Needle sterilization and disinfection are two different practices. Disinfection kills most bacteria and contaminants, whereas sterilization kills all. If you are sterilizing needles, make sure you are very careful to keep the needles uncontaminated until they are used.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Preparing for Needle Sterilization
Step 1. Put on gloves
Before handling any needle, wear gloves. If you don't have one, make sure you wash your hands (and wrists) thoroughly.
Step 2. Prepare sterilization equipment
When sterilizing needles, make sure the needles are not contaminated again after being sterilized.
- Use sterile tongs or a spoon to remove the needle from any instrument. Do not touch recently sterilized needles with your hands or gloves, as needles can become contaminated again.
- If for storage, insert the needle into a sterile container.
Step 3. Wash the needle
Before sterilizing, wash the needle, to remove dust, dirt, or residual blood that sticks. This step is especially important if the needle has been used before.
Make sure you wash the inside of the needle if it is hollow. Use a clean or sterile syringe to rinse the inside of the needle with soap and water
Step 4. Rinse the needle
After washing the needles with soap or disinfectant, rinse them with sterile water. Be sure to use sterile water instead of distilled water. Distilled water can still contain bacteria. Rinse the needle until there is no residue of dirt or soap left.
Part 2 of 2: Sterilizing Needles
Step 1. Use steam
Steam is one of the most effective and commonly used methods for sterilizing needles. In steam sterilization, you can use a pressure cooker with a pressure of 15 Psi (103 kPa). Leave the needle in the pressure cooker at the following temperatures and durations:
- 116 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes
- 120 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes
- 127 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes
- 135 degrees Celsius for 3 minutes
- A steamer can also be used instead of a pressure cooker. Pour water into the bottom of the pan. Once the water starts to boil, place the needle over the perforated screen, over the boiling water, then cover the pot. Steam for at least 20 minutes.
- An autoclave is a device specifically made for sterilizing needles and other equipment with steam. If you need to frequently sterilize your needles completely, buy this tool.
Step 2. Bake the needles
Wrap the needle in layers of clean cloth. Bake the needles for 1 hour at 170 degrees Celsius.
- This method is one way to completely sterilize needles, as it kills all microorganisms. Make sure to bake the needles in the oven long enough. This method can be used to sterilize needles that will be used for acupuncture, medical procedures, piercing, and tattoos.
- Dry heating can cause the needle to become brittle.
Step 3. Use fire
Use a gas-fired fire, because this type of fire leaves only a small amount of residue. Position the tip of the needle on the flame until it glows red.
- Flame sterilization is fine for home use, but is not completely sterile, as needles can attach to airborne contaminants afterwards.
- If there is soot or carbon deposits on the needle, wipe it off with a piece of sterile bandage.
- This method is effective for sterilizing needles that will be used to remove splinter, but is not the most sterile, so it is not recommended to sterilize needles that will be used for piercings, tattoos, or medical procedures.
Step 4. Boil the needles
One way to sterilize needles is to boil them in boiling water. You can also flush the needles with boiling water. This method is great for home use, but is not 100% effective. Boiling can still leave microorganisms; some types of microorganisms cannot be killed even by boiling for 20 hours.
- The boiling method can be used on metals.
- Boil the needles for 10 minutes. To be more sure that everything has been killed, cover the pot and boil the needles for 30 minutes.
- This method can be used to sterilize needles that will be used for splinter removal or body jewelry treatment at home, but not for sterilizing medical equipment and jewelry in stores.
Step 5. Use chemicals
Needles can be sterilized with chemicals. Soak the needle in the chemical solution for at least 20 minutes, unless you use potable alcohol. If drinking alcohol is used, immerse the needle completely in the solution for a full day. You can sterilize needles with the following chemicals:
- Rubbing alcohol
- Bleach (bleach). If it is 5% chlorine, use it straight away without the need to dilute it again. If it is 10% chlorine, mix 1 part bleach solution with 1 part water; if 15%, use a ratio of 1 part bleach solution to 2 parts water.
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Gin or vodka
Warning
- To pop a blister, wipe the needle first if it's sterilized with fire because the outer surface of the metal can become coated with black soot, which can hit and infect the blister.
- Do not touch the needle tip after it has been sterilized.
