No water should enter the tubing or the inflated pump during cleaning. Be extremely careful as you handle it around water. The cuff itself can be completely soaked and washed, so long as you ensure that is completely dry before you reinsert the tubing.
This is generally appropriate for the end of the day of a personal cuff. In a clinic or hospital setting, when the cuff must be reused quickly, using with a disposable disinfecting wipe is appropriate. This takes only a few minutes (and is described later in this article).
Alternately, you can mix 1 tsp. (5 ml) of bleach with 2 cups (473 ml) of water and pour it into the bottle. Shake the bottle and spray the mixture onto the cuff and tubing.
Do not put the tubing the washing machine. The tubing and inflated pump must be hand washed. You can clean the tubing by rinsing in warm soapy water and spraying down with rubbing alcohol. It is important that no water enters the tubing, as it will render it unusable.
This may be the most practical method of disinfecting a blood pressure cuff if you are in a hospital, clinic, or somewhere with a high volume of patients.
This is a less expensive option than disposable blood pressure cuffs and may be effective in preventing cross contamination.
