Important tips for washing laboratory glassware

Glass containers are the best and most practical containers that can be used in laboratories. These containers are resistant to all kinds of chemicals and thermal shock, but the important issue that is raised about them is washing and cleaning these containers for future use. Glass containers are used many times and if they are not washed very well, you are likely to have serious errors in the results of subsequent tests!

You may think that these containers are cleaned with plain water, but we must say that this is not the case and sometimes we need detergents and washing tools to clean glass containers. If you think that it is necessary to get acquainted with the basic washing method of these dishes, stay with us until the end of this article. In this article, we want to teach you how to properly wash laboratory glass containers and what tips to follow so that no traces of previous chemicals remain in the containers.

The importance of basic glass washing of laboratory equipment

Laboratory glassware is used many times during the day, it is placed in different devices and its surface is contaminated by contact with various chemicals. After meeting the standards in Buying all kinds of glass TheLaboratory instruments, the next important point is to store, wash and in some cases disinfect them for next use. But why is the basic washing of glass containers so important?

In response, we must say that:

1. If the traces and remains of the solutions or materials of the previous test remain on the bottom of the containers, it will react with the materials and compounds of the next test and will change its composition. This change can lead to errors in your test results.
2. The traces and remains of some laboratory materials (such as culture medium) are a suitable substrate for the growth of bacteria and microbes. Therefore, if they are not washed properly, they will contaminate the container and cause errors in the results of the next test.
3. If the traces of some chemicals are not removed from the bottom of the dishes immediately after use, it will not be possible to wash them easily and you should probably throw away that dish.

Therefore, you can see that washing laboratory glassware is not only for the cleanliness of these containers and there are other important reasons.

What materials are used to clean laboratory glassware?

After each experiment, we must wash the laboratory glassware, but washing does not mean only water. To clean the glass of laboratory equipment, according to the type and degree of contamination, different detergents are used, which are:

• Distilled water or deionized water
• Hydrochloric acid bath in ethanol
• Sodium hydroxide base bath in ethanol
• A strong alkali bath of potassium hydroxide in isopropanol
• Chromic acid cleaning solution
• Piranha solution (combination of concentrated sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide in a ratio of 3 to 1)

15 very important tips for washing laboratory glassware

There are 15 very important tips for cleaning and washing glass containers that you should never forget. Let’s review these points together:

1. Before each use, carefully check the glass containers and if there are scratches or cracks in the body of the container, put it aside and do not use it again.
2. To prevent glass containers from breaking and getting damaged, put them in the sink regularly and do not pile them on top of each other.
3. Cover the sink with plastic mats to prevent glassware from breaking.
4. Avoid stacking the sink with dishes containing residues of dangerous chemical compounds.
5. Use soft brushes and sponges for basic cleaning of the bottom and walls of cylindrical containers.
6. If you see signs of breakage on the body of a container, discard it. Because it may cut your hand and cause serious injuries.
7. Use plenty of distilled water for the final cleaning of glass containers.
8. To dry glass containers, be sure to put them on the drying rack.
9. Be sure to use a mask and gloves to wash dishes that have been in contact with acidic and alkaline substances. Because some of these substances produce toxic fumes in contact with detergents, they may also cause serious damage to the skin of the hands.
10. Never use strong alkaline products and hydrofluoric acid to wash dishes, because these substances dissolve the glass and cause you harm.
11. Detergents used for cleaning glassware are only suitable for glassware, so you should not use detergents for other containers (for example, ceramic containers) to wash them.
12. You should not use high heat to remove carbon marks from dishes. Overheating glass containers can cause them to break.
13. Placing glass containers in play baths for a long time can damage these containers.
14. Before placing glass containers in detergent solutions, be sure to remove their connections and plastic caps. Some detergents are corrosive and destroy plastic materials.
15. Keep the solvents and detergents you use in a safe place.

How is draining and drying laboratory glass containers?

After cleaning the glass containers, we should rinse them with tap water. To do this, it is necessary to allow the water to flow in and on the surface of the containers for a short time, then fill each container with water, shake it and empty it again so that no traces of detergent remain inside it. We have to repeat this 5 to 6 times.

In the case of narrower containers such as pipettes and burettes, you should allow water to flow through the pipes of these containers for a while, and after draining, use distilled water in the final phase to make sure they are completely cleaned. To dry the dishes, you should put them on the drying rack. For containers that need to be sterilized, such as serology tubes, culture media, and petri dishes, an autoclave should be used. If you don’t have access to an autoclave, sterilize containers in boiling water.

final word

As you have seen, cleaning the glass of laboratory equipment is not a difficult or complicated task, you just need to pay attention to the tips that we taught. If you need to buy these containers to equip the laboratory, visit Chemibio online store. Chemibio It has provided its customers with all the original products of the world’s most famous brands, including Merck of Germany, Sigma Aldrich of America, SPL of Korea, SIMAX of Czech, Ibresco of Iran and Shimaz of Iran.