Last Review Date: November 6, 2020

I. Purpose
This standard operating procedure is designed to describe the proper use and maintenance of the cage washer in Health Science Building 012 in order to maintain sanitation of animal caging.

II. Responsibility
It is the responsibility of all LAR Staff to know the proper use of the cage washer located in Health Sciences 012 and to understand the different cycles, safety features, and upkeep procedures.

III. Protective clothing

• A lab coats and gloves must be worn when handling dirty animal contact materials.
• When handling clean animal contact materials, wear scrubs and gloves.

IV. Procedure

• Load dirty items into cage washer through door in dirty-room 012
• Power should already be ON
• For bedframe, touch "Quick Lock Off"; should turn green and say "Quick Lock ON"
• For tree, touch Quick Lock ON; should turn red and say "Quick Lock Off"
• Touch "Start"
• At end of wash cycle, unload clean items through the cage washer door in the hallway

V. Safety features

• Emergency STOP button on both doors of the cage washer.
• The emergency cable inside the cage washer turns off all power to cage washer

VI. Monitoring cage washer chemicals

• Monitor chemical usage in 30-gallon drums per Sanitation Strategies quarterly testing of pH, water hardness, and dosing; recorded in a notebook in HS009
• Alert Facility Manager to reorder chemicals as needed.

VII. Sanitation monitoring

• Hygiena SystemSURE Plus (SOP) - indicates that sanitation has occurred; use on the first Monday of the month.
• Thermolabel Temperature Strips (SOP) - indicates that temperature of 180°F was achieved; use one strip in the first cage wash load each day.

IX. Troubleshooting

• For specific cage washer problems, call Getinge Signature Services, (800) 950-9912.
• For specific facilities problems, call Facilities Services, (406) 243-6091.
• Detergent purchases use Sanitation Strategies, 541-217-1909