Michael Hooker Microscopy Facility (MHMF.ORG)

Cover Slip Cleaning

For good quality coverslips often a good polish with a Kim wipe may do for immuno samples.  For DIC/Nomarski or reflection imaging more careful cleaning is recommended.  Some people are lax about cleaning and others extremely methodical.  If cells are going to be adhered to the coverslip then cleaning is important.  What is done lies between taste and necessity. 

However cleaning is important if cells are going to be cultured.

Some cleaning protocols.  Use these only if you have to:

• http://spectorlab.cshl.edu/acid_clean.html
• Salmon lab. method

A severe method (Sorry, lost the source of this method):

• 1.) Gently etch the coverslips by slowly dipping them ten times in a solution of 10% HF / 40% nitric acid.  (use plastic vessel for this stage)
• 2.) Follow by 30 dips in clean double distilled water (plastic vessel here too), then
• 3.) 30 dips in boiling double distilled water, then
• 4.) 2 More  sets of 30 dips in separate beakers of distilled water;
• 5.) Gently wick off the adherent water by touching the corner of the coverslip to a fresh Kim wipe;
• 6.) Air dry for use or, alternatively,
• 7.) Store the coverslips in absolute alcohol.  Flamed before use.  "These will the cleanest coverslips in the known universe".

Acid Wash

• 95% ETOH with 5% 1N HCL. soak for several hours
• Rinse with ETOH

• Rinse with DI water. 

		Copyright 2001-10  Dr. M. Chua, Office of Research, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
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