Hard Plastic Musical Instruments - Cleaning Protocol

The health and safety of our students is top priority. During inspections by the Southern Nevada Health District one of the procedures that is evaluated is the method used to disinfect recorders and other hard plastic musical instruments that are being used by multiple students during the school day.  It is not only important to make sure we disinfect the instruments but also that we do not use any chemicals that would be harmful to students if swallowed.  The Health District requires the following steps be followed when cleaning all hard-plastic instruments.

1. Wash the instruments with a solution of soap and water.
   1. Any standard dish washing detergent can be used for the soap.
   2. Water needs to be hot. (At least 110 ° F)

2. Rinse the instrument thoroughly in a separate container with clean water.
3. Immerse instrument in a solution of bleach and water for at least one minute.
   1. The bleach bottle should have instructions for disinfecting against influenza A.  Follow these instructions at a minimum.  Bleach mixture must be 50 – 100 parts per million chlorine.
   2. Water should be between 75 ° F and 140° F.
   3. Must use chlorine sanitizer test strips to test concentration of bleach to water.  Solution will need to be tested before each use, disposed of and re-mixed as needed.  Follow the instructions on the test strip for proper use.
4.  Remove instrument and allow to air dry in a clean area.

It is suggested that you have four plastic containers to perform the cleaning process, one for each step.  Store all cleaning supplies in a secure area to prevent accidental access by children.  Instruments must be cleaned after each use, not just at the end of the day.  Cleaning should be performed by staff and not by students.

Please contact Safety at 799-6496 or Safety@nv.ccsd.net with any questions regarding the cleaning procedure.

Printable memo with cleaning procedure.

Sample photo of chlorine sanitizer testing strips

Link to testing strips in General Catalog

Testing strips and bleach can be purchased using standard purchasing methods at your location.