Cleaning/Drying Cuvettes

Ferrell · Apr 23, 2019

Test, rinse with RODI, then fill and cap for storage.

yellojello · May 24, 2019

Once the glass is "stained" is that permanent (left reagent in for several days or longer)? or does alcohol or vinegar able to renew and unstain the glass?

Hitman · May 24, 2019

I used straight distilled white vinegar and let it soak for a few days then rinsed in RODI water a few times and mine cleaned up nicely.

AdamNC · May 24, 2019

yellojello said:
Once the glass is "stained" is that permanent (left reagent in for several days or longer)? or does alcohol or vinegar able to renew and unstain the glass?

Vinegar might work. But if it etched into the glass you’ll be still left with smudges. I’d try soaking vinegar in it overnight and see if it works.

Back where it all began · Jun 21, 2019

Hi saintsreturn, your drying station is cool. Did you make this or something that existed already?

Chuk · Jun 21, 2019

I rinse 3x with tap water. Then rinse 3x with DI water. Then refill to the brim with DI water pour DI into the lid and cap them off and keep them full until the next use. If I see some residue I do vinegar soak before testing again.

shadesatsetbreak · Feb 28, 2020

Whatever you do, don't use abrasives like cotton swabs or paper towels to clean or dry your cuvettes. Borosilicate scratches easily. Use a cleaning solution or a dilute acid.

Mical · Feb 28, 2020

I posted this a year ago

Hanna Cuvettes

For all that use Hanna testers this might be of interest. A 4 pack of Hanna cuvettes sells for $21, which I think is ridiculous. C'mon they're small glass vials. Well while searching for another source I stumbled upon of all places Hanna, offers a 25pak for $25. The catch is if you don't order...

www.reef2reef.com

chiefifd · Feb 28, 2020

Citric Acid seems to clean the Hanna cuvettes a bit better than vinegar for me. I use Q-tips after soaking the cuvettes overnight if I see any haze inside. I store the cuvettes in DO/DI water until the next use.
It seems to work for me.
Not sure if Q-Tips are abrasive or not, I haven't noticed any damage to my Hanna cuvettes.
I looked for Hanna cuvette cleaning solution (230 mL) HI93703-50, I found it for $25.00 online, which seems kinda expensive for me.
Have a nice weekend all.

Dan_P · Feb 28, 2020

Heavymman said:
I hate to ask this boring question but how do you all clean and dry your testing cuvettes?

Good question!

There is a possibilty that during or after testing, a film or precipitate can develop on the glass. After rinsing with tap water to remove the test solution residue, an acid (vinegar or 2% muriatic acid) rinse is recommended, followed by a tap water rinse and then a final RO/DI rinse. If you store the vials upside down between uses (capped is OK if you remember to shake out the water that drains into the cap), the the excess water will drain. They do not need to be dried because so little water remains that results will not be affected by the dampness (I weighed the water). Purest will dry their vials, but never by rubbing them with anything because of the possibility of introducing fibers or contaminating the cleaned vial.

@Rick Mathew wrote on very nice article on quality testing that you might want to consult.

chiefifd · Mar 1, 2020

As I mentioned above I store my cuvettes in RO/DI water in-between use, I also rinse out the cuvettes with tank water before use. That includes rinsing the caps and threaded top with tank water. I use a 10ML syringe and "shoot" about 5ML into the cuvette, shakeout & repeat the process. I'm pretty sure for our purposes that takes care of any contaminants in the cuvette.

madweazl · Mar 1, 2020

I rinse under tap water and dry with paper towel. Cuvettes are left uncapped in the test boxes.

chiefifd · Mar 1, 2020

Many ways to skin a cat..
If we're testing, no matter the method as long as consistent and we're achieving what our goals are.
Perfect.
If you're finding contrary results and not what your expecting, time to get some advice I guess or alter testing procedures.
Take care everyone....