In the medical world, a sterilizer is a very important machine to have. Sterilizers are used to eliminate bacteria from medical tools and objects. Although it may seem as though they are high tech, they actually work in a very simple way. Items that need to be cleansed in the sterilizer are cleaned by hand at first to get all of the obvious residue off of them, and once it goes through a basic cleaning process, it is placed in the sterilizer to be cleaned. Each instrument needs to be in the open position when it is in, and a sterilization indication needs to be on each tray. Then, once the machine is set properly, blasts of steam surround the instruments to clean them and to disinfect them, ridding them of any germs.

There are many different types of sterilizers in the market. Autoclaves are a specific type of sterilizer that is used in hospitals to make the equipments germ free. Sterilizers with ultraviolet (UV) lamps are used in water tanks and aquariums. Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to purchase used sterilizers in a safe way. These used sterilizers work the same way that brand new ones do, but cost a great deal less.