Cleaning glass and plastic

In quantitative analytical work, beware of contamination arising from prior use of chemicals or inadequate rinsing following washing. A thorough rinse with distilled or deionized water immediately before use will remove dust and other soluble deposits, but ensure that the rinsing solution is not left in the vessel. For analyses on the 'µg scale' and below, you should clean glass and plastic containers by immersion in nitric acid (10% v/v) overnight and then rinsing with a large volume of distilled or deionized water. The clean vessels should be stored either upside down or covered with Clingfilm^®, to prevent dust contamination.

For general work, 'strong' basic detergents (e.g. Decon^® or Pyroneg^®) are good for solubilizing acidic deposits and an acid wash will remove remaining basic residues. A rinse with ethanol or propanone (acetone) will remove many organic deposits.