Sterilizing cutting tools

[Cym Ladye]

Originally Posted by Baz in Oz

I am not familiar with 'Clorox' bleach but I assume it contains chlorine. I am told chlorine doesn't kill viruses that attack humans but will it kill plant viruses?

Baz

Sorry, I keep forgetting that we have members all over the world on this Forum. The actual active ingredients stated on the label: 6% sodium hypochlorite, other ingredients 94% for a total of 100%. Yields 5.7% available chlorine.

There are many manufacturers of this product all over the world with many brand names and I suspect one would most often find it in the laundry section of a local grocery or bag store.

There is currently nothing that will kill virus ONCE IT HAS ENTERED THE HOST, without killing the host. That goes for all living things as far as I know, vegetable or animal. However, most if not all virusus can be killed outside the host.

CL

[Baz in Oz]

CL, the reason I posed the question about chlorine being used to sterilize tools is that I live in an un-sewered rural area and we have a self contained mini treatment plant with above ground dispersal via sprinklers.
The end product, in theory is potable although it is chlorinated and smells strongly of chlorine.
We were warned by the local authority inspectors when the plant was commissioned, not to put it on anything we were to eat such as vegetables and fruit and were told the reason was that chlorine woundn't kill viruses.

Baz

[Connie Star]

I'm leery of using the flame techniques as I am a klutz and I would rather loose an orchid than get a bad burn- heresy, I know.
I'm a doctor and there are viricidal cleaning products for medical equipment. I've been using Xacto blades as I find the handle stabilizes the blade, and then discarding them. I've also used surgical scalpels which are actually the same thing only sterile. I'm going to have to come up with a less costly way though especially as I collect more and more 'chids!

[Cym Ladye]

Originally Posted by Connie Star

I'm leery of using the flame techniques as I am a klutz and I would rather loose an orchid than get a bad burn- heresy, I know.
I'm a doctor and there are viricidal cleaning products for medical equipment. I've been using Xacto blades as I find the handle stabilizes the blade, and then discarding them. I've also used surgical scalpels which are actually the same thing only sterile. I'm going to have to come up with a less costly way though especially as I collect more and more 'chids!

Hi Connie,

I personally don't go with the flame approach either and have always thought it to be a "guy thing". (Apologies to any gals on the Forum using it, however.) I use disposable single edge razor blades and then discard them. For knives, I use plastic handled steak knives and do sterilize them in a 5% chlorine solution.

To the best of my knowledge, chlorine evaporates and if the solution is left out in the sun, the chlorine will dissipate.

I am not a chemist by any means but I am very suspicious of the info Baz got, as it flies against all previous information I have ever heard. Perhaps someone can clarify this for us all.

CL