The instructions for my OMS compact pee valve say "Disassemble and clean after diving by soaking and washing in a disinfectant solution such as Betadine and water or a solution of Listerine and Dawn dishwashing detergent." I have modified a squirt bottle so I can plug it into the quick release fitting on the tube which runs to my pee valve and flush the tube and the valve out with water or a disinfectant solution, while standing in the water to wash everything which flushes out of the system off the outside of my drysuit. I sent an e-mail to my sister (a surgeon) and her husband (a physician's assistant) which asked them the following questions:
"1. How much would it be appropriate to dilute the betadine before pumping it throughthe pee valve system? Betadine is expensive, and it stains things, so I’d like to dilute it. But I don’t want to dilute it so much that it becomes ineffective at disinfecting the system. I may first flush out the system with water, and then add a little betadine to the remaining water for the final flush and disinfectant.
2. Do you have any suggestions for other disinfectants which are readily available and cheap, but effective? Is Listerine actually an effective disinfectant?"
My sister answered as follows:
"We discussed this at length, and found it at least as pleasant and illuminating a conversation as the one I had with [my sister, who is a bicycle racer] and her biker friends regarding the fine art of shooting a snot rocket from a moving bike. It sounds like you already know more about this subject than any reasonable person would, but perhaps there is an interesting conversation thread on some scuba diver web site? My opinion: urine is sterile, so it seems like the main goal would just be to very thoroughly flush any residue from the tube, and hang it up to dry like you would a camelback bladder. And, not use any chemicals that could degrade the tubing material. I wonder if bleach would also work as a disinfectant, though it might alter the color on that part of the suit."
Does anybody have any words of wisdom on the subject of good solutions to use for flushing out and disinfecting pee valve systems?
"1. How much would it be appropriate to dilute the betadine before pumping it throughthe pee valve system? Betadine is expensive, and it stains things, so I’d like to dilute it. But I don’t want to dilute it so much that it becomes ineffective at disinfecting the system. I may first flush out the system with water, and then add a little betadine to the remaining water for the final flush and disinfectant.
2. Do you have any suggestions for other disinfectants which are readily available and cheap, but effective? Is Listerine actually an effective disinfectant?"
My sister answered as follows:
"We discussed this at length, and found it at least as pleasant and illuminating a conversation as the one I had with [my sister, who is a bicycle racer] and her biker friends regarding the fine art of shooting a snot rocket from a moving bike. It sounds like you already know more about this subject than any reasonable person would, but perhaps there is an interesting conversation thread on some scuba diver web site? My opinion: urine is sterile, so it seems like the main goal would just be to very thoroughly flush any residue from the tube, and hang it up to dry like you would a camelback bladder. And, not use any chemicals that could degrade the tubing material. I wonder if bleach would also work as a disinfectant, though it might alter the color on that part of the suit."
Does anybody have any words of wisdom on the subject of good solutions to use for flushing out and disinfecting pee valve systems?
