive layer of chromium oxide film on the steel surface. If
damaged mechanically or chemically, this film is self-healing as long as it
has enough oxygen. The presence of any liquid or solid that remains in
contact with the stainless steel for a prolonged time can prevent oxygen
contact and promote corrosion, as can prolonged contact with cleaners or
disinfectants containing chlorine, ammonia, iodine or other caustic agents.
Thermo Scientific 1500 Series A2 5-1