Lab equipment should be washed carefully to prevent contamination.
There are different types of lab equipment. Some types are used to collect specimen while others are used to react different chemicals. In order to get accurate results and to avoid accidents in the lab, the equipment should be thoroughly cleaned. Different types of equipment are washed and cleaned in different ways.
Use of Non-Chloride Based Cleaners
Non-chloride based cleaners are used to clean lab equipment made from stainless steel. Stainless steel contains chromium which makes the metal more resistant to oxidation. This means stainless steel can rust. Rust on the equipment may corrode with other chemicals thus affecting the reactions. A simple process of removing rust from stainless steel is by using non-chloride based cleaners to clean the equipment. The equipment should be regularly cleaned to prevent it from rusting.
Clean Glassware with Chromic Acid
Most lab procedures involve glassware. Some procedures may involve reacting different chemicals together. The reaction may leave some residue behind. One way of removing any residue is to rinse the equipment with chromic acid. When chromic acid reacts with the residue, the residue gets oxidized. Most lab technicians usually clean glass equipment using chromic acid.
Ultrasonic Cleaning
Lab equipment is cleaned using ultrasonic cleaners. Ultrasonic cleaners have a number of benefits: they require less effort when cleaning; unlike other means of cleaning lab equipment, ultrasonic cleaners are extremely fast; they also clean parts of the equipment that are very hard to reach and clean using other methods. One of the problems of using ultrasonic cleaners is their cost as they are expensive to maintain.
Isopropyl Alcohol
Lab equipment may also be cleaned using isopropyl alcohol, which kills bacteria. One of the main benefits of using isopropyl alcohol is that it does not leave any residue after it has killed the bacteria. Other chemicals that may be used to clean glassware may leave behind some residue; this interferes with future reactions. It also dries quickly.
Tags: chromic acid, equipment should, stainless steel, ultrasonic cleaners, clean equipment, cleaned using, different chemicals
