How to disinfect an electrochemical gas sensor safely?

Electrochemical gas sensors are pieces of valuable life-saving equipment that people are highly dependent on in certain situations. In some cases, gas sensors are used close to the face, so it is important to clean your gas sensor and disinfect it regularly.

Properly cleaning your gas sensor can improve its working and reduce the current risk of air-borne diseases like covid-19.

This article will go over some ways to clean your sensor and some things that you should avoid doing.

Don't use common disinfectants.

You should avoid using commonly used disinfectants like cleaners used in homes. People commonly use wipes or cleaners that are used in homes or offices, but this should not be done.

The sensors are highly sensitive pieces of electronics that need special care. Chemicals like alcohol can damage the sensor and prevent it from working properly, putting the user in a dangerous situation.

Hence, you should avoid using;

· Alcohol, Lysol, Purell, or any cleaners that have these chemicals in them

· Bleach (Sodium Hypochlorite)

· Clorox

· Dishwashing liquids

· Silicone

Some of the cleaners mentioned above are widely used, and one might think about using them to clean their gas sensor, but they can interfere with the normal functioning of the sensor, so you should avoid these.

Normal cleaning

Cleaning your sensor with a disinfectant once a week or so is fine and helps the proper functioning of the sensor, but it is important if you clean it regularly using a piece of cloth or a dust brush.

For routine cleaning and disinfecting of gas detectors, customers should use water and hand soap which does not include any of the previously-listed cleaning agents and wipe the detector with a soft, damp cloth.

Disinfecting your sensor

It is important to thoroughly clean and disinfects your gas sensor now and then, and the MSA suggests the following method, so you should consider doing this,

1. MSA confidence plus cleaner

2. You can use other products as well if;

i. It doesn’t include alcohol more than 0.1%

ii. Only has Hydrogen peroxide as an active ingredient

iii. Does not contain hydrogen hypochlorite more than 7.4%

3. You can use a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution in water with 5 minutes of contact time on the surfaces

4. If you do not have any of these items available, you can prepare a solution using household bleach. CDC recommends mixing four teaspoons of bleach per quart of water

5. The recommended concentration is 2% bleach in water, equivalent to 0.15% sodium hypochlorite

6. After using disinfectants, make sure to clean the sensor using clean water

Do a test after cleaning

After you are done cleaning your sensor, you should do a bump test, it will only cost you a couple of minutes and a couple of pennies worth of gas, but it would ensure your safety and avoid any tragedy.

It is important to clean your sensor regularly. During this pandemic situation, you can regularly clean your sensor with normal soap if it doesn't have any harmful items in it, and make sure to disinfect it at regular intervals.