Try 100@ alcohol, or even 95% alcohol. That is what we use
to wipe down the cryostat after each use, or at least at the end
of the day. The alcohol does not freeze, and there is very little water
to cause rusting, or even having mechanical parts on the machine to
seize up. Pour the alcohol on a gauze (sopping wet is OK). Wipe
down the cryostat, knife holder, etc. Allow the alcohol to set on the
parts for 10-15 minutes, to allow disinfecting. Wipe dry with
a new gauze.

Occasionally, we still need to do a complete disinfecting, turning
off the machine and allowing the ice to thaw out.

Peggy A. Wenk, HTL(ASCP)
William Beaumont Hospital
Royal Oak, MI 48073

----- Original Message -----
From: "Brady, Kimberly" <kbrady@eosbiotech.com>
To: <histonet@pathology.swmed.edu>
Sent: Friday, August 03, 2001 4:00 PM


> Does anyone know of a good disinfectant that can be used to clean a
cryostat
> while it is cold?  I work in a lab that uses one cryostat to cut both
mouse
> and human tissue (we just started cutting human tissue) and our cleaning
> protocol after cutting human tissue is to turn off the cryostat and to use
> commercial bleach.  Unfortunately, some parts look like they are starting
to
> rust, and it is very time consuming to let the cryostat warm up for
> cleaning, then to cool down again for use.  I am new at histology (4
months)
> and I am open to any