Green Aussie Cleaner
and Medical Uses

The following is an Excerpt from Australian Standards 4187.

2.9 CLEANING AGENTS Cleaning agents shall be used to remove residual soil and organic matter from instruments and equipment.

NOTE: Appendix D gives information on the selection of cleaning agents.
Chemical suppliers shall provide Product Data Bulletins and Material Safety Data sheets for all cleaning agents. The supplier or manufacturer should provide the user with validation regarding the cleaning agents' compliance with the recommendations of Appendix D.

The supplier or manufacturer should provide the user with chemical testing kits that will allow the user to test for pH, chlorine content, chlorine residue, presence of iron and water hardness. Training for staff in the application, handling, safe use, and testing of detergents should be made available by the supplier.

NOTE: Mild alkaline detergents in the pH range 8.0 to 10.8 are preferred over neutral pH detergents in most applications. Alkalinity is added to many detergents in order to improve their cleaning efficacy which is accomplished in two ways. Firstly, the alkalinity may contribute of its own accord. Acidic soils are neutralised and thereby more easily removed. Organic soils such as fats/oils and proteins may be emulsified or peptized. Many alkaline builders also soften the water during the cleaning operation. Secondly, there is improved performance of other detergent components. This is known as synergism. This means that in the presence of the alkaline builder, some other detergent components such as surfactants work better than if they were by themselves. Alkaline detergents inhibit the growth of microorganisms, and chemical residue is easily detected by use of kits obtainable from suppliers. Neutral detergents do not contain alkaline builders and consist essentially of a surfactant solution. Although neutral detergents may be quite effective in a number of applications, they may not prove as effective as built alkaline detergents in many of the dirtier applications.

Acid-based agents should only be used for stainless steel surfaces and then only for intermittent de-scaling or brightening. Items with different metallurgic compositions should not be cleaned in the same acid-based solution as this may cause electrolytic corrosion.

Soak cleansers, containing enzymes for breaking down proteinaceous matter, may be used for sensitive equipment if their use is approved by the equipment manufacturer. Heavy duty gloves, complying with AS/NZS 2161.2, shall be worn when handling these products.

Cleaning agents shall be packaged and be able to be dispensed in a manner which is safe for the operator and which does not promote contamination of the contents. Safety data sheets shall be obtained from manufacturers in regard to each product.

Cleaning agents for manual cleaning shall be-

(a) biodegradable
(b) non-corrosive
(c) non-toxic
(d) non-abrasive
(e) low foaming
(f) free rinsing (i.e. leave no detergent residue)
(g) preferably liquid and
(h) of mild alkali formulations

Cleaning agents for mechanical cleaning shall be-

(i) biodegradable
(ii) non-abrasive
(iii) low foaming
(iv) free rinsing and
(v) preferably be liquid

Cleaning agents shall not contain any of the following additives:

(A) Perfumes
(B) Chlorine, having an in-use concentration greater than 200 pg/g.
(C) Fatty soaps
(D) Glycerine
(E) Lanolin
(F) Optical brighteners

Labelling of cleaning agents shall include-

(1) the name of the product
(2) the name and address of the manufacturer
(3) the description and purpose of the product
(4) the directions for dilution and use
(5) the batch number
(6) the date of manufacture or expiry date (or both)
(7) the advice not to mix the cleaning agent with other chemicals
(8) safety and first aid instructions and
(9) specific storage requirements

In addition, labelling of cleaning agents shall comply with any statutory regulations.

Information provided on this website is to provide understanding about personal and household cleaning agents and health and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease.
Green Aussie Cleaner does not accept any liability for people taking their own health into their own hands.

Page prepared by GAC