▁process ▁k ills ▁this ▁micro organ ism , ▁the ▁ster il izer ▁is ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁effective . ▁ ▁Ster il ization , ▁if ▁performed ▁properly , ▁is ▁an ▁effective ▁way ▁of ▁prevent ing ▁b acter ia ▁from ▁spread ing . ▁It ▁should ▁be ▁used ▁for ▁the ▁clean ing ▁of ▁the ▁medical ▁instruments ▁or ▁glo ves , ▁and ▁basically ▁any ▁type ▁of ▁medical ▁item ▁that ▁comes ▁into ▁contact ▁with ▁the ▁blood ▁stream ▁and ▁ster ile ▁t issues . ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁four ▁main ▁ways ▁in ▁which ▁such ▁items ▁can ▁be ▁ster il ized : ▁aut oc lave ▁( by ▁using ▁high - press ure ▁steam ), ▁dry ▁heat ▁( in ▁an ▁o ven ), ▁by ▁using ▁chemical ▁ster il ants ▁such ▁as ▁gl ut ar al de hy des ▁or ▁formal de hy de ▁solutions ▁or ▁by ▁radiation ▁( with ▁the ▁help ▁of ▁physical ▁agents ). ▁The ▁first ▁two ▁are ▁the ▁most ▁used ▁methods ▁of ▁ster il izations ▁mainly ▁because ▁of ▁their ▁access ibility ▁and ▁avail ability . ▁Ste am ▁ster il ization ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁effective ▁types ▁of ▁ster il izations , ▁if ▁done ▁correctly ▁which ▁is ▁often ▁hard ▁to ▁achieve . ▁Inst ru ments ▁that ▁are ▁used ▁in ▁health ▁care ▁facilities ▁are ▁usually ▁ster il ized ▁with ▁this ▁method . ▁The ▁general ▁rule ▁in ▁this ▁case ▁is ▁that ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁perform ▁an ▁effective ▁ster il ization , ▁the ▁steam ▁must ▁get ▁into ▁contact ▁with ▁all ▁the ▁surfaces ▁that ▁are ▁meant ▁to ▁be ▁dis in fect ed . ▁On