Alex,
We use 50% household bleach and it seems to work just fine.  It melts away
the blood stains on the dissecting board as well and is very cheap.
Jeff Silverman
Southampton Hospital NY USA
peptolab@hamptons.com

----------
> From: Alex Brown <AlexB@nayrshire.scot.nhs.uk>
> To: 'Histonet' <Histonet@pathology.swmed.edu>
> Subject: Sterilising instruments
> Date: Wednesday, November 04, 1998 9:01 AM
>
> Hi All,
>           I'm looking for advice / comments on the sterilising of
> disecting instruments used for cut-up/take-in/grossing of histology
> specimens.  We currently soak ours in 'Asep' ( a 2% gluteraldehyde
> solution ). Due to safety regulations we keep being told we shouldn't be
> using gluteraldehyde based solutions. It works well, doesn't corrode the
> instruments, is on a ventilated bench (downdraft) and we always wear
> gloves when handling it. Not good enough apparently !!  We've tried
> 'Virkon' (corroded the tools) our Control of Infection dept. doesn't
> trust 'Trigene' and 'NuCidex' is too expensive.
> Question :  What do you all use ???
>  We did consider a benchtop washer/steriliser  -   Again too expensive
> !!
> 	All opinions / comments gratefully received,
> 		Alex Brown
> 		Crosshouse Hospital
> 		Kilmarnock, Scotland.