Glassware and Plastic Labware Washing and Disinfection for Laboratories

Washing and Disinfection Process for Glass and Plastic Materials in Laboratories and Tips for Selecting a Washing Machine

Washing - Drying - Disinfection

Awareness of protection from occupational diseases or hazards, which has not yet reached the desired level across the country, is also evident in this field. One of the most important reasons for this problem is the lack of complete understanding of washing, drying and disinfection processes and the failure to learn about their benefits. The fact that these processes are often not preferred due to high costs or higher costs compared to other cleaning systems is another problem.

Laboratory Materials

Laboratory materials can generally be classified as plastic, glass and metal. The washing processes for these materials are different for all of them. For those who do not have any washing device in their laboratories, the process to be followed for washing is generally as follows: All containers used in chemical analysis must be clean. Even minor dirt on containers can result in incorrect analysis results. For this reason, all types of glass material must be thoroughly washed before starting analysis, rinsed with distilled water, dried and then used. Contamination on containers may not be visible to the eye. For this reason, it should be checked by filling it with distilled water. If distilled water remains on the walls of the container as droplets, it is clean; if it flows as a thin film, it is dirty. Dirt can generally be cleaned with water, soap, detergent, strong bases, strong acids, aqua regia, alkaline solutions of permanganate or chromic acid solutions. During the cleaning process, care must be taken not to scratch the walls of the container and to ensure that cleaning agents do not remain in the container. A dirty container is first washed in tap water with a brush if necessary. It is then cleaned with one of the cleaners. Finally, it is rinsed with tap water followed by distilled water. Knowledge of the physical and chemical properties of contamination in laboratory instruments is of great importance in terms of cleaning process flows and the selection of cleaning agents. The physical and chemical properties of contamination include, for example: acidity, pH in natural or alkaline conditions, solubility in water, chemical transformation due to hydrolysis or oxidation, melting or softening point, emulsion capability, suspension or spreading. In certain applications, disinfection of laboratory equipment is necessary.

Disinfection, on the one hand, protects personnel in laboratories working with infectious infections, and on the other hand, prevents the transmission of microbes from samples and preparations in medical laboratories, hygiene institutes, pharmacy, food and cosmetics industry laboratories.

In the implementation of these processes, apart from errors caused by personnel, problems such as unsuitable water, disinfectant or detergent are experienced. Additionally, the glass material being washed having a narrow neck, length and other different conditions again affect the efficiency of washing. With every contact with laboratory glass materials, laboratory personnel face a serious risk of danger. Glass breakage can cause injuries, and contamination with toxic substances can pose a health risk. The cleaning agents used are also corrosive and damaging because they are strong acids and bases. As a result, due to the multitude of factors affecting washing efficiency and the difficulty of controlling them, these types of washing, disinfection and drying operations are now being performed with equipment. With the introduction of these devices, serious gains have been achieved, first in laboratory personnel health, and then in washing efficiency and time savings. Standardization of the washing processes of laboratory equipment can be achieved with washing machines, and through complete automation of the process, the dangers faced by personnel are minimized.

Smeg Brand Laboratory Type Glass Material Washing, Drying and Disinfection Equipment

The Smeg Group, founded in Guastalla in 1948, today represents excellence in Italian products with approximately 2,000 employees worldwide and 12 branches. Through its deeply rooted corporate culture that places great importance on quality, technology and design in Smeg products, it has earned a justified reputation among manufacturers of domestic and industrial equipment. Through cooperation with professional users established in more than thirty countries worldwide, Smeg has maintained these values in the design and production of glass material washing machines for laboratory use for over twenty years, with the knowledge gained. From the design stage to after-sales services, Smeg provides the most advanced washing and disinfection products, customer-specific solutions and flexible and effective services to the laboratory world through its integrated structure. Washing machines are generally divided into two groups: those with drying and those without drying. These groups are further subdivided among themselves according to customer type. Sub-groups are differentiated according to characteristics such as the number of programs in the washing machine, the ability to connect hot water, and the possession of a detergent storage tank.

How to Select a Washing Machine?

After a user who is aware of all the above questions and problems decides to acquire a washing machine, there are some determinations to be made and some questions to be answered. Generally, we can list these questions as follows: 1. Is drying required? 2. Do you want to rinse with distilled water? 3. Is there 2-5 bar flow distilled water available? 4. Is there 2-5 bar flowing hot water in your water line? (4090-3060 models) 5. Detail the types of glass material to be washed. (Pipettes, tubes, balloon flasks, Erlenmeyer flasks, etc.) 6. What is the maximum height of the glass materials to be washed? 7. Is a detergent storage tank required? The next stage for the user who answers these questions is the selection of baskets to be placed inside the equipment according to the glass material to be washed. These baskets are manufactured differently for materials such as balloon flasks, Erlenmeyer flasks, beakers, pipettes, tubes, reagent bottles, spatulas, spoons, etc. After the user selects baskets according to the number of glass materials to be washed, in the next phase, the user proceeds with the selection of detergent and neutralizer related to washing. After all these stages, the user has now selected the desired washing, drying and disinfection machine with full equipment and proceeds to the next stage, which is the purchasing stage. In the purchasing stage, one of the points to pay attention to when evaluating price and performance is cost analysis. The washing logic with a washing machine is generally similar to domestic machines but shows differences in terms of cost. One of the priorities in washing machine selection is human health. Any user who does not internalize this situation and cannot reflect it to his manager will not be successful in equipment procurement. The user who internalizes this situation should then analyze the washing time and water, detergent and labor costs incurred in the washing process. After all these stages, washing machine procurement will result positively. Gökhan Aslıbay - Senior Chemist - Sales Engineer / An-ka Analiz & Kalite Kontrol Cihazları