Clean, well-kept electrodes conduct evenly, and that's as much a safety matter as a hygiene one. This article covers looking after each part of the kit.

Always disconnect everything from the unit before cleaning. Where the maker's instructions differ from anything here, follow theirs.

Self-adhesive pads#

  • Put them back on their plastic backing sheet straight after use, and keep them in a sealed bag somewhere cool.
  • If a pad is losing its stick, a drop or two of water rubbed over the gel face and left to soak in for a minute often revives it.
  • Don't wash them with soap, and don't use alcohol on them.
  • Keep each set to one person.

Replace when the pad won't stay stuck all over, the gel is discoloured, peeling or patchy, or the wire is loose. Most pads last somewhere between ten and thirty uses. They're consumables, and a tired pad is one of the main causes of stinging and burns.

Conductive rubber and silicone#

  • Wash in warm water with a little mild soap, rinse well and let them dry fully.
  • Avoid oils, silicone lubricants and solvents, which can damage the material or leave an insulating film.
  • Store them flat or loosely coiled, out of sunlight, and not pressed against other rubber or soft plastic items.

Replace when the surface has gone shiny, hard or cracked, or the sensation has become weak or patchy. Conductive rubber slowly loses conductivity with use and age.

Metal electrodes#

  • Wash with warm water and mild soap, rinse and dry thoroughly, including inside any sockets.
  • Don't use abrasive cleaners or wire wool, which scratch the surface and make it harder to keep clean.
  • Aluminium dulls and pits over time, especially with unbalanced (one-way) pulses. A light polish with a non-abrasive metal polish restores it, followed by a thorough wash.
  • Check plated electrodes for worn-through patches, where the base metal can irritate skin.

Insertable electrodes#

  • Clean before and after every use, following the maker's instructions for that material.
  • Dry them completely before storing.
  • Don't share them.
  • Check for cracks, loose bands or gaps where two materials meet, and replace any that are damaged. Damage traps dirt and can create sharp edges and uneven contact.

Conductive fabric#

Follow the washing instructions exactly. Many items need a gentle hand wash and no fabric softener, which coats the conductive threads. The conductive coating wears off with washing, so they have a limited life.

Leads#

  • Wipe off any gel with a barely damp cloth, and dry the pins and plugs.
  • Look for kinks, cracked insulation and bent pins.
  • Coil loosely for storage.
  • Replace at the first sign of an intermittent connection. See Cables and Connectors.

The power unit#

  • Wipe the case with a slightly damp cloth. Never spray cleaner onto it or put it under a tap.
  • Keep gel and liquids away from the sockets and controls.
  • If liquid gets inside, switch off, take the batteries out and don't use it until it has been checked.
  • Take ordinary batteries out for long storage. Keep rechargeable units part-charged. See Batteries, Chargers and Mains Power.

Storage#

  • Keep everything dry and at room temperature.
  • Store electrodes clean and fully dry.
  • Keep pads sealed, and keep rubber items away from each other and from soft plastics.
  • A box with a compartment for each item stops leads tangling and plugs getting bent.

A quick check before each use#

  1. Leads: no kinks, cracks or bare wire.
  2. Pads: sticky all over.
  3. Rubber and metal: clean, with no cracks or rough patches.
  4. Unit: case intact, battery good, levels at zero.

Two minutes of checking saves most of the problems listed in E-Stim Troubleshooting.