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BY GARY THE BLADESMITH

Article 5
Sorry, this article has taken so long but l had a few heart issues but am back with the nose to the grindstone.
In this fourth article, we will have a look at a major problem which a lot of practices are having and which we come across very regularly and it involves the incorrect use of cleaning detergents.

We often get notes with instruments when they come in for sharpening and repair saying things like these instruments need new springs because they will not function properly and are sticky or why are my instruments going rusty.

When we ask how much detergent they are using in their ultrasonic cleaner or manual cleaning operation the answer is often “a good splash or two" which I am afraid is just wrong. All detergents should be measured, and the precise doses used which are normally recommended by the manufacturer for maximum performance of the chemical.

As you can imagine to do a good job the detergents while not normally dangerous in the correct dose, in stronger doses can have side effects with the instruments and if the instruments are left soaking in detergent or wet with detergent after the manual washing or cleaning process they can go a light brown colour which we call tea staining it is normally not rust. Most of the better instruments go through a process called “passivation” when they are manufactured which inhibits the formation of corrosion or rust.

All instruments should be rinsed thoroughly after immersing them in detergents so that the detergent is removed and should not be left around wet but should be dried as soon as possible.
If instruments are not rinsed and dried after the cleaning process but put straight into a pack for autoclaving there will still be a small amount of detergent in the hinge which cooks and also looks like rust and over time can build up and make the hinges stick and, in some cases, seize and in extreme cases will crack the metal in the hinge.
Instruments should not be operated while hot as this can also damage the hinges because of the expansion of the metal.