A How-To Guide in Cleaning Stethoscopes

High end stethoscopes like the Littmann Lightweight II S.E. Stethoscope and the Littmann Master Cardiology Stethoscope may be durable and effective. However, if you want to get the most out of your stethoscopes, you really have to take care of it. This means cleaning it properly, and then making sure that you store it in the right place when you are not using it. If you want to know how to clean a stethoscope properly, you should check out the following tips.
Disinfect first - you are using your stethoscopes primarily to diagnose sick patients. This means after every time you use your unit, it may be contaminated by bacteria and germs coming from the patient. This is why it is highly recommended that you disinfect your device every time you use it. Regularly disinfecting can help guarantee that your device is free of bacteria and germ buildup. You can easily do this by using a 70% alcohol solution and a cotton ball. Make sure that you disinfect the diaphragm properly.
Clean your ears - if you want to prevent from cleaning your stethoscope regularly, you should make sure that you clean your ears. The earplugs of the unit can build up a lot of gunk from your ears. Earwax, sweat and dead skin cells can build up on your unit’s earplugs. By regularly cleaning your ears before you put on your device, you can guarantee that gunk will not build up on your earplugs.
Do not sterilize - sterilizing your unit is not a good idea at all. You have to understand that your stethoscopes have rubber parts. If you sterilize it, you will be applying heat. Rubber melts in heat. As such, if you put these medical devices in a sterilizer, you are effectively destroying it.
Do not use solvents - solvents can ruin the finish of these medical devices. It can also destroy the rubber and other parts. You may be able to erase all the dirt on your unit with solvents, but you will also be destroying them.
Do not expose the tube to your skin - the material of your tube can get hard if it is constantly exposed to skin. This will destroy the tube in the end because it will become brittle. This is why it is a good idea to wear your device right under your collar. This prevents the stethoscope from wearing down and it also keeps it clean.