To clean a cover slip, follow a specific multi-step process involving extensive washing with different types of distilled water, rinsing with ethanol, and careful drying. This method ensures thorough removal of impurities for sensitive applications.
Detailed Cleaning Steps
Cleaning cover slips requires careful handling and multiple washing and rinsing steps to achieve a high level of cleanliness. The process outlined here involves several stages designed to remove potential contaminants.
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Extensive Water Washing:
- Begin by washing the coverslips extensively in distilled water. Repeat this step two times.
- Follow this with extensive washing in double distilled water. Repeat this step two times as well.
- During these washing steps, particularly if the coverslips were previously treated with acid, be sure to wash out the acid between sticked coverslips. This ensures no residual acid remains trapped.
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Ethanol Rinse:
- After the water washes, rinse coverslips in 100% ethanol. This step helps in the final removal of water and facilitates quick drying.
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Drying:
- Dry them between sheets of whatman filter paper. The filter paper helps to absorb moisture without leaving fibers or residue.
Storage
Once cleaned and dried, properly storing the coverslips is crucial to maintain their cleanliness until use.
- Keep coverslip in a clean container. This protects them from dust and other environmental contaminants.
By following these steps, cover slips can be prepared for experiments requiring a high degree of cleanliness.
