A cleaning apparatus for microsurgical instruments has a flush chamber closed off at one end by a first plug adapted to liquid-tightly grip one end of the instrument, allowing a portion of the instrument to extend past the first plug and out of the flush chamber. The other end of the flush chamber is closed off by a second plug having an inlet port. Liquid injected through the inlet port on the second plug passes through an internal passageway formed in the instrument and exits the instrument through the portion that extends past the first plug. In another embodiment the instrument has an internal passageway and an end cap through which flushing ports are formed which communicate with the passageway. A first plug having an inlet port is liquid-tightly attached to the end cap and liquid injected into the first plug passes through the plug, through the flushing ports and through the passageway to clean detritus from the instrument.
