Hello everyone,
So i'm a bit of a clean freak and I just started at a new lab and there are these unidentifiable white, powdery looking stain on my new lab bench top.I tried cleaning it with 70% ethanol, 100% isopropanol, soap, water, but no luck. is there any solution out there that can get rid of this stain?
thanks in advance
ydogyy
0
9 replies to this topic
#2
Maddie
-
- Active Members
-
- 289 posts
Veteran
2
Neutral
Neutral
Posted 04 June 2010 - 12:27 PM
Is it a salt? did you try to warm up some detergent?
Theory is when we know everything and nothing is working. Practice is when everything is working and nobody knows why. Here, we combine theory and practice. Nothing is working and nobody knows why.
A. Einstein
A. Einstein
#3
nightingale
-
- Active Members
-
- 180 posts
Veteran
3
Neutral
Neutral
Posted 04 June 2010 - 02:07 PM
why not trying 10% sodium hypochlorite ???
i have seen such spots on our bench,,
and the hypochlorite worked fine ...
think they are salt ...
i have seen such spots on our bench,,
and the hypochlorite worked fine ...
think they are salt ...
" The more you learn, the more you realize how little you know ... "
#4
hobglobin
-
- Active Members
-
- 5,252 posts
Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional...
60
Excellent
Excellent
Posted 04 June 2010 - 02:12 PM
or some remains of a bagel someone ate in the lab, i.e. flour
One must presume that long and short arguments contribute to the same end. - Epicurus
...except casandra's that belong to the funniest, most interesting and imaginative (or over-imaginative?) ones, I suppose.
#5
ydogyy1
-
- Active Members
-
- 22 posts
member
0
Neutral
Neutral
Posted 09 June 2010 - 03:51 PM
10% bleach did not work 
i think they are stains rather than some form of a salt precipitate.........any effective chemical that might help with the removal of stains out there???
thanks in advance
ydogyy
i think they are stains rather than some form of a salt precipitate.........any effective chemical that might help with the removal of stains out there???
thanks in advance
ydogyy
#6
perneseblue
-
- Global Moderators
-
- 530 posts
Unlimited ligation works!
8
Neutral
Neutral
Posted 09 June 2010 - 08:13 PM
How about a solution of HCl and two pairs of gloves, worn one over the other.
I used that to clean the counter top of the chemical room in my new lab. Similar to yourself, I had a counter top covered in something that didn't quite go with either hot water or 70% ethanol.
I used that to clean the counter top of the chemical room in my new lab. Similar to yourself, I had a counter top covered in something that didn't quite go with either hot water or 70% ethanol.
May your PCR products be long, your protocols short and your boss on holiday
#7
Maddie
-
- Active Members
-
- 289 posts
Veteran
2
Neutral
Neutral
Posted 10 June 2010 - 06:19 AM
oh I know, I know, use a benchcoat and they will disappear 
Theory is when we know everything and nothing is working. Practice is when everything is working and nobody knows why. Here, we combine theory and practice. Nothing is working and nobody knows why.
A. Einstein
A. Einstein
#8
ydogyy1
-
- Active Members
-
- 22 posts
member
0
Neutral
Neutral
Posted 10 June 2010 - 02:41 PM
thanks for the suggestion, but i am looking to permanently solve this case so i can clean up any future mystery spots i am destined to encounter!!
HCl did not work either,,,, is there anything in the world that can get rid of this thing??
HCl did not work either,,,, is there anything in the world that can get rid of this thing??
#9
gfischer
-
- Global Moderators
-
- 179 posts
Veteran
7
Neutral
Neutral
Posted 11 June 2010 - 06:38 AM
Assuming you have the standard black soapstone countertops, a fine grit sandpaper should work nicely, followed by several wipe downs with wet paper towel to get all the dust. I had to do this when moving into lab space that hadn't been used in about a decade.
Above all things, if kindness is your king,
then heaven will be yours, before you meet your end
then heaven will be yours, before you meet your end
#10
Adrian K
-
- Global Moderators
-
- 684 posts
Legendary Graduate Beggar
24
Excellent
Excellent
Posted 11 June 2010 - 06:24 PM
Try pure acetone with maybe 2% water. It might work. Else, try phenol or NaOH. This is all I use to clean.
If you got vim cleaners, try it. It works for me too.
Watch this:
If you got vim cleaners, try it. It works for me too.
Watch this:
Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are a good person is like expecting the lion not to attack you because you are a vegetarian.
..."best of our knowledge, as far as we know this had never been reported before, though I can't possible read all the published journals on earth, but by perform thorough search in google, the keywords did not match any documents"...
"what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger"---Goddess Casandra reminds me to be strong
"It's all just DNA. Do it."---phage434
..."best of our knowledge, as far as we know this had never been reported before, though I can't possible read all the published journals on earth, but by perform thorough search in google, the keywords did not match any documents"...
"what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger"---Goddess Casandra reminds me to be strong
"It's all just DNA. Do it."---phage434
