There's a handy product that every dental office should have. It keeps sterilizer door gaskets supple so they seal better and last longer, it can be used to find leaks in your air, and it helps keep things clean. Dawn dish soap.
Famous for its use on wildlife, the mild properties of this dish soap make it well-suited for many other tasks as well.
Mixed with water at a ratio of about 4:1 Dawn gives you a great leak detector. Just spread the mixture over any suspect fittings or hoses and look for bubbles. As you can see precisely where the bubbles originate, it will be clear what is leaking which will be your first step in repairing the leak.
This same mix provides a good lubricant for sterilizer door gaskets and it won't harm your sterilizer. The Sci Can cassette seals are provided when new with a small packet of this mix to aid in installation of the cassette seal. Applied once a week, this same mix extends the life of the seal and keeps it effective. Applying to the door gaskets of other brands of sterilizer can be equally effective. Again, once a week is a good routine.
Dawn is also very good as a general-purpose cleaner around the office. Use it on chair upholstery to remove stains and dirt build-up.
It works well with operatory light lens shields as well and won't harm them.
Of course, it's handy to have some in the staff break room for doing dishes too.
The author has received no payment from Proctor & Gamble for this posting, but would be more than willing to accept some. ;)
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