Ideal Temperature for Cleaning

Question:
What is the ideal temperature for cleaning ultrasonically and spray washing?

Answer:
The Aqueous Cleaning Handbook, written by the technical support team at Alconox, discusses heat and cleaning applications on page 23.

In general, higher-temperature cleaning solutions result in better cleaning. In practice, there is typically an optimum temperature for a given combination of cleaning variables. Many soak, manual, and ultrasonic cleaning methods work best, for example, at 50°C to 55°C. Many spray washing techniques work best at 60°C to 70°C.

To request a copy of The Aqueous Cleaning Handbook, please visit this page.

pH of Tergazyme

Question:
Can you lower the pH of Tergazyme using Citric acid or vinegar?

Answer:
Yes. To adjust the pH of a 1% Tergazyme solution from pH 9.5 to about pH 8.5 add 0.1 grams of 99% anhydrous citric acid for each 5 grams of Tergazyme. To get to pH 8.0 add 0.2 oz of citric acid. White table vinegar that is typically 5-8% active by weight, use roughly 2 ounces of vinegar added to 4 gallons of 1% Tergazyme solution that has 5 ounces of Tergazyme in it to get about a pH 8.5 solution, and use roughly 4 ounces of vinegar to get a pH 8.0 solution. Use a calibrated pH meter with stirring to monitor additions.

To view the technical bulletin for Tergazyme, please download this PDF.

Defining Free Rinsing

Question:
What does free rinsing mean?

Answer:
Free rinsing means it will rinse away very easily or freely. It does not mean that you do not have to rinse. For example a non-free rinsing cleaner might contain fragrances that were designed to deposit and leave a fresh scent, or it might contain corrosion inhibitors that are designed to deposit and leave behind an anti-corrosion film. Alconox, Inc, cleaners are free rinsing and do not leave deposits on substrates after rinsing. More information on Alconox cleaners can be found by visiting www.alconox.com.

Removing Polishing Compound

Question:
What Alconox product is ideal for manual removal of polishing compound from aluminum?

Answer:
For manual cleaning use a warm 2% Citranox solution to remove the polishing compound. Citranox will not harm the mirror finish on the aluminum. Rinse thoroughly after washing.

For more information on Citranox, visit the Alconox website.

Rinsing

Question:
What is the proper way to rinse after using Alconox detergents?

Answer:
Running water rinse for at least 10 seconds on each surface is desirable. If that is not practical, use a series of three or more agitated soak rinse tanks or at least two counter-flow cascade rinse tanks. The quality of the rinse water is important for medical device and pharmaceutical cleaning applications. Tap water contains varying degrees of organic microbes, particulates, and hardness (calcium and magnesium salts). Rinsing with tap water and evaporating dry can deposit these contaminants leaving water spots. Using high purity water such as distilled water, deionized water, or RO (reverse osmosis) water are ideal for use.

To read more about rinsing, the Alconox Guide to Critical Cleaning is available in pdf format.

Cleaning Lidocaine and Dextrose

Question:
What Alconox brand cleaner would be best for cleaning Lidocaine and Dextrose?

Answer:
Lidocaine and Dextrose are water soluble 4100 mg/L, pKa 8.01. They would be best cleaned by Liquinox. Also, Citranox would also work.

Trace Analysis for Alconox, Powdered Precision Cleaner

Question:
Is there a trace of bromine in Alconox?

Answer:
There is a typical trace content of 35 ppm bromine. Most if not all of that bromine is in the form of bromide.

Downloadable Trace Analysis Certificates are available from www.alconox.com for all Alconox brand products.

Cleaning Narrow Neck Flasks

Question:
What is the proper way to clean narrow neck flasks?

Answer:
Narrow neck flasks are best cleaned in labware washers with special attachments that have a spray nozzle that goes up inside the flask. It is very hard to successfully clean narrow neck flasks in a simple home dishwasher or a lab washer that does not have special narrow neck flask racks. The only way to do this is to presoak the narrow neck flasks completely submerged with all the air let out in a 1% Alconox or Liquinox solution prior to "washing" in the machine. Even this can fail if the other glassware cleaned at the same time has a large amount of residue on it which can redeposit on the narrow neck flasks and not be prevented from staying there by the anti-redeposition agents because there can be inadequate amounts of wash solution getting in to the narrow neck flasks without the special wash spindles.

Residue Acceptance Criteria

Question:
Do you have to set residue acceptance criteria for cleaners?

Answer:
Yes. For pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing it is required that there be set residue acceptance levels for potential residues such as the active drug, excipients, degradation products, cleaning agents, bioburden and endotoxins. These levels are determined based on potential pharmacological, safety, toxicity, stability, and contamination effects on the next product using that surface or equipment. Limits are typically set for visual, chemical, and microbiological residues.

For more information on residue acceptance criteria, visit http://www.alconox.com/static/section_top/gen_cleanval.asp.

Alconox Cleaning Validation Literature

Question:
Does Alconox offer literature on cleaning validation?

Answer:
Yes! Alconox, Inc, Critical Cleaning Experts, provide a variety of cleaning validation information, which includes validation literature. The Aqueous Cleaning Handbook, written by the Technical Support Team at Alconox, has a chapter dedicated to Cleaning Validation (Chapter8). For more information on The Aqueous Cleaning Handbook visit, http://www.alconox.com/section_customer/book_info.asp.

Residue Detection by UV/Vis

Question:
Does Alconox provide information on cleaner residue detection by UV/Vis?

Answer:
Yes. In The Aqueous Cleaning Handbook, written by the Alconox technical support team, cleaner residue detection methods are given for each Alconox detergent. Citranox and Citrajet residues can be detected with citric acid by UV/Vis. More information can be found on the Alconox website at http://www.alconox.com/static/section_top/gen_cleanval.asp.

Ordering Samples from Alconox

Question:
How can I order samples from Alconox?

Answer:
If you wish to order samples of Alconox products please visit this page and fill out the form. You will also receive a complementary copy of The Aqueous Cleaning Handbook, a guide to critical-cleaning procedures, techniques, and validation!

Downloading Tech Bulletins

Question:
How do I download Technical Bulletins via the internet?

Answer:
Alconox provides a technical bulletin for each product. Tech bulletins are filled with information on the types of soil removed, cleaning methods, surfaces cleaned, convenient sizes, physical data, chemical description, cleaning validation methods and health and safety information.

To download technical bulletins, please visit www.alconox.com.

Bleach and Alconox Brand Products

Question:
What is the effect of adding bleach to Alconox products?

Answer:
Many of the Alconox brands including Alconox, Liquinox, Alcojet, Detojet, Detergent 8, Luminox, Solujet and Tergajet can be mixed with bleach hypochlorite for enhanced disinfection, bleaching or oxidizing properties. Alcojet and Detojet already contain an active chlorine compound. Tergajet already contains an active oxygen compound that gives peroxide oxidation performance. It may not be necessary to add hypochlorite to Alcojet, Detojet, or Tergajet.

There are other Alconox brands whose cleaning ability is negatively impacted if bleach is added. For example, adding bleach to Tergazyme will denature the enzyme and render it inactive, in fact the enzyme in Tergazyme will be inactivated within seconds to exposure of 300 ppm hypochlorite, and within 2 minutes to exposure of 3.5 ppm hypochlorite at 100 deg F (37 deg C). Thus, it is not recommended to add bleach to Tergazyme.

Citranox and Citrajet are acid cleaners and should not be mixed with hypochlorite because in sufficient quantities the mixture can form toxic chlorine gas, as they can acidify the bleach solution to below pH 7. It is not recommended to add hypochlorite to Citranox or Citrajet.

Alcotabs, Tablet Pipet Detergent, is another brand that is negatively impacted by the high pH of most bleach solutions. Adding bleach to Alcotabs can cause the pH of the solution to rise above pH 7 and prevent the effervescent - bubbling action of Alcotabs. It is not recommended to add bleach to Alcotabs.

Cleaning Brass with Citranox, Acid Cleaner and Detergent

Question:
What effect will Citranox have on brass?

Answer:
Citranox will brighten brass by removing dark copper oxides from the surface and leave a brighter, more yellow surface.

For more information on Citranox, visit here.

Alconox, Powdered Precision Cleaner Bath Life

Question:
Is it possible to prolong the bath life of Alconox?

Answer:
Yes. Start out with a stronger Alconox concentration. If using a 1% solution, use a 2% or possibly even 3% solution. After 1.5 weeks, add another 1.5% Alconox to the bath, especially if there has been make-up water added because of drag-out and evaporation. This regimen should allow successful cleaning for up to 3 weeks. It is not recommended trying to run an Alconox bath beyond 3 weeks, as these baths are prone to starting to grow microbes. Keep the bath covered when not in use and change out the bath every 3 weeks.

To view the technical bulletin and MSDS for Alconox, please visit www.alconox.com.

Critical Cleaning Applications in Medical Device Manufacturing

Question:
What product does Alconox recommend for removing oils and fingerprints from med dev surfaces prior to critical bonding operations?

Answer:
Cleaning of this kind can be accomplished by using a warm (50 deg) 1% solution of Liquinox in an ultrasonic bath followed by a purified water rinse. Detailed information about cleaning in Medical Device Manufacturing can be found in The Aqueous Cleaning Handbook 4th Edition. This 182 page book is a guide to critical cleaning procedures, techniques, and validation.

Copies of The Aqueous Cleaning Handbook 4th Edition can be obtained by visiting the Alconox website at http://www.alconox.com/static/section_customer/book.asp.

To speak to a technical representative about cleaning validation, call 914-948-4040 for Malcolm McLaughlin (x160) or email mmclaughlin@alconox.com.

Ask Alconox

Question:
How do I ask Alconox a question via the internet?

Answer:
Have questions for Alconox? We’ve got answers! Please ask our technical support team! Using the internet, visit http://www.alconox.com/section_top/m_ask.asp and you may fill out the form for specific questions or click the link to cleaning@alconox.com to e-mail general questions.

Manual Amikacin Sulphate residue removal

Question:
Which Alconox cleaners can manually remove Amikacin Sulphate?

Answer:
Amikacin Sulphate is soluble to 1.85X10E5 mg/L, contains amine functional groups and glycoside linkages therefore it is best cleaned by acid. Citranox would be the first choice. It contains glycosides links, it can probably also be cleaned by Liquinox.

Find out more about Citranox and Liquinox at www.alconox.com.

Residue Removal with Alconox brand detergents

Question:
Which Alconox brand cleaners are suitable for the removal of iron sucrose?

Answer:
Iron Sucrose is water soluble therefore it can be cleaned by either Citranox or Liquinox.

Find out more about Citranox and Liquinox at www.alconox.com.