Syringes

We use 20 ml syringes (lure-lock) made by BD to administer meds through Macayla's feeding tube. The problem is that insurance and Medicaid only pay for a few per month and these were designed for one-time use. To make them last I have tried many things like putting clear tape over the numbers so they don't rub and wash off. On the Parent-2-Parent forum, I found a comment on using clear nail polish to protect the numbers and it works great. The polish dries very quickly and one coat will last long past the usable life of the syringe. 

The other issue is the syringes become rigid and do not want to function or slide very easily. They get rough spots inside and you can get quite a finger workout trying to draw up medications. I have tried cooking spray, cooking oil, mineral oil (our daughter struggles with constipation so it can't hurt!) and it only helps for one time use. Then the syringe gets stuck even more. The only thing that has worked for us is to use a bottle cleaning brush that has a sponge on the tip that can clean the inside of the syringe. Using soap has not been helpful here. Keeping buildup to a minimum has been the most helpful so far, but we are open to any suggestions.