subject: Easy Commercial Cleaning Service Tasks In Cleaning Lab Glasswares [print this page] School science laboratories are breeding grounds of potential scientists and inventors. Students combine several chemicals and do various lab experiments during science classes. Glasswares are common equipment used when combining and observing chemical reactions. Examples are beakers, flasks, pipettes, test tubes, cylinders, and funnels. In order to get precise lab results, glasswares should be clean. Although students are taught to wash equipment after use, some schools hire a commercial cleaning service company to efficiently clean laboratory materials. Proper procedures in cleaning glasswares with chemical residues should be followed to prevent exposure and negative reactions with the chemicals.
Washing laboratory glasswares requires specific knowledge on the different types of chemicals commonly used in experiments. A commercial cleaning company should train their staffs on the methods and on the appropriate detergents, which are used to clean glass equipment. specific detergents are recommended to clean glasswares. Some do not need detergents. They only need simple rinsing with pure or deionised water. School cleaning staffs can distil water to remove ions from tap water.
Common lab chemicals include water soluble and insoluble solutions, strong and weak acids, and strong and weak bases. Water soluble solutions easily dissolve in water, as opposed to insoluble ones. Glasswares with water soluble solutions are simply rinsed around three to four times with deionised water. Water insoluble solutions on the other hand, should be rinsed first with alcohol solvents, and then rinsed couple of times with deionised water. Commercial cleaning workers should use the lab's fume hood when washing glasswares with strong acids and bases. Those with weak acids and bases should be washed with tap water first before thoroughly rinsing with deionised water. Special glasswares need warm soapy water to remove chemical or organic mixtures.
It is best to immediately wash glasswares after use to avoid chemical stains and to easily identify the mixtures. If this is not possible, rinsing with deionised water is often advisable. When drying glasswares, the simplest method is air dry. Wiping with paper towels can leave fabric materials on the equipment, which may produce inaccurate experiment results. Microfibre cloths are useful cleaning cloths mostly used in the commercial cleaning service industry. Microfibres are lint-free and can remove dust particles. Cleaning staffs should also use protective gears when cleaning lab equipment. Protective gears avoid harsh chemical reactions to the skin, face, eyes, and nose.
Chemical experiments are fun learning processes. These are stepping stones to various discoveries and inventions. However, such breakthroughs are impossible if a laboratory environment and equipment are dirty and contaminated.
