Keeping your work area clean

Before you start

• Wash your hands and put on fresh gloves
• Wipe the surface with 70% isopropyl alcohol and let it dry
• Lay down an absorbent bench liner
• Set out only what you need for the task

While you work

• Change gloves if they touch anything outside the work area
• Wipe container tops with an alcohol pad before opening them
• Rest caps face-up on a clean surface, never face-down

When you finish

• Put sharps straight into the sharps container
• Throw away the bench liner and used wipes
• Wipe the surface again
• Return supplies to their labeled places

Why 70% alcohol, not 99%

For disinfecting surfaces, 70% isopropyl alcohol usually works better than 99%. The water it contains helps it act on germs, and it evaporates more slowly, so it stays wet long enough to work.