32 replies to this topic

[Sayeh]

Hi, I am wondering how you sterilize cover glasses? In my old lab we used to wash them really good and then rinse them with 70% ethanol and place them under UV for 30 min. Do you know a better alternate?

Edited by Sayeh, 30 January 2009 - 01:20 PM.

[GeorgeWolff]

For mycology slides cultures - wash them in surfactant to remove grease, 70% ethanol and flame.  The UV is silly- it's pretty good at blocking.

[pcrman]

GeorgeWolff, on Jan 30 2009, 04:43 PM, said:

The UV is silly- it's pretty good at blocking.

Very good point. We got contamination by just UV irradiation.

[Curtis]

I drop them in pure alcohol, leave them for 5 min, remove them and wash them with PBS 3x to remove alcohol....I also used to UV them for 1 hour, but not anymore cause I see no contamination.

movafagh bashid

[rkay447]

If it's just plain, uncoated coverglass we put them in glass petri dishes and autoclave them.

[GeorgeWolff]

pure (100%?) alcohol is less effective and more expensive than 70%.

[hobglobin]

GeorgeWolff, on Jan 31 2009, 10:48 PM, said:

pure (100%?) alcohol is less effective and more expensive than 70%.

Yup. there were several good threads on this. 70% was recommended due to several reasons.

[scolix]

One can dip the coverslip in 100% ethanol and burn them one by one. Takes a lot of time. Or autoclave them.

[LostintheLab]

We autoclave a pack of coverslip usually, but if there's no time spraying with 70% ETOH and drying (in the sterile hood obviously) worked very well too.

Lost

[Sayeh]

Curtis, on Jan 31 2009, 02:28 AM, said:

I drop them in pure alcohol, leave them for 5 min, remove them and wash them with PBS 3x to remove alcohol....I also used to UV them for 1 hour, but not anymore cause I see no contamination.

movafagh bashid

Are you Iranian?

[gebirgsziege]

I never tried, but 180°C for 30 - 60 min???? I am not sure if they survive, but this usually is very effective....

[labrat612]

My lab would usually spray with 70% ETOH then autoclave.

In a pinch, I guess spraying with ETOH would work out.


~Labrat

[Sangeet]

Autoclaving I think is not a good idea for coverglasses cause then you have to dry up them all.
180o for 120 min is the scientific way i know and apply.

[scolix]

If one autoclaves coverslip, you do have to dry it, but its no problem.

leave it in the autoclave for an extra few minutes after the cycle, the heat in the autoclave will dry it up.

[labrat612]

we have an autoclave with two cycles: one that's just for liquids and other for dry things, such as coverslips, forceps, etc.

The option for dry materials, has a drying cycle at the end of its sterilization cycle. that eliminates the "drying step".