Cleaning your lab is very important, as chemicals and microorganisms can quickly contaminate your incubators, freezers, balances, and benches.
Although scientists are exceptionally resourceful and smart people, cleaning the lab isn’t their highest priority. During experiments its easy for the lab bench to become littered with supplies and substances, and for equipment to become dirty. Cleaning your lab is very important, as chemicals and microorganisms can quickly contaminate your incubators, freezers, balances, and benches if not kept properly cleaned. This is a potential danger for both you and all of your samples. For some helpful tips on how to properly clean your lab, read on!
Schedule a Cleaning Time
Working in a laboratory can be very hectic. While scheduling cleaning can be very inconvenient, all of your hard work will be for nothing if samples are getting contaminated due to a dirty lab. To ensure lab cleaning is performed consistently, you should schedule lab clean-up hours using a laboratory information management system. A cloud-based system can manage the various aspects of your lab, including workflow, results analysis, and inventory. This is one way to keep everything organized and in-check for your lab. A posted cleaning schedule is helpful to track cleaning as well.
Use Proper Tools
It is essential to use proper cleaning solutions for different items within your laboratory. Most labware should be washed with warm water and detergent in the sink right after use to prevent residue buildup. Certain chemicals, like insoluble organic solutions, need more than just soap and water. They also need rinsing with ethanol or acetone to remove any remaining deposits. To cut back on viral, fungal, or bacterial contamination, bleach sprays or ethanol sprays can be applied to almost any type of surface. Be sure to keep any cleaning supplies labeled.
Pipette Cleaning
If you wish to clean your laboratory pipettes, there are a few options. Reusable pipettes can be cleaned either inside a plastic jug that continually fills and siphons water, which rinses the pipettes. Or by using direct injections baskets, which allow for direct injection of detergent and water, followed by a heated rinse. Handheld pipettes could be cleaned by dismantling them, replacing damaged or older O-rings, and rinsing individual parts with the proper cleaning solutions. Plastic pipettes should not be cleaned with an alcohol-based solution, as this will erode the plastic over time. We provide complete cleaning on pipettes during calibration to ensure proper performance.
Laboratory Balance Cleaning
Laboratory Balances are a sensitive piece of equipment, vulnerable to accuracy errors from debris or other substances. Keeping your balance clean is important to obtain accurate and precise weighing measurements. The best practice is to remove any debris on the weighing platform or pan as soon as possible. This debris can have a big impact on accuracy and longevity of the balance. The Lab People have the experience and knowledge to help restore your balance to its proper function. Our calibration service includes cleaning and evaluating the function and accuracy of the balance. We certified each balance according to the ISO 17025 standards.
Managing Laboratory Samples
When you are cleaning out your lab, it is worth ridding all degraded samples and spoiled reagents that only add to more clutter. If you are unsure of which samples need to be tossed, you can always give Lab People a call. We can help you figure out what it is you need and what you don’t and help supply you with the proper laboratory supplies!
FOR ALL LAB EQUIPMENT AND LAB NEEDS, CONTACT LAB PEOPLE TODAY
The Lab People Inc. is a trusted provider of laboratory equipment, services, supplies, and rental equipment for you and your laboratory. As an ISO 17025 accredited service organization, we stand behind our services with 100% satisfaction guaranteed for all of our customers. We are here to provide you with the best lab equipment service, equipment, and supplies.
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