Quick sanitising of small items?

[GabrielKnight]

Anyone else often find that they want to quickly sanitise a one off, small item like a thermomenter, hydrometer or spoon but don't want to fill up a large vessel with warm water and chemicals to do it? Are there any easier solutions? For example, can I wipe a thermometer with rubbing alcohol on a clean microfibre cloth, then use it straight away?

[Bryggmester]

Star San is ideal for this, and there are a number of other options, all of which have been discussedin this forum. Try running No rinse sanitizers in the search engine.

[mysterio]

Spray bottle of iodophor does it for me.

[GabrielKnight]

Thanks guys, they look good. I've been using the Oxi-clean stuff, which has mixed reviews.

But I think all the chems mentioned so far have to be carefully diluted to the correct ratio, then bottled into sprayers, then have variable shelf-lives that have to be monitored etc. Is there anything even simpler?

I was wondering if there was a natural product that can be used straight from the bottle and simply wiped on and left to dry without leaving aftertaste.

Again, I wonder if rubbing alcohol would be suitable? Nurses use it on their hands because its supposed to kill germs etc, and presumebly traces of near pure alcohol won't harm the brew?

Obviously I'm not talking about cleaning dirty implements etc, but small utensils that have been previously cleaned and left on a shelf since the last brew.

[Mitchamitri]

err.....I dont know ......but can you get milton cleaning wipes?

[Graham]

Domestos make a bleach-based, kitchen cleaner spray. I spray the items with that, wipe with a bit of paper kitchen-towel damped in the same stuff, and then rinse under the tap.

Of course, you have to be unafraid of bleach and rinsing with tap water. It will contravene some people's superstitions, but it is the quickest and most effective.

[inthedark]

I have a small plastic box which seals watertight, filled with sodium metabisulphate solution. I keep a variety of small items such as thermometers, hydrometers, pipettes, etc so they're pretty much ready to use.

I suspect this wouldn't be clever for dealing with yeast starters, but it seems to be ok for most other things.

Note - when I can breathe the fumes without choking, I drain and replenish the solution.

[craigjbarker]

Would pouring boiling water out of a kettle over an item steralise it well enough?