Typically, enzymatic cleaners are used in the healthcare industry. They're used to clean and decontaminate many different types of medical equipment and devices. And when it comes to Endoscopy they are sometimes referred to as enzymatic detergents as well. This is because the surfactants used in their formulation lift soils from medical instruments.

While it's probably obvious based on the naming convention, enzymatic detergents are formulated using enzymes. The structure of these enzymes reacts and break down soils extremely efficiently. They literally target soils making them extremely effective while using much less energy than alternative formulations. The enzyme is actually a catalyst for the reaction taking place and is especially effective when used for endoscopy devices speeding up the cleaning process a great deal.

When doing your laundry movement or the agitation of dirty clothes in the washing machine assists with getting the clothes cleaner. But Enzymes are very different and really don't need much with regards to mechanical interaction making them perfect for reaching small places in medical instruments that would be impossible to reach with any brush or agitating equipment. Many other solutions need more interaction and a great deal more time to get comparable cleaning results. This is why enzyme detergents, more often than not, lead to quicker disinfecting turnaround times.

Quicker turnaround times make perfect sense for medical offices as the quicker your medical instruments are cleaned and disinfected the sooner they can be used again in the next treatment. These quicker turnaround times enable your practice to increase the number of endoscopic or other medical services provided that depend on these cleaning cycles making your office more efficient and more profitable.

Sometimes medical devices utilize ultrasonic cleaning (ultrasonic washing) after any pre-wash steps that are required based on the manufacturer's recommendations. Enzymatic cleaners or detergents are often used for these ultrasonic cleaning cycle(s). And a neutral alkaline detergent might be used after the ultrasonic washing as well.

The temperature of the detergent may be critical to the detergent. Certain enzymes perform better at specific temperature ranges. For instance, the protease enzymes react best anywhere between 100- and 130-degrees Fahrenheit. Each manufacturer of the medical devices will outline their recommendations in this regard and it's important that when shopping for enzymatic detergents that you make sure your choice is comparable to the manufacturer's own.