Cleaning & Disinfecting Your Gas Detectors - Guidance from Draeger

Cleaning & Disinfection of your Gas Detectors – Draeger Pac and X-am Devices

There are multiple ways to clean and disinfect your gas detector. Below are some ways to do this, including the use of commonly available agents shown below.

Cleaning with soap and water

• For dirty surfaces, use a solution of approximately 10% detergent in water. Do not get the soapy water on the sensor inlets – it can penetrate the waterproof barrier and potentially damage the sensor.

Cleaning with cleaning pads, alcohol-free  

• Follow supplied instructions

Disinfection using Clorox

• Per CDC recommendations, use a mixture of four teaspoons bleach per quart of water.

When you need to clean or disinfect your devices for daily operation, please follow the general procedures below, regardless of cleaning agent:

• Switch off the instrument before cleaning or disinfecting.
• Follow the instructions supplied with the wipe. If you are using a wipe indoors, disinfect the device under an exhaust hood.
• The ingredients in the wipe may cause some sensors to display a signal after you apply the wipe, especially CatEx and Organic Vapor sensors.
• Before using the device again, allow at least 10 minutes for the sensors to clear. As soon as the device is switched on in fresh air and the devices show the normal values for fresh air, the display effect of the disinfectant wipe will be gone. (Normal values: O2: 20.9 % by vol.; other sensors 0, except for CO2 and O3).
• We recommend that you disinfect the device prior to charging it. Use the charging process to recover the sensors. After the charging time, you can perform normal procedures such as bump testing and /or calibration.
• Chemical contaminants can be washed off with cold water. A sponge can be used if necessary. Dry the device with a towel.
• Do not clean the device with rough cleaning implements (brushes, etc.), cleaning agents, or solvents, because they can destroy the dust and water filter (membranes).
• Examine the instrument after cleaning for mechanical damage or damage caused by chemicals. Exchange components if necessary, such as the front housing.
• Carry out a bump test.

Draeger recommends exchanging the sensor filter (Pac/X-am 7000) or the front housing with the membranes of the X-am 125 and X-am 8000 after the devices have been disinfected more than 20 times. This is because frequent use of disinfection and/or cleaning agents in high dosages, the Ingress Protection (IP) membranes (sensor) will lose their property of water impermeability and as a result the IP rating of the gas detectors will be gone. As a result, the sensors or the device itself may be damaged.

Note: Depending on the sensors installed in the device, use of unapproved chemicals or products could cause a response, or worst case, permanent damage to the sensors. Some cleaners contain chemicals that would cause responses on CO and OV sensors. The sensors may take time to recover after exposure. Devices should be calibrated/bump tested afterwards and inspected for any deterioration of the housing and filter.