Personal Sterilization: Ensuring You're as Contaminant-Free as Your Workspace.
Personal sterilization is equally crucial as sterilizing your workspace. Even if your workspace is impeccably clean, contaminants from your body or clothing can jeopardize the mushroom cultivation process. Here's a detailed guide to ensure you're thoroughly prepared:
a. Clothing Selection and Preparation:
- Example: Choose clothing that hasn’t been worn outdoors recently, as outdoor clothes can carry various contaminants like spores, dust, and pollen.
- Before donning your gown, make sure your clothing is clean. Wearing freshly washed clothes can be beneficial.
b. Donning the Gown:
- Select a gown that's made of a non-porous material, which will prevent any contaminants from passing through.
- Example: A lab coat or a disposable Tyvek suit can serve as excellent options for this purpose.
- Ensure your gown covers from your neck down to at least your knees.
- Tie or secure any open ends or fastenings to minimize any exposed areas.
c. Sterile Gloves:
- Before wearing gloves, wash your hands thoroughly with antibacterial soap for at least 20 seconds, ensuring all parts of the hands and wrists are cleaned.
- Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry.
- Example: When selecting gloves, opt for nitrile or latex gloves that fit snugly, ensuring there's no space for contaminants to enter.
- Open the glove packaging and remove the gloves without touching the outside. Touch only the cuff of the glove and roll it onto your hand. Repeat with the other hand.
- Once the gloves are on, avoid touching non-sterile surfaces. If you do touch something non-sterile, replace the gloves.
d. Wearing a Mask:
- Masks can prevent contaminants from your breath or any unintentional spit droplets from compromising the sterile environment.
- Example: A basic surgical mask or an N95 respirator will suffice. If neither is available, even a clean cloth mask can be better than nothing.
- Before wearing the mask, ensure your face is clean. A quick wipe with a clean cloth can help.
Place the mask over your nose and mouth, securing it with the loops behind your ears or ties behind your head. Ensure it fits snugly, with minimal gaps.
e. Hair Covering (if applicable):
If you have long hair or even if you're just looking to be extra cautious, consider wearing a hairnet or a cap.
Example: A disposable shower cap can be an easy and effective solution to keep hair out of the way and prevent it from shedding onto the workspace.
Ensure all hair is tucked into the cap, with no strands hanging out.
f. Minimizing Movement:
Once fully gowned and masked, minimize unnecessary movements. The less you move around and touch things, the lower the risk of contamination.
Example: If you need to step away from the workspace, avoid going to other rooms or outdoors. Return directly to the workspace without touching unnecessary surfaces.