ObjectiveThis study compares the cleaning effect of patient side manipulators (PSMs) through manual cleaning and steam cleaning.MethodsA total of 2 400 contaminated da Vinci PSMs collected from September 2021 to September 2022 were randomly divided into experimental and control groups, each with 1 200 pieces. The control group adopted manual cleaning, and the steps were rinsing with running water, rinsing with a spray gun, bio-washing, ultrasonic cleaning, rinsing and repeating, drying, and sterilization. The experimental group added steam cleaning between the ultrasonic cleaning and the rinsing and repeating, and other steps remained unchanged. The qualification rates of the two groups were recorded and the damage rates of PSMs during the cleaning process were counted.ResultsThe results of visual inspection and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence assay showed that the qualification rate of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group (P<0.05), and the damage rate of PSM in the experimental group was lower than that in the control group (P<0.05).ConclusionCleaning PSM with steam cleaner significantly reduces the re-cleaning and damage rates and improves cleaning quality.