part451 - 15-4-2014 at 01:11
Hi there,
I recently bought a lot of interesting glassware from a boot sale, Graham Condenser, Allin Condensers, Flasks ETC all are very dusty on the external
surfaces. What is the best way of cleaning it up IE Distilled water and Mr Toothbrush?
Thanks very much.
J
HgDinis25 - 15-4-2014 at 03:11
Water alone makes wonders in cleaning dust and dirt. Then the usual suspects: soap, pipe cleaner and a sponge. If there is dirt inside the walls of
your flask that simply doesn't go away, use sand. Place a good quantity of sand in the flask, add some water and shake the flask like crazy. It
usually works.
Another very well cleaning method is to grab a pan that can fit the glassware you want to clean. Fill it with water and fill your glass with water
too, so it sinks in the pan. Add a little bit of liquid soap and put it to boil. The high temperatures and the soap, with the water bumping around
your glassware also makes wonders in cleaning.
Bert - 15-4-2014 at 05:48
Here's a basic overview of lab glass cleaning methods- READ THE SAFETY INFORMATION FOR ACID CLEANING METHODS CAREFULLY BEFORE USING!
Glass cleaner, tap water, distilled water rinse for merely dusty. I admit to using a dishwasher (carefully!) with crusty e-bay used glassware for a
first pass- Then recleaning immediately, while still wet with tap water, then again with distilled water (don't allow glass to dry in the dishwasher,
any soap residue and hard water deposits dried on the glass will be harder to remove)
For intractable deposits stuck on the inside of glass, an old fashioned cleaning method was a small amount of sulfuric acid with a few crystals of
potassium dichromate added. Traditional- Works well, but hexavalent chrome is a disposal issue. Concentrated sulfuric acid with hydrogen peroxide is
effective and a little easier to dispose of properly.
[Edited on 15-4-2014 by Bert]