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DNA
DNA
Registered: 04/02/04
Posts: 3
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How to sterilize gloves
#2643680 - 05/05/04 10:28 PM (19 years, 10 months ago) |
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I humbly submit to you, my peers, my very first post and one you will hopefully find useful. This is probably only of interest to the die-hard mycologist but I offer it to all. Suggestions, corrections and constructive criticism freely requested.
Sterile Glove Tek
Sterile gloves are effective, although expensive. For the average mycologist, they can be downright cost prohibitive. This tek was created in the hope of providing the user with an effective and, comparatively, low cost solution to producing sterile gloves in a protective wrapper. Handwashing alone, while effective to a degree, cannot replace the level of protection attainable with clean hands in sterile gloves.
***Disclaimer: Use only LATEX EXAMINATION GLOVES. If in doubt, or if this is your first attempt, please risk only one pair of gloves before attempting to sterilize in quantity. The instructions included with your autoclave or pressure cooker take precedence over any instructions included herein.***
Items required:
1 roll of kraft paper (clean newspaper and clean paper bags have also been tested successfully) 1 roll of masking tape (duck brand is known to work in autoclave) 1 yardstick (or other measuring tool) 1 box of latex examination gloves (powdered is okay) 1 autoclave or pressure cooker, 15 psi capable (both tested) 1 pen or pencil (medium tip or blunt)
Steps:
Read fully before attempting, please.
1. Provide a clean, sanitary working area (e.g. table, kitchen counter, etc.). Clean area with soap and water and sanitize. 2. Wash hands with warm, soapy water. Use plenty of friction and rinse well. 3. (Technically we should gown and glove to prevent contaminating our clean area. Use your own discretion here.) 4. Place items on working surface. 5. Unroll a portion of kraft paper. 6. We are looking for nice, neat lines so use the yardstick to measure, mark and cut. You want to end up with a strip of kraft paper 14 inches by whatever the full width is of your kraft paper. 7. Fold the strip in half along longest side and cut. You should have two pieces of kraft paper, 14 inches by approximately 15 inches. 8. You have enough paper now to wrap two pairs of gloves. 9. Using the following diagram, wrap two pairs of latex examination gloves (do NOT use foil):
10. Autoclave (or pressure cook at 15 psi minimum) for 35 minutes. 11. Remove (if wet, dry in oven at 100 to 150 degrees for 15 minutes) and allow to cool for a minimun of 24 hours before use. 12. Store in a place where the packages will remain clean and dry.
As long as the protective wrapping remains intact, the contents should remail sterile indefinitely.
The aforementioned procedures were extensively tested utilizing a commercially available autoclave and also with a common brand pressure cooker rated at 15 psi. Spore testing using a commercially available kit and testing service yielded negative for bacterial and microbial growth. Swabs were taken from both the gloves and the protective wrapping, then cultured using sterile agar plates. All plates yielded negative for bacterial and microbial growth.
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ATWAR
Connoisseur
Registered: 01/26/03
Posts: 1,640
Loc: #108768 in line...
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Re: How to sterilize gloves [Re: DNA]
#2643726 - 05/05/04 10:41 PM (19 years, 10 months ago) |
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I just buy a box of 50 for $4... Why go through all that extra expense getting the supplies you list (if you don't have them), and then the extra work? Sterilizing individually wrapped pairs? I sort of get your point, but I don't need individually packed pairs either (the pull out of box and use tek works fine for me)...
I admit this could work for reusing gloves, if they were clean...
-------------------- To give is to live...
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discoabe
Stranger
Registered: 03/26/04
Posts: 674
Loc: Nevada
Last seen: 18 years, 6 months
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Re: How to sterilize gloves [Re: DNA]
#2643771 - 05/05/04 10:50 PM (19 years, 10 months ago) |
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Very interesting and quite informative, I think that's a very good write up of the process, however I think it's a bit unneeded. Laxtex gloves, if put on correctly should not possess any contaminates other than what may be floating in the air, which even if you have sterile gloves, as soon as they hit the open air they will be contaminated the same way.
Autoclaving gloves will start to break down the latex and may lead to a failure of the gloves. Autoclaves for the most part sterilize at 28psi because that is the pressuse needed to crush spores, so any less will give you disinfected gloves, but not sterile. I can see how these gloves would be good for use with a glove box type set-up or a flowhood, but if used in open air normal out of the box latex gloves will be plenty.
The main thing is to have a clean work area, like steps 1, 2, and 3 talk about. Cross-contamination is the other problem, so preventing that is a must as well.
Remember, your cleanest item is only as clean as the dirtiest.
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empath
I feel you
Registered: 03/03/04
Posts: 245
Loc: Seattle
Last seen: 19 years, 7 months
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Re: How to sterilize gloves [Re: DNA]
#2643780 - 05/05/04 10:53 PM (19 years, 10 months ago) |
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I don't even use gloves, just a big pump bottle of hand sanitizer.
-------------------- "It tastes like burning"-Ralph Wiggum
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discoabe
Stranger
Registered: 03/26/04
Posts: 674
Loc: Nevada
Last seen: 18 years, 6 months
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Re: How to sterilize gloves [Re: empath]
#2643787 - 05/05/04 10:54 PM (19 years, 10 months ago) |
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I wash, then sanitize and then put on gloves, changing my gloves 2-5 times depending on what i'm doing
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ATWAR
Connoisseur
Registered: 01/26/03
Posts: 1,640
Loc: #108768 in line...
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Re: How to sterilize gloves [Re: discoabe]
#2643817 - 05/05/04 11:08 PM (19 years, 10 months ago) |
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I always wash my hands anyway , but before work I wipe my arms off past my elbows with alcohol. Then I put on gloves (all in front of the flow hood), and proceed with my work keeping anything I am working on in unobstructed flow of air. I.E. - Nothing (jars, petri?s, etc) is between what I am working on and the flow of air).
I sometimes wipe my gloves off with alcohol before I begin work. And I always change my gloves anytime I touch substrate or spawn. If I am working with petri?s, I will usually keep the same pair through the whole process (makes it faster, plate work is tedious).
But, to each his own. Anything you can do to help your success rate is insurance. If you want the extra safety of this method, go for it!
-------------------- To give is to live...
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discoabe
Stranger
Registered: 03/26/04
Posts: 674
Loc: Nevada
Last seen: 18 years, 6 months
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Re: How to sterilize gloves [Re: ATWAR]
#2643886 - 05/05/04 11:39 PM (19 years, 10 months ago) |
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Yeah everyone has their own method of keeping things clean, and as long as it works, that's all that matters
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Magash
Da Bud Guru
Registered: 07/25/02
Posts: 5,876
Loc: Near Hilo
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Re: How to sterilize gloves [Re: ATWAR]
#2644224 - 05/06/04 03:10 AM (19 years, 10 months ago) |
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Damn, I'm a complete slob. I'm acutally ashamed to say what I do. Nothing like any of you guys, as long as the stuff in the jars and syringes is clean I just kind of run with it.
-------------------- All creatures tremble when faced with violence. All creatures fear death, all love life. If we can only see ourselves in others, then how could we possibly hurt another creature? Join us at the Growery!
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