THINGS YOU FORGET WHILE TRAVELING – ISSUE NO. 543

Recently, I was traveling, and as I left, I forgot my toothbrush. No big deal right? Stores are everywhere. However, time ran short, and the hotel I was staying at had run out of complimentary toothbrushes. So, for that night and next morning, no toothbrush! They did have little bottles of mouthwash that I was able to use. So, preparing for my day, I used this little bottle of mouthwash, and even tried to use my finger like a brush. You can guess how well this experiment worked out. I was stuck with a nasty grime on my teeth, all day. That is, until I was able to purchase a toothbrush and finally get the job done right! So what does this have to do with Sterile Processing? Well, in your department, BRUSHING will always be the key to clean. Think of what would happen if you just threw instruments in the washer with NO manual brushing. Your instruments would be a lot like my teeth that day. That is why we are taking a more active focus on BRUSHING, and using the CORRECT brush (think of how well using my finger as a brush worked). If you do this first stage right, with the correct tool, on the correct device, this will mitigate many of the later issues that can pop up in your department. This is a crucial step in the many keys to clean. We have several services we can offer customers. Here are just a couple we offer: 1. A brush audit 2. A training session on brushing with one CE for your staff. The CEU is entitled “The Art of Brushing”. And that’s the thing with brushing, it is partly an art, and partly a science. We’ll help your team understand the importance of both! Send us a message, and we will work to get you scheduled for this important (foundational) training for Sterile Processing. Keep it clean!