How to Collect an Environmental Sample From Stainless Steel [VIDEO]

Attractive, durable and easy to clean, stainless steel countertops are found in most commercial and restaurant kitchens. If you work in the food preparation or service industry, you know the importance of hygienic workspaces for food safety.

Stainless steel countertops are also often used in veterinary clinics, where they may come into contact with a whole host of potential microbes. That’s why it’s essential that, whatever your industry, you know how to test stainless steel countertops for pathogens.

Puritan EnviroMax Plus® Collection Kit

To assist you in validating your cleaning and sterilization process, we’ve put together this short instructional video on how to collect an environmental surface sample from stainless steel countertops using Puritan’s EnviroMax Plus® Collection Kit. This will help you determine if you’re doing enough to protect your customers and employees from bacterial or viral contamination. A step-by-step transcript is below.

How to Collect an Environmental Sample from Stainless Steel Countertops

• Put latex gloves onto hands.
• Open and remove Puritan EnviroMax Plus® Collection Kit from its package, and place on a clean surface until ready for use.
• Hold the vial at a horizontal angle to prevent contaminants from entering the vial.
• Remove Puritan EnviroMax Plus® swab from vial by holding the cap and twisting counterclockwise.
• Using one side of the swab, select a sample area that is greater than or equal to one square foot.
• Collect a sample by vigorously rubbing the swab with firm pressure approximately 10 times in a vertical, up and down motion following a “Z” pattern.
• Turn swab to opposite side and swab approximately 10 times in a horizontal, side to side motion over the surface area being sampled.
• Swab diagonally using the same swab side as used in the vertical swabbing.
• Swab approximately 10 times in the sampling area until the opposite side’s bottom corner has been sampled.
• Upon completion of sample collection, aseptically return swab into corresponding vial, holding vial vertically to prevent contaminants from entering.
• Label vial with appropriate information.
• If immediate testing cannot be performed, place samples in a refrigerated area.

As a food service or veterinary professional, it’s up to you to ensure the safety of your workspaces. Hopefully this video has helped you gain a better understanding about how to accurately collect an environmental surface sample from your stainless steel countertops.

If you have any questions, or you would like more information about our EnviroMax Plus® Collection Kit, please contact one of our knowledgable product specialists today.