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Heroin Cleaning out syringes...

siq

siq

Bluelighter
Joined
Feb 17, 2015
Messages
377
Location
cali.
I can't get a hold of any new syringes so I gotta use old ones for the time being. I was thinking of cleaning them out with alcohol.(suck alcohol up into the syringe, then rinse it with water a few times)

You guys know of any better ways? I just wanna clean out any bacteria that built up...
 
Alcohol will work for killing bacteria but bleach is better. Suck a bit of alcohol into the syringe, about 1/4 of the full volume, then draw the plunger back almost all the way and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds. Make sure you rinse it thoroughly afterwords, using alcohol or bleach. Also there is a whole section on the website heroinhelper.com about cleaning out and sharpening used rigs. Just no matter what you do make sure you rinse well.

There are no needle exchanges where I live but I've never had any problems just going to the pharmacy and purchasing them. Every once in a while you'll get a dirty look from the pharm tech or whoever is working the counter but I don't really care. If they start giving you a hard time just ask if they'd rather have u using dirty blunted rigs lol.
 
Rinsing syringes with alcohol or bleach will not guarantee they're sterile, unfortunately. It can clean most of the stuff out but as soon as you expel the bleach or alcohol and wash the syringe, you will re-contaminate it with bacteria from the atmosphere. Not to mention the points on the needles will get duller and duller, too.

If you can, the best option is to avoid injecting and take it by some other route.
 
Once any syringe has been used it will not be sterile again, unless you use an autoclave to clean it. Bleach or alcohol will kill bacteria though.
 
I'm just looking to get it as clean as possible, As well as I can. Doesn't have to be perfect.

Drug stores will sell u syringes but it depends where u live... some don't, some do.
 
Used syringes ruined my veins. It used to make bigger holes, also damages the skin as they are not as sharp as they should be.
I would either use them properly or really consider different ways to administer.
 
siq said:
I'm just looking to get it as clean as possible, As well as I can. Doesn't have to be perfect.

Drug stores will sell u syringes but it depends where u live... some don't, some do.
Click to expand...

If you can receive parcels without anyone in your household inspecting them, it might be worth ordering some injecting equipment in bulk online.
 
If you need a good website, that's safe & secure, PM me and I'll provide you with the information. I've been paying approx. $18-$26, and I live so close to the company that UPS gets it delivered the next day - so basically I get next day delivery for that price (syringes).

I would do away with the idea of using any used needles. In all honesty if you don't hit on your first try you really should replace the rig, I'm willing to try a couple times, but after that I'm willing to switch (if you have a box of 100 needles, you can easily do such a thing). Putting on neosporin and using mederma after cleaning the area with an alcohol pad or simplier yet hand sanitizer is what I've been using for a long time now, prevents scarring. I would recommend using a needle only once and sticking to such a regimen, I find no joy in poking holes in my skin repeatedly. I have had good days where there is a trash can full of needles, but I know I used them properly. That's much better than having maybe 8 of them that are dull from being reused.

Sometimes after I use stimulants my room looks kind of trashed with needles - not in a junky type of way, but oddly enough, a more sterile type of way. It's not 'dirty' but just is flowered with a lot of used rigs that were only used once. Not many people follow these rules of use though. I would start using the right way now, and save your veins for later. I'm stuck now trying to get lazer surgery to remove my scars now - and it's a lot more expensive than any type of habit you may have - although the repercussions of walking around in short sleeves these days are even worse for me than if I didn't get it, so I'm down to do whatever I need.

Good luck my friend.

-dp
 
Hmm, is it really that difficult for some people to get needles at their local pharmacy? I buy needles at my local pharmacy all the time and no one even raises an eyebrow...just tell them what gauge and needle length, and boom, done. Big box of syringes and it's pretty cheap too. (I use them for a legitimate medical reason, though, not related to recreational drug use)
 
I just got a 10 pack... fuck used pins. Drug stores should sell them , all of em, its bullshit.
 
i'm thinking of re using a pin, only a couple days old, just gonns rinse it with boiling water i reckon, can't be life threatening can it?

There's an exchange down the road but I may just try one before leaving the house than stock up on a load hahha, I imagine if its not a regular thing the one off can be ok.

just gonna give that spot time to heal.
 
All it takes is one fuckup to get something like hepatitis or other bloodborne diseases... not to mention reusing needles gets worse and worse for your skin as you reuse them.

If there's a needle exchange in your area you should go... is being lazy so important to you that you're willing to risk getting infected or sick?
 
Lots of people get hepatitis. I literally know more than a dozen from my youth. Luckily they didn't get aids..
And abscesses. Talk about Russian roulette..

It's already difficult to get a proper vein, when you reuse it, it just tears the issue!
 
Fair point Sekio, Theres an exchange about a 40 mimute walk away, I didnt realise it was serious unless you shared them, Ill get straight down there tomorrow thanks man :)
]
 
Erikmen said:
Lots of people get hepatitis. I literally know more than a dozen from my youth. Luckily they didn't get aids..
And abscesses. Talk about Russian roulette..

It's already difficult to get a proper vein, when you reuse it, it just tears the issue!
Click to expand...

Like, yeah, neither of them are good, but if you live in a Western country, treatment for HIV is now so good that hep C is actually significantly more likely to cause early death. Considering it's a lot easier to pass on and new infections are almost entirely people who inject drugs, it's a good argument for new equipment every time.
 
I'm really surprised the below method isn't repeated ad nauseum on this website when it comes to preventing BBVs. If you can, always use a clean sterile syringe (as said).

However, if you want to clean a syringe when getting a new sterile one is not practical or possible get two cups and fill with cold water. Pour out a cap full of thin bleach and draw up water from the first cup. Empty the syringe into the sink. Draw up the thin bleach. Empty the syringe into the sink and draw up water from the second cup. Empty the syringe into the sink.

1 x water, 1 x bleach, 1 x water kills:

HIV
Hep B
Hep C

Do not bother with alcohol, get regular basic/cheap thin bleach. Maybe alcohol might work to kill off some bacterial like the OP wants, but as for blood bourne viruses like Hepatitis, do the bleach method.
 
Last edited:
Artificial Emotion said:
I'm really surprised the below method isn't repeated ad nauseum on this website when it comes to preventing BBVs. If you can, always use a clean sterile syringe (as said).

However, if you want to clean a syringe when getting a new sterile one is not practical or possible get two cups and fill with cold water. Pour out a cap full of thin bleach and draw up water from the first cup. Empty the syringe into the sink. Draw up the thin bleach. Empty the syringe into the sink and draw up water from the second cup. Empty the syringe into the sink.

1 x water, 1 x bleach, 1 x water kills:

HIV
Hep B
Hep C

Do not bother with alcohol, get regular basic/cheap thin bleach. Maybe alcohol might work to kill off some bacterial like the OP wants, but as for blood bourne viruses like Hepatitis, do the bleach method.
Click to expand...

Hep C has been demonstrated to survive bleach in some circumstances. It's better than nothing by a long shot, but it's not 100%. It's the best thing for cleaning up blood spills and disinfecting things like tourniquets, but actual needles and syringes are too comfy an environment for blood borne viruses for the bleach method to offer a guarantee.

You're right, though, that it's the best option available if you absolutely cannot get a clean fit. Here's a guide to cleaning injecting equipment from NUAA (NSW drug user org). http://www.nuaa.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/clean.pdf
 
^ If you use bleach there is more than a 99% reduction. In this study they tested 153 syringes and only one retained the virus after disinfection with cold bleach.

Like the doctor says, 'it's not perfect, but lets not let the perfect be the enemy of the good'.



 
Artificial Emotion said:
^ If you use bleach there is more than a 99% reduction in virus contamination. In this study they tested 153 syringes and only one retained the virus after disinfection with cold bleach.

Like the doctor says, 'it's not perfect, but lets not let the perfect be the enemy of the good'. If there was a perfect way to deal with syringes I wouldn't recommend getting fresh works as a matter of priority.
Click to expand...

That's a good quote.

I've seen data reflecting a higher viral survival rate, as well as data reflecting significantly higher hep C transmission rates in populations where cleaning and sharing injecting equipment is the norm. You're absolutely right, though, that everything I've read indicates that bleach cleaning is effective to some extent.

I'm skeptical of most of these studies, though, because there are so many tiny variables in how hep C survives outside the body in any environment. It's an ongoing area of study, but research keeps producing such conflicting results. I've seen the viral survival time in a closed environment (like a syringe) demonstrated across a range of 48 hours to four weeks!
 
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