Regulator disinfectant - why and how?

[Pigpen]

Just been reading an article in the latest DAN mag about the horrid bugs that seem to prosper in regs, even after a good rinsing.

Interested to know what you lot do to disinfect your kit.

[Kate R]

<font color='#000080'>i just risk it! not too bothered about germs and nasties really.

while working for a dive school in the tropics we'd clean any obvuious gunk off masks etc with dilute bleach, but that's about it!

[aclivity]

<font color='#810541'>Having had a large supply of it in the house when the babies arrived, I've just been using Milton (or the supermarket own brand equivalent). &nbsp;I tend to rinse all my kit in a dilute solution after use.

Andy

[Fletch]

..

[Reeve]

<font color='#000F22'>Never even given it a thought. Maybe my LDS do it during a service but otherwise thats it.

Edit: We do use disinfecting wipes to clean out the Breathing Apparatus in work. Maybe I'll swipe a pack and use those.

[Dominic]

Occasional Trigene &amp; regular inspection.

[Driftwood]

<font color='#0000FF'>Why bother? The human mouth is not exactly a clean place at the best of times?

[Dr Stevil]

Well said Drifty, we've got at least 300 species of oral bacteria in there on a permanent basis.

Bacteria need moisture to thrive so as long as your regs are dried thoroughly nothing will be growing during storage. Plus I'd be more concerned about the crap we dive in than any DV microbial communities

I clean mine in fresh water then leave to dry.

Forgot to say, I personally would avoid alcohol wipes as I don't know if the reg materials are resistant to alcohol, but for those who have access to it and want to make their own antiseptic wipes, use 70% ethanol with 30% water added, this kills bacteria better than 100% ethanol

[Dominic]

Yeah, but our mouth is full of antibodies - our DVs aren't. So a DV is more prone to lettings things grow in it..

[Dr Stevil]

Principally Immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies which aren't as &quot;effective&quot; as the IgG antibodies found in the bloodstream (I should say I spent a year as a post-doc in Oral Biology at 'The Toon' dental school)

And it's worth repeating for the benefit of non-scientists that a litle bit of bacteria isn't necessarily bad, low dose exposure confers resistance by &quot;excercising&quot; our immune system, and we'd be dead if it wan't for some of our endogenous fauna.

Bottom line: if the reg is dry then bacteria aren't going to be growing.
That's worked with my current reg set which I've had for about six years now