Among all the factors to consider while maintaining laboratory instruments, pipette tip cleanliness is one of the most crucial. It makes measurements precise, minimizes interference, and increases the tubes’ useful life. This article explains how to prepare pipette tips for cleaning, cleaning, and treating them, as well as what to do after washing.
Pipette tips move liquids from one container to another; therefore, they must be cleaned. They are common laboratory equipment used for transferring samples and mixing, among other things. Any residue in the tubes influences the result, reduces the quality of samples, and threatens subsequent experiments. This is crucial to sustain the results of laboratory activities and the general environment in the workplace.
Here’s an effective approach to clean pipette tips;
Look into the pipette tip for any sign of contamination, formation, or damage. Next, clean the surface using a brush or a soft cloth to remove any big particles or stains that may be noticed. If the tubes are heavily fouled or encrusted with hard deposits, wash them with distilled water before washing them.
First, wash the pipette tips with distilled or deionized water. Add distilled water to each tube, ensuring the water gets to all the internal parts of the tubes. Stir the water to allow the other residues that have not dissolved to dissolve.
If the cleaning is done on the material's surface, use a mild detergent or a cleaning solution. Before adding detergents, take a basin and fill it with warm distilled water. Then, you need to put the pipette tips precisely, and with the help of a soft brush, you should clean the inside of the tubes. As much as possible, one must wash any body part with some sort of stain.
Pipette tips should not be washed with cleaner or brushes since these will cause scratching or damage. Do not use such tools that may, in one way or another, cause harm to your skin by using brushes with rigid bristles or any other rigid cleaning tools.
If you want to go further in cleaning, the right equipment is an ultrasonic cleaner. Ultrasonic cleaning is a technique whereby high-frequency sound waves form a vacuum in the cleaning solution, and hence, the dirt will be separated from the pipette tips. Look at the user manual for the ultrasonic cleaner and determine what solution should be used on the tubes.
Ultrasonic cleaning is very effective in washing small particles, films, and deposits that cannot be washed by conventional washing. This tool is very useful when cleaning curved tubes or tubes used in complicated materials.
Another method of cleaning the equipment is to use chemical solvents, especially when the contaminants are strong. Purchase chemical cleaning agents for cleaning laboratory equipment, open the packet, and find out how to prepare and use the solution. Ensure the chemicals do not react with the material used to make the pipette tips.
Chemical cleaning agents are always hazardous to the skin and eyes; thus, one should wear gloves and safety goggles. Ensure one is in a well–ventilated place so that one does not inhale fumes or vapors. Here are some additional tips;
Let’s discuss some issues that may arise while cleaning pipette tip.
Some stains are quite hard to wash off, and in such cases, it is advisable to use several washing techniques. The residues may be softened by immersing the tubes in a cleaning solution for longer before scrubbing them. In severe cases, another round of ultrasonic cleaning may be required.
If chemical cleaning agents are used, the equipment should be washed to eliminate the chemical deposits. It is advisable to perform another rinse with distilled water to ensure no chemical residues are left behind, as they may contaminate subsequent samples.
Pipette tips should be checked frequently for wear and tear, including scratches or cracks. Defective tubes should be replaced with new ones since they may not work well or contaminate samples.
Proper cleaning of pipette tip is crucial in enhancing laboratory accuracy and avoiding contamination. If the above methods and practices are followed, pipette tips will always be in good condition and greatly assist in accurate laboratory work. Thus, it is very important to ensure that cleaning is done as often as possible and that proper maintenance of the facilities is done to the highest standards.
Cleaning pipette tips after use is important to minimize interferences and achieve higher accuracy.
Clean with only gentle soaps, which are not chemical and are only recommended for laboratory instruments. Avoid using chemicals that can cause the tubes to corrode or deposit films on them.
Q3. Does all pipette tips should be cleaned using an ultrasonic cleaner?
Ultrasonic cleaning is undoubtedly among the most efficient cleaning modes. However, high-frequency cleaning is only sometimes optimal for pipette tips but is very effective in removing small particles. It is very useful for tubes with complex geometry or a high degree of impurity.
