A sterilizer for small items which sterilizes items using ultraviolet light in the UV-C range. The sterilizer features a housing which encloses a removable basket or other receptacle made of a material or structure which is ‘transparent’ to UV-C radiation for enclosing items to be sterilized, a motor or other means for turning the receptacle inside the housing, a source of UV light, a door to seal the housing and prevent the leakage of UV light and means for moving the receptacle inside the housing and to activate the UV source. The UV light is directed through the basket and onto the items to be sterilized. As the basket is moved along a rotational axis, the items to be cleaned are continuously moved, insuring that UV light hits all surfaces of each item to be sterilized. The UV light destroys microorganisms on the surfaces of the items to be sterilized. The items are removed from the device in a sterilized state.