Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 2: Preparing to sterilize a needle
• Part 2 of 2: Sterilizing the needle
• Warnings

Sterilizing and disinfecting needles are two different things. Disinfection kills most bacteria and contaminants, while sterilization kills them all. If you need to sterilize a needle, take extra care to keep the needle free of blemishes until use.

To step

Part 1 of 2: Preparing to sterilize a needle

1. Wear gloves. Before working with needles, put on gloves. If you don't have gloves, wash your hands (and wrists) thoroughly.
2. Provide sterilized equipment. When sterilizing needles, you must ensure that the needle does not become contaminated after sterilization.
   • Use sterilized forceps or spoons to pick up the needle. Do not touch the needle with your hands or gloves as it may contain contaminants.
   • Put the needle in a sterilized place if you keep it.
3. Wash the needle. Wash the needle before sterilizing it. This way you remove dirt and blood that may still be on the needle. This is very important if the needle has been used before.
   • Make sure to also clean the inside of the needle if it is a hollow needle. Use a clean or sterilized injection needle to inject soap and water.
4. Rinse the needles. Rinse the needles with sterile water after washing them with soap or disinfectant. Use sterile water instead of distilled water, as distilled water can still contain bacteria. The needles should be rinsed to prevent soap residue from remaining.

Part 2 of 2: Sterilizing the needle

1. Use steam. Steam is one of the most widely used and effective methods of sterilizing needles. To sterilize with steam, you can use a pressure cooker with a pressure of 15 psi. Let the needle steam in the pressure cooker for the following number of minutes and degrees:
   • 30 minutes at 115.5 ° C
   • 15 minutes at 121 ° C
   • 10 minutes at 126.5 ° C
   • 3 minutes at 135 ° C
   • You can also use a steamer instead of a pressure cooker. Put water in the bottom pan. When this starts to boil, place the needle in the perforated pan and place it on the bottom pan. Close with a lid. Let it steam for at least 20 minutes.
   • An autoclave is a device specially designed to sterilize needles and other instruments using steam. If you need to sterilize needles often and carefully, you may want to consider buying one.
2. Bake the needles in the oven. Wrap the needles in a clean cloth folded in a few layers. Bake the needles at 171 ° C for 1 hour.
   • This is a way of completely sterilizing needles by killing all microorganisms. Make sure they stay in the oven long enough. This method can be used to sterilize acupuncture, medical, piercing and tattoo needles.
   • Dry heat can make the needle fragile.
3. Use fire. Use a gas flame as it will leave less residue. Insert the tip of the needle into the flame until it glows red.
   • Sterilizing a needle in a flame is good for home garden and kitchen purposes, but it is not completely sterilized because the needle can pick up debris from the air after you remove it from the flame.
   • Wipe off any soot or carbon residue on the needle with sterile gauze.
   • This method is sufficient if you want to remove a splinter, but the needle is not completely sterile and is therefore not suitable for piercings and tattoos or for medical use.
4. Let the needle boil in water. Another way to sterilize a needle is to dip it in boiling water. You can also pour boiling water over it. This is a good method to use at home, but it is not 100% effective. Microorganisms can still remain during cooking. Some microorganisms don't even die when boiled for 20 hours.
   • Cooking works with metal.
   • Place the needle in boiling water for 10 minutes. To be more drastic, you can put the lid on the pan and let the water boil for 30 minutes.
   • This method can be used at home to remove a splinter or to care for body jewelry, but not for sterilizing medical equipment or instruments and jewelry in a store.
5. Use chemicals. You can sterilize a needle with chemicals. Place the needles in the solution for at least 20 minutes, unless it is an alcoholic beverage, then they should be left in it for a whole day. You can clean needles with the following chemicals:
   • Rubbing alcohol
   • Bleach. If it contains 5% free available chlorine, you can use it undiluted. If it is 10%, dilute 1 part bleach to 1 part water. For 15% applies 1 part bleach to 2 parts water.
   • Hydrogen peroxide
   • Gin or vodka

Warnings

• When you pop open blisters, first wipe off the needle that you disinfected in fire. The outside of the metal can leave a black trail in the blister, which can cause it to become infected.
• Do not touch the tip of the needle after sterilization.