Introduction: Enzymatic detergents are widely used in the cleaning of the reprocessing of medical devices (MD), such as endoscopes, surgical instruments and dental-hospitalmaterials. Objective: To identify researches that approach the effectiveness of these detergents in the removal of dirt present in MD, aiming to answer questions regarding their effective action. Method: The integrative review method, which allows the analysis of scientific research in a broad and systematic way, was used, favoring the characterization and dissemination of the knowledge produced. We used the following electronic databases: Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), National Library of Medicine (PubMed), Scopus and Web of Science. Articles published from 2002 to 2017 were included, using the following descriptors: enzymatic and detergents and cleaning. Results: After the analytical reading of the 148 articles found, 113 were excluded (repetition [48] was the main cause of exclusion) and 35 were selected. Conclusions: It was verified the diversity of MD used. It was also verified that depending on their complexity, MD influence on the final results of the analysis. Most of the experimental research specifically on the action of enzymatic detergents (71% – 20/28) emphasize their effectiveness in the removal of microbial and/or biofilm and other soils. Therefore, they are indicated for the reprocessing of MD, such as laparoscope, laryngoscope, endoscope and endodontic instruments. Endodontic instruments have an advantage over other MD, since they do not have internal surfaces that cannot be reached.