The Key Points of Washing and Disinfection Process of Glass and Plastic Materials for Laboratories and of Choosing Washing Machines

Washing - Drying - Disinfection

In Turkey, awareness of protection against occupational diseases or damage has not yet reached the desired level, and this can also be observed in this sector. One of the most important reasons for this problem is that washing, drying and disinfection processes are not fully understood and their benefits are not communicated. Another problem is the higher cost of these processes compared to other cleaning systems, which results in these processes not being preferred.

Lab Materials

Lab materials can be classified as plastic, glass and metal. These materials require different washing processes. The washing process for labs without washing machines is as follows: Containers used in all chemical analyses must be clean. Even if containers are barely soiled, the results of analysis will be incorrect. For this purpose, all kinds of glass materials should be thoroughly washed, rinsed and dried before starting the analysis. The soiling of containers may not be noticeable. Therefore, this should be checked by placing pure water in containers. If pure water drops remain on the walls of the container, the container is clean; if the water flows in the form of a thin film, the container is dirty. Containers can be cleaned with water, soap, detergent, strong bases, strong acids, aqua regia, alkaline solutions of permanganate or chromic acid solutions. During the cleaning process, it is important not to scratch the container walls and to ensure no cleaning agents remain in the container. If necessary, a dirty container is first washed with tap water using a brush. It is then cleaned with one of the cleaners. Finally, it is rinsed with tap water and then pure water. The physical and chemical properties of contamination in laboratory equipment are very important in terms of the course of cleaning processes and the choice of cleaning agent. The physical and chemical properties of contamination include, for example, acidity, solubility in water under neutral or alkaline conditions, chemical transformation from hydrolysis or oxidation, melting or softening point, emulsion possibility, suspension or dispersion.

In certain applications, disinfection of laboratory tools is essential. Disinfection prevents the probes and slides in medical laboratories, hygiene institutes, pharmaceutical laboratories, food and cosmetic industry laboratories from carrying germs, while ensuring the protection of personnel in laboratories with contagious infections.

In the application of these processes, along with problems caused by individuals, there are also problems caused by inadequate water, disinfectant or cleaning agent. In addition, different conditions such as narrow neck, length and other factors of the washed glass material also affect the efficiency of cleaning. Laboratory personnel are exposed to serious risk in every contact with laboratory glassware. Broken glass can cause injury, and contamination from toxic substances can pose a health risk. The cleaning agents used are also corrosive and damaging due to being strong acids and bases. As a result, due to the high number of factors affecting washing efficiency and the difficulty of controlling the process, washing, disinfection and drying processes are nowadays performed with devices. With the introduction of these devices, serious improvements were first achieved in laboratory personnel health, washing efficiency and time saving. Process standardization of laboratory equipment washing can be achieved through washing machines, and dangers for personnel will be minimized by the fully automated process.

SMEG Brand Laboratory Type Glass Material Washing Drying and Disinfection Equipment

Founded in Guastalla in 1948, Smeg Group today represents excellence in Italian products with nearly 2,000 employees and 12 branches worldwide. Smeg has earned a well-deserved reputation among manufacturers of home and industrial devices through its well-established corporate culture that places great importance on quality, technology and design. Smeg has been committed to these values in the design and manufacture of laboratory glassware washing machines for more than twenty years, with knowledge gained through cooperation with professional users in more than 30 countries worldwide. Smeg offers the most advanced washing and disinfection products, customer-specific solutions, and flexible and effective services to the laboratory sector through its integrated structure from design stage to after-sales services. Washing devices are generally divided into two groups: with drying and without drying. These groups are subdivided according to customer type. The sub-groups are diversified according to the number of washing machine programs, the ability to connect hot water, and the detergent storage chamber.

How to Choose a Washing Machine?

After deciding to acquire a washing machine, a user who is aware of all the questions and problems above will need to perform some evaluations and answer certain questions. In general, these questions can be listed as follows: 1. Is drying required? 2. Do you want to rinse with pure water? 3. Is there pure water available at 2-5 bar pressure? 4. Do you have hot water available at 2-5 bar pressure? (4090-3060 models) 5. Please provide details on the types of glass materials to be washed. (Pipette, tube, balloon flask, Erlenmeyer flask, etc.) 6. For glass materials to be washed, what is the maximum height? 7. Is a detergent storage container required? For the user who has answered all these questions, the next step is the selection of baskets to be placed in the device according to the glass material to be washed. These baskets are produced differently for balloon flask, Erlenmeyer flask, beaker, pipette, tube, reagent bottle, spatula, spoon and so on. The user selects the baskets according to the number of glass materials to be washed and then selects the detergent and neutralizer for the washing process.

After all these steps, the user is now able to select the washing, drying and disinfection machine as a fully equipped product, and may proceed to purchase the machine.

Cost analysis is one of the points that should be considered when making a price-performance evaluation during the procurement stage. Washing using washing machine logic is generally similar to home machines, but varies in cost. The first priority in washing machine selection is human health. A user who does not internalize this and cannot explain it to management will not be successful in purchasing equipment. The user who internalizes this should perform water, detergent and labor analysis during the washing operation and analyze the washing process. After all these steps, washing machine procurement will be successful. Gökhan Aslıbay MSc. Chemist Sales Engineer An-ka Analiz & Kalite Kontrol Cihazları