08 TECHNICAL INFORMATION | PRODUCT SECTION
CLEANING LABORATORY GLASSWARE
Special glass laboratory apparatus can be washed by hand in a soaking bath or by machine in a lab washer. Laboratory dealers can supply a wide range of detergents and cleaner-disinfectants for both methods. As contamination during the delivery of our laboratory glassware cannot be totally ruled out, we recommend washing laboratory glassware before it is used for the first time. To care properly for laboratory glassware, it should be washed immediately after use at low temperature, on a short cycle and with low alkalinity. Laboratory apparatus that has come into contact with infectious substances or microorganisms should be treated in accordance with the current guidelines. Dependent on the substance, autoclaving (e.g. to kill microorganisms) may be necessary prior to cleaning, but it is generally recommended that cleaning or washing of glass products be carried out prior to autoclaving or hot-air sterilisation. This prevents dirt or impurities from adhering to the glassware surfaces and prevent damage caused by any possibly adhering chemicals.
Manual cleaning
The generally recognized method is to wipe and rub the glass with a cloth or sponge soaked in cleaning solution. Abrasive cleaners and abrasive sponges should not be used on laboratory glassware as these can damage the surface of the glass. Surface damage can affect the glass properties and limit further use of the product. When soaking glassware it should generally be left in the cleaning solution for 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature, then rinsed with tap water followed by distilled water. To clean the glass as gently as possible, and thus extend its service life, a prolonged soaking time and higher temperature should only be used for stubborn soiling. Laboratory glassware should not be soaked for long periods in strongly alkaline media at more than 70°C since this can have an adverse effect on the ceramic printing and may cause glass corrosion. Also to be avoided is severe mechanical action, e.g. scraping using a metal spoon.
Washer-disinfectors for automatic laboratory glassware reprocessing
Washer-disinfectors for automatic laboratory glassware preparation are available in various sizes and performance classes. The product range extends from compact machines of 60 to 90cm width up to powerful, large capacity machines. The large capacity machines are specially intended for central reprocessing of large quantities of laboratory glassware and are available as both 1-door and 2-door barrier machines for installation in a diaphragm wall.
60cm wide compact machine Performance/load: e.g. 39 narrow neck glasses, 116 pipettes
115cm wide large capacity machine Performance/ load: e.g. 232 narrow neck glasses, 232 pipettes
198
Powered by FlippingBook