Cleaning medical instruments, prior to disinfecting to produce a sterile surface, is essential otherwise the biological debris clinging to the surface and even worse in cracks on the surface becomes a breeding ground for microorganisms, emphasises hygiene chemicals company SERCHEM.
Where the surface is a metal and particularly aluminum with an oxidised surface layer that dissolves easily above pH 9 then most cleaning agents cannot be used.
Maximum pH Plus is an outstanding exception. It is sold in a concentrated liquid form of pH 14 yet aluminum instruments are not attacked if placed in it and no evolution of hydrogen can be detected. Both dissolution and evolution of hydrogen is visible if a sodium hydroxide solution is substituted for Maximum pH Plus. The contrast is remarkable. In practice Maximum pH Plus is used in a diluted form of pH 10.5, and instruments show no deleterious effects of its continued use – even for 600 processes. Maximum pH Plus produces a bright shiny surface consistently.
It is common property of many proteins that they stick tenaciously to metal surfaces such as steel, particularly when they have been denatured by heating. Prions are notorious for having this property. Maximum pH Plus, because of its high alkalinity and strong chelating power provides a powerful tool in overcoming these problems. Indeed, taken to its extremity the concentrated form of Maximum pH Plus will hydrolyse proteins when heated, breaking them down to peptides and amino acids with consequent loss of biological activity.
Because Maximum pH Plus is safe to use on both steel and aluminum, then both can be cleaned together with a quantum economic saving in usable capacity, time and finance. Copper and silver can be added to the list of metals safe with Maximum pH Plus as well as a whole variety of the above coated, plated and anodised metals. Items should always be checked by immersion in concentrated Maximum pH Plus since other cleaning agents can cause prior damage to the surface.
