Final answer:
Stainless steel instruments should not be placed next to reactive metals like silver, brass, and aluminum in the washer sterilizer to prevent corrosion.
Step-by-step explanation:
To avoid damage, stainless steel instruments should NOT be placed next to materials such as silver, brass, cast iron, bronze, aluminum, pewter, and goldleaf in the washer sterilizer. These materials can be detrimentally affected by most dishwasher detergents or the intense conditions typically found in the sterilization process. The reaction can lead to corrosion or pitting of both the stainless steel instruments and the more reactive metals.
Maintaining an aseptic work environment requires careful sterilization of metal tools to ensure they are initially free of microbes. While metal tools such as inoculating loops and needles can withstand high temperatures for sterilization, the combination of detergents and high-pressure hot water in a washer sterilizer creates an environment that can damage both stainless steel instruments and other reactive metals if they are placed together.