How do YOU clean your stethoscope?

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And how often do you do it? I don't know if I'm cleaning mine the best way, but I use lysol disinfecting wipes and how often just depends on what's going on.

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Specializes in Med-Surg ICU.

I just bought a new littman stethoscope and the instructions specifically said to use alcohol to prevent ruining the tubing.

My old one (a lightweight littman) I used the clorhexidine wipes and the tubing hardened.

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Specializes in Emergency.

Caviwipes, alcohol pads

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Specializes in Neuro, Telemetry.

Just alcohol wipes. Agreed with the other poster about the cleaning instructions stating to only use alcohol wipes. I'm only a student, but I clean mine after each clinical, and clean the diaphragm/bell (chest piece I think it's called?) between patients.

The wipe I use for the tubing always has dirt after a shift so I can only imagine the unseen junk that's on it as well.

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Specializes in Post Anesthesia.

More often than not I clean mine by dropping it into a full bedpan or alternately a hopper just before flushing. This is followed by a liberal soaking in alcohol and/or peroxide and a new diaphram.

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