Sanitizing Pens

[ncpenfan]

I work in a hospital. I am writing to remind my colleagues to wipe down everything including their pens. I put everything away except a cross townsend. An all metal pen can handle ethanol or chlorox wipe!

 

Stay safe! Keep social distance. Treat everything as potentially contaminated.

 

All the best.

[LuckyKate]

What about the anodized aluminium of an Al-Star? Would 70% Alcohol hurt that? Thanks!

[Newton Pens]

I don't know, but the section is still plastic, so be careful.

[ncpenfan]

Good point on the section. If all else fails, the section can be replaced fairly inexpensively... at least for the stainless steel option.

[Honeybadgers]

I work as a paramedic and in the emergency room at the hospital with the most Covid patients/deaths in the united states right now.

 

I wipe my pens regularly, but for covid suspect patients, I use the plastic ballpoint we put in the room that is not to leave the room.

 

For everyone else, it's:

 

tactile turn gist in copper /w titanium EF

 

Delike alpha brass (sanded the lacquer off so it's raw brass) /w 14k vintage eversharp EF manifold

 

one-off Fisher AG-11 space pen in raw brass (they only ever made one prototype of the AG-7 in raw brass, and I own it now)

 

Metal pens or acrylic will handle bleach wipes. But Copper containing compounds like bronze and brass (and silver, but it takes about 5 times longer) are self-sanitizing. So in addition to wiping them down, they will innately kill viruses and bacteria and fungal spores.

 

So if you've got a raw brass or copper pen, now would be a wonderful time to bust it out.

 

Even my Benchmade crooked river pocket knife has copper scales for their antimicrobial properties

[bogiesan]

If you have pens you won't mind damaging, now's the time to get them out of your storage boxes and ink them up. When the madness passes, you can buy a couple of new pens to replace the units you sanitized to a state of unuseability.

[JosephKing]

Someone forwarded me a video about C19 being surrounded by a lipid layer, and that washing with soap for 20 seconds causes the layer to disolve in water, enabling the virus to be rinsed away. The video even went so far as to say that soap was more effective than disinfectant/sanitizers.

 

For those in the field, any merit to this video?

And if so, any thoughts on whether this would work on a fountain pen?

[Ron Z]

 

Metal pens or acrylic will handle bleach wipes. But Copper containing compounds like bronze and brass (and silver, but it takes about 5 times longer) are self-sanitizing. So in addition to wiping them down, they will innately kill viruses and bacteria and fungal spores.

 

So if you've got a raw brass or copper pen, now would be a wonderful time to bust it out.

 

There you go, the excuse you need to buy a brass Kaweco sport.

[Gloucesterman]

Saw this link on a FireFox news feed. Have read other information "agreeing" with the concept that copper and other copper alloyed (bronze, brass, etc?) actually destroy viruses in general and Covid-19 specifically. Check it out and add more information here,or, possibly, start a new thread...

http://Copper destroys viruses: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/xgqkyw/copper-destroys-viruses-and-bacteria-why-isnt-it-everywhere

 

My question would be, "is it possible to make some type of cleaning/sanitizing solution by using old copper (pre-1982) pennies or such"? BTW, post 1982 pennies are only 3% copper and the remaining metal is primarily zinc.

Be well and stay safe.

 

Here in Massachusetts, the Governor just issue a mandate that "All non-essential businesses close as of noon on Tuesday March 24th." Interestingly enough liquor stores are considered essential and thus not included in the closure mandate.

Edited March 23, 2020 by Gloucesterman

[Aysedasi]

Someone forwarded me a video about C19 being surrounded by a lipid layer, and that washing with soap for 20 seconds causes the layer to disolve in water, enabling the virus to be rinsed away. The video even went so far as to say that soap was more effective than disinfectant/sanitizers.

 

For those in the field, any merit to this video?

And if so, any thoughts on whether this would work on a fountain pen?

 

That's what I've been reading from the start. A thorough handwashing in antibacterial soap is at least three times more effective than sanitisers.

[minddance]

no alcohol for Sailor pens?

[JosephKing]

 

That's what I've been reading from the start. A thorough handwashing in antibacterial soap is at least three times more effective than sanitisers.

This video said even the antimicrobial part wasn't necessary; just plain old soap is all you need... ? Edited March 23, 2020 by JosephKing

[Astronymus]

What about the anodized aluminium of an Al-Star? Would 70% Alcohol hurt that? Thanks!

No danger to the aluminium and the coating. The section is made of acrylic which gets brittle by alcohols like isopropyl. Better use a Safari. The ABS is much more resilient.

[MadAsAHatter]

I work in a public health lab where we're doing COVID testing. I brought all my pens home when we got the first samples. I've just been using the regular ole BIC pens for now, but I'm starting to have withdrawal from not using a fountain pen. I think I'll bring my Jinhao X450 back up to work since it was inexpensive. If it gets messed up by cleansers then it won't be that big of a loss.

[Aysedasi]

This video said even the antimicrobial part wasn't necessary; just plain old soap is all you need... ?

 

I daresay that's correct. Provided you wash your hands thoroughly.

[LuckyKate]

So should I wash all my pens in soap and water before I put them away? Or just wrap them up (in quarantine). What's the best way to avoid cross-contamination before storing them?

[Astronymus]

The virus won't survive in the long term on the pens. If they lie around long enough the problem goes away by itself. ... Except you put them in the cryostasis, I guess.

[LuckyKate]

I just cleaned and washed all my pens with soap and water and put them away.

 

I have heard of urushi being antimicrobial, somewhat like copper, but since I don't know for sure I also put away my Nakaya, which has been inked up continuously since 2014.

 

I inked up two Jinhao, one porcelain, one brass (both with plastic sections but I'm okay if they fall apart.).

 

I may have also ordered a Kaweco brass sport with a gold nib. . But my birthday party was cancelled so I get a pen instead!

[praxim]

This video said even the antimicrobial part wasn't necessary; just plain old soap is all you need... ?

 

Anti-bacterial is immaterial. This is a virus, a different beastie, not technically alive. Detergent dissolves that lipid layer effectively destroying the virus as well as enabling it to be rinsed off. Alcohol (~70%) dries out the lipid layer effectively destroying the virus. Both are fast acting.

 

I can dig out sources for each of these comments in the unlikely event you can not confirm them readily yourselves. Start with WHO or your national health authority.

[bsenn]

The virus won't survive in the long term on the pens. If they lie around long enough the problem goes away by itself. ... Except you put them in the cryostasis, I guess.

You only need 25 or 30 pens to use one for an hour or two, then put it away for five days and start the next.

 

I'd guess most of you have enough pens...