CO2 Incubators > Control and Prevention of Contamination  »   How can I maintain my incubator to prevent contamination?

The best way to know if your incubator is contaminated before your cultures become infected is to use your nose and your eyes.  We all know what contamination smells like and it is no different in our incubators.  Furthermore, if there is rust, mold, dirt, or aluminum oxide in an incubator, it is already past the time for a good cleaning and it is probably safe to say that the incubator is already a breeding ground for contaminants.  Any incubator that is exposed to a great deal of traffic, whether from one individual or several, should be cleaned more frequently.

The general care and maintenance of a cell culture incubator should include the following:
1.)    Clean and disinfect the water pan and replace with fresh distilled water weekly.
2.)    Empty the incubator monthly and wash the shelves, tracks and walls.  Clean and disinfect all rubber or plastic tubing as well as the fan and the fan housing.
3.)    Dust the outside walls of the incubator at least every two months.  Over-under dual chamber models should be elevated on casters and moved every two months to clean and disinfect the floor below.
4.)    If bleach is used as a disinfectant on the incubator walls, it is imperative that the Clorox be removed from the chamber by washing with water, and the incubator should be aired before reuse as the fumes can be toxic to cells.  Furthermore, Clorox causes corrosion and pitting of stainless steel. The use of bleach may void the warranty on your incubator.
5.)    Change the filters on the air intake when necessary.
6.)    Clean all gaskets and hinges every month.
7.)    Do not place incubators near doors, air or heat vents or other areas of high air movement or heavy traffic.
Practicing these simple rules of maintenance will serve to eliminate problems due to contamination and consequently save time, money and vital experiments.  If contamination does arise when these maintenance tasks are implemented as standard procedure, the cause will probably be a source other than the incubator.  Whenever contamination is a problem, however, the incubator, and all other equipment, should be cleaned and disinfected.  Never guess what the source is if it is not clearly obvious.