Cleaning correctly your glassware

spychomethoxy · Mon Oct 03, 2005 7:08 am

Hi all, maybe this question is very basic but. Swim got glassware pieces of an unknow source (don't know the ex-use of them) and they are very,very dirty.

The regular dish soap don't work. Should swim try a basic solution of NaOH 5% or an other methode is more efficient.
Is a best soap to clean glassware of this kind? What people do in this case?

Thank you

methyl_ethyl · Riedel De Haen

Click this, it may help

mountain boy · Mon Oct 03, 2005 1:12 pm

Thanks for the useful link Me Et.

A simple approach that I find works well :
Collect small stones and sand from the garden and place in flask. Add dishwasher plus some water (or perhaps weak dilute acid/base) to make an abrasive slurry. Shake the hell out of the flask for a while. Rinse. Repeat if necessary.
This usually doesn't scratch the glass much unless it's old and has seen this treatment several times. Little scratches are good crystallization sites anyway.

spychomethoxy · Wed Oct 05, 2005 4:56 am

Thank you guys!

bio · Working Bee

..........make an abrasive slurry............

Table salt works well for this mixed with a little alcohol. As long as only swirled or shaken it will not scratch glass.

Stinging_Nettle · Wed Oct 05, 2005 4:10 pm

Try other solvents than water/surfactants such as acetone, methanol, and bleach.