Spray bottle
Rubbing alcohol or household bleach
Paper towels
Scrub brush
Disposable gloves
Step 1
Protect your hands from blood and body fluids by wearing disposable gloves. Examine the blood pressure cuff for signs of body fluids or soil. Check all parts of the cuff, including the tubing and bulb.
Step 2
Place the cuff flat on a counter. Squirt household dish detergent on a paper towel and wipe it on both sides of the cuff. Use a scrub brush if necessary to remove soil. Prepackaged towelettes of enzymatic detergent for cleaning medical equipment are also available.
Step 3
Wipe the tubing and bulb with detergent.
Step 4
Rinse the cuff and tubing by holding the cuff under running water or wiping it with a wet paper towel. Avoid introducing water into the tubing.
Step 5
Pat the cuff and tubing dry with a paper towel.
Step 6
Pour 2 cups of water and 1 tsp. of household bleach into an empty spray bottle. Place the sprayer cap on the bottle and agitate gently to mix the bleach solution.
Step 7
Hold the cuff over the sink and spray both sides with the bleach solution. Allow the cuff to air dry before using it again.
Tips and Warnings
- A low-level disinfectant is appropriate for non-critical medical equipment. The CDC recommends ethyl or isopropyl alcohol labeled in a 70 to 90 percent concentration; phenolic germicidal detergent solution; iodophor germicidal detergent solution; or a quaternary ammonium germicidal detergent solution.
Things You'll Need
- Blood pressure cuffs are used in a variety of health care settings and at home to check for heart disease. According to guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, non-critical reusable medical equipment--blood pressure cuffs, crutches and similar items--are not likely to transmit infectious organisms to others. Because these items normally come into contact with intact skin, they do not need to be disinfected between patients unless a highly infectious organism is present or the cuff is contaminated with body fluids.
