Q: We are getting water spots after using an alkaline wash and acidic rinse in CIP cleaning. Why is this happening? A: A two-step cycle with a base followed by an acid, whether it be CIP cleaning or in a large scale liquid dispensing system washer, is a robust and, when needed, is a recommended process. Water spots typically occur because of two main mechanisms: 1. If … [Read more...] about Clean in Place “Hacks” for Water Spots
labware cleaning
How to Clean Labware: Don’t Use Grocery Store Detergents
Q. We use grocery store detergents to clean our labware and it recently came to my attention that we may need to switch to a laboratory grade detergent such as Alconox or Liquinox. Why is that necessary? How does it clean labware more appropriately? A. Here are some insights as to why a grocery store detergent is not suitable to clean labware: They can contain … [Read more...] about How to Clean Labware: Don’t Use Grocery Store Detergents
Laboratory Cleaning: Best Practices Using a Household Dishwasher
Q. Our lab just has a regular household dishwasher that we use to clean labware. I heard this is not ideal, but it's what we have. We're using Alcojet detergent, but the instructions say to turn it into a liquid by diluting 1:100. Can we pour the powder straight into the dishwater powder cup in the door? Anything else we should do to get the most out of our household … [Read more...] about Laboratory Cleaning: Best Practices Using a Household Dishwasher
How to Clean Laboratory Glassware
Clean laboratory glassware is essential in all laboratories. No scientist, engineer, laboratory technician, or analyst has time to fail an experiment because of contaminated glassware. Good, well-built, precision detergents (like the Alconox, Inc. portfolio of course) can make up for quite of bit incomplete, inefficient or incorrect glassware cleaning techniques. To the … [Read more...] about How to Clean Laboratory Glassware
Laboratory Cleaning: Dishwasher Leaving Residue
Q. We have been using your Detojet detergent in our lab dishwasher all year long. However, recently, we have been having issues with our dishware not getting clean. Have there been any changes made to the Detojet formula? Any ideas why this is occurring? A. Detojet® Low Foaming Liquid Detergent has not had any formation or formulation changes, so we can remove that out of … [Read more...] about Laboratory Cleaning: Dishwasher Leaving Residue