How to Sterilize a Needle
Needles are commonly used for puncturing the skin, such as when you’re getting a tattoo or injecting medications into the body. They’re helpful, but if they carry bacteria and germs, they’ll be the cause of more problems. To prevent this from happening, you need to sterilize the needle. Here’s an effective method.
What You’ll Need:
Clean needle
Paper towel
Dishwashing soap
Tweezers or pliers
Oven mitts
Hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol
Tea cup or any small container
Flame source
Procedure:
As much as possible, choose clean, newly-purchased needles. If there are signs or rust on it, don’t use it anymore. Also, wash your hands with water and antibacterial soap, before you perform any of these sterilizing techniques.
sterilized needle
Put the needle in the palm of your hand, and add a few drops of dishwashing soap and water. Rub your thumb over the needle, moving it around in the soap, until the grease, dirt and oils are gone. Rinse it, then transfer to a clean paper towel.
Fold the paper towel a couple of times, then dampen it and set aside. Hold the non-pointed end of the needle using clean pliers or tweezers, then put the pointed end into a flame. You can use a burner or even a candle flame. When doing this, don’t hold the needle above the flame, but on the side. Hold it until the needle is very hot. Don’t touch it, though!
Let the needle cool on the damp paper towel.
If you don’t want to use heat, another option is to soak the needle in hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol. Wash your hands with hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol, then pick up the needle, holding it again at the blunt end. Fill a tea cup or any small container with either of these two liquids, then drop the needle in it. Allow it to sit for 20 seconds or more.
When done, wash your hands again with any of these liquids, then remove the needle from the cup. (Tips on how to wash your hands properly)
Just because a needle looks clean doesn’t mean it really is. Stay on the safe side by sterilizing the needle properly. As long as this is done properly, you won’t have to worry about getting any bacteria or infection. If you enjoy reading this article, you’ll surely be interested in learning how to get rid of a fear of needles.