Cleaning Devices and Accessories

Updated: December 11, 2023

This article explains how to clean portable and area monitoring devices and their accessories while avoiding contaminating device gas sensors. This article applies to G6, G7c, G7x, G7 EXO, and their accessories including G6 Dock and G7 Dock.

Chemical contamination

Gas sensors are susceptible to contamination by a variety of common cleaning chemicals. Never use the following chemicals on the device or near a device’s gas sensors:

• Alcohol based cleaners (e.g., Purell^® and Lysol^® or Lysol wipes)
• Solvent based cleaners or degreasers  (e.g., Goof-Off^® or TKO^®)
• Soaps containing D-limonene (e.g., Dawn^® or Sunlight^® dishwashing liquid)
• Silicone based products, (e.g., Armor-All^® or Armor-All wipes)
• Common air dusters or canned air

Contaminated gas sensors may be permanently damaged and unable to detect target gases. Blackline does not take responsibility for these, or similar products, causing damage to sensors. If a device is exposed to these chemicals or any new chemical or compound, bump test and calibrate the device to ensure the sensors function properly.

Cleaning Devices without Contaminating Sensors

IMPORTANT: If you are using alcohol-based hand sanitizers to sanitize your hands, you must allow enough time for the active ingredients to evaporate from your hands before touching your device.

NOTE: Device accessories, including docks, should be cleaned in the same way.

To clean your device:

1. Use a cloth dampened in a mixture of water and hand soap to remove dirt and debris from the device’s exterior.
2. To prevent moisture from damaging device electronics, use an absorbent cloth towel to dry off dampened devices.
3. Calibrate, or at least, bump test the device to ensure it is operating correctly.

IMPORTANT: Never use a pressure washer to clean Blackline devices, including EXO. The exterior seals cannot withstand highly pressurized water. Doing so can result in water entering the interior of the device, permanently damaging the electronics.

Using Gas Sensor Filters to Protect Sensors

Internal Filters (G7: ACC-Q-FILT10-INT / G6: ACC-G6-FILT10) are available from Blackline for you to place over top of your sensors to prevent them from getting dirty. 

For information on replacing gas sensor filters for G6, refer to the G6 Technical User Manual.

For information on replacing gas sensor internal filters for G7, refer to:

• Replacing filters for G7 single-gas cartridges
  
• Replacing filters for G7 multi-gas (diffusion) cartridges
  

NOTE: In cases where a G7 internal filter requires frequent replacement, Blackline Safety offers an external multi-gas filter (ACC-Q-FILT10-EXT).

To purchase gas sensor filters, contact your Blackline Safety distributor or our Technical Support team.

Disinfecting Devices

According to the National Institute for Health, viruses (e.g., COVID-19) can be stable on surfaces for hours or days.

IMPORTANT: Never mix bleach and ammonia or any other cleanser. Use caution around clothing when handling water and bleach mixtures.

NOTE: Device accessories, including docks, should be disinfected in the same way.

To disinfect your device:

1. Pre-mix a solution of water and bleach (5 tablespoons of bleach per gallon of water).
2. Use a clean cloth dampened in the water and bleach mixture to wipe down the device exterior, avoiding areas near the sensor cap.
3. After approximately 30 seconds use an absorbent cloth towel to dry off the dampened device.

Blackline recommends that portable and area monitoring devices should be calibrated or, at least, bump tested after they are disinfected to ensure they are operating correctly.

For additional information on disinfection protocols, refer to the Chemical & Engineering News and Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

We’re here to help

Let us know if you have any questions — don’t hesitate to reach out to our Technical Support team.