Autoclaves commonly sterilise by exposing its charge (items to be sterilised) to elevated temperatures of 121 to 134ºC under pressure of 15 to 30 psi, for a holding time of anywhere between three to 30 minutes. Please note that the three to thirty minutes time is the holding time at the set elevated temperature and not the total process or cycle time. Total cycle time would be far greater. The combination of the three lethal parameters of time, temperature and steam, deliver a powerful kill rate which even the hardest of bacteria find hard to survive. This effective and yet clean method of lethality is unmatched by any of the other methods of sterilisation.
