How should needles and syringes be cleaned?
Step 1. Rinse with water to remove blood from syringe/needle. • Pour clean water into a clean cup or bottle cap. • Pull back on plunger and fill halfway with clean water. • Shake syringe/needle and squirt water out through the syringe/needle. • Repeat this at least twice with new water or until all the blood and drug residue is gone. Step 2. Rinse with full strength bleach. • Pour full strength bleach (do not add water) into clean cup or bottle cap. • Pull back on plunger and fill the syringe halfway with bleach. • Shake syringe/needle and squirt bleach out through the syringe/needle. • Repeat steps. Step 3. Rinse syringe/needle with clean water three more times. • Before injecting, always rinse syringe/needle with water to remove the bleach. • Keep the rinse water apart from water used to clean the syringe/needle and to prepare drugs. Things to remember: • Do not reuse the cotton, water, bleach, or cooker. If the cooker must be reused, rinse it in bleach then water. • Store bleach in
