3 Tips To Keep Your Artificial Limb Clean

If you are an amputee who has an artificial limb, you probably love the changes that your prosthetic has made in your life. To help prevent any infections or other problems and to continue enjoying your limb for as long as possible, you must keep it clean. Luckily, doing so should be pretty easy once you get used to it. These are a few tips for keeping your artificial limb clean.

1. Wash Anything That Comes in Contact With Your Skin

To help prevent infection and to help with proper hygiene, make sure that you wash and clean any part of your artificial limb that comes in contact with your skin. This means that you should be paying close attention to your limb sock, liner, webbing and more. Most things can be washed by hand in a gentle solution of water and dish washing soap. To help prevent damage to the parts of your artificial limb and avoid irritation of your skin, make sure that you rinse them thoroughly with water and allow them to dry completely before putting your artificial limb back on.

2. Clean Your Socket Each Day

Your artificial limb's socket should be thoroughly cleaned on a daily basis. A mix of gentle soap and water can be applied with a soft cloth or a sponge, and you can even use a toothbrush or a baby bottle cleaner  to clean any small parts that you can't easily access. Make sure that your entire socket is thoroughly rinsed with water, then dry it carefully with a dry cloth. Allow it to dry completely before wearing your prosthetic again.

3. Take Care of Leather Parts

The leather parts of your artificial limb should be cleaned on a daily basis; you can generally wipe them down with a dry, soft cloth, although you might want to use a leather cleaner every now and then to get a more thorough clean. Consider using a leather polish every now and then so that you can keep the leather supple and in good condition.

You probably rely on your prosthetic as a part of your everyday life, so you should understand the importance of keeping it clean and otherwise taking good care of it. Luckily, if you follow these simple care tips, you can make it easy to keep your artificial limbs nice and clean. For further questions, contact a prosthetist or another medical professional.


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