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How to Clean a Laminar Airflow

A laminar airflow cabinet is a piece of equipment which has an internal workspace for you to perform sterile operations. The cabinet operates on the principle that an air current, which the cabinet produces, can keep dirty air from entering the cabinet and potentially contaminating the test. The additional regular cleaning the equipment needs further decreases the risk of the test being contaminated. Generally, microbiologists use these cabinets for tests, and sometimes manipulate pathogenic microorganisms in the cabinet, so cleaning is paramount after each use.

Things You'll Need

70 percent isopropyl alcohol
Sporicidal disinfectant
Sterile or clean towel

Instructions

- 1
  Read any procedures or manuals that your laboratory has in relation to the laminar airflow. Some labs have precise instructions, based on the workings of the particular cabinet, on how to clean the equipment.
- 2
  Check that the manual for the cabinet does not warn about particular cleaning liquids before you begin to clean the cabinet.
- 3
  Look at any calibration stickers on the cabinet to ensure the laminar airflow is suitable for use before you clean the cabinet. An out-of-date calibration means any tests you perform may be inaccurate.
- 4
  Turn on the airflow and the lights of the cabinet. Allow the airflow to operate for as long as the manual states (5 minutes is typical).
- 5
  Put on any required personal protective equipment. The lab protocols may specify that you need to wear sterile gloves, sterile armcovers and masks, for example. This prevents you from introducing microbes and dirt while you clean the cabinet.
- 6
  Wipe the entire interior of the cabinet with 70 percent isopropyl alcohol, if this is recommended by the manual, and a clean or sterile cloth, depending on your laboratory's rules. If you use a sterile cloth, you can spray the outside of the cloth's packaging while you place it into the cabinet, to ensure the cloth enters in a sterile fashion. Ensure all surfaces are cleaned thoroughly.
- 7
  Rub down the interior of the cabinet again after you finish using it, and after you remove all the pieces of equipment that do not need to remain inside the laminar airflow.
- 8
  Turn off the cabinet after the cleaning, if necessary.

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