Washing stuff (Test Tubes)

[kireek]

Do you use a household product in a unconventional matter for your aquarium? Maybe you have a creative way to reuse something? For example,I use a glass door from a broken toaster oven as a heat proof light shield.Here's a few more of my random ideas;
A sewing thread holder can be used to air dry test tubes

A lipstick caddy doubles as a test tube holder

 

[p7willm]

After testing water how should stuff be washed for the next test? I rinse all the tubes 3 times in RO water and then squirt DI water into them 3 times. The syringes used to titrate stuff get filled 3 times with RO and 3 times with DI.

Is this far too much, except for my OCD, just right, or, God forbid, not enough?

I figure that just rinsing once probably dilutes at least 100 to 1 and doing it 6 times is 1,000,000,000,000 to 1 but there are some nasty chemicals in there.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It is probably unnecessarily complete, , but it certainly doesn't hurt, especially if you use glassware and plasticware for different types of tests, where it may be more of an issue.

 

[Waterjockey]

I commiserate with the ocd comment. The next paragraph will explain .
I rinse with tap water, then wash and soak in dish detergent. Tap water to rinse the soap off, followed by di water rinse/soak. Dry for 2 hours and everything put back in the test kit cases. I have enough glassware to do this once a week, every sunday (my "full set" of tests day). Mid week they just get a single-use tapwater rinse...but not used again till after the Sunday wash-day routine

 

[Salty1962]

I always rinse real good with RO water to keep glass/plastic vials from clouding up with residue.

 

[fab]

Is this far too much, except for my OCD

That is not OCD. It is just thoroughly cautious.
It is a lot easier to clean frequently and maintain strict preventive protocols than it is to chase problems indefinitely just because you didn't.
fab

 

[jsker]

I just drop them in the dish washer and then rinse with ro before testing.

 

[Animagus]

I just rinse the vials under the faucet and then shake the water out. Put them back in the box to air dry.

 

[radiata]

The Salifert Potassium kit has a special procedure for getting the scale off the test vials. Habib recommends filling the vial with vinegar or 5-10% citric acid for 12 to 24 hours.

 

[cmcoker]

I store all my vials in a screw top Tupperware in vinegar rinse with tap before use, then rinse with water to be tested.

 

[FishLover01]

I wash all my tubes in hot tap water with no soaps or chemicals. I bought a lab type drying rack off of Amazon. I turn the tubes and caps upside down on this rack to air dry. Highly recommend having a test tube drying rack. Hope this helps.

 

[fab]

test tube drying rack

I like this idea...
fab

 

[fab]

x

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

I just rinse the vials under the faucet and then shake the water out. Put them back in the box to air dry.

Exactly what I do!

 

[rebekwl]

I rinse the vials with tap water and air dry as well. Before testing, I give them a good rinse with the water I'm going to be testing.

I do like the idea of the drying rack, I might have to look into one of those!

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

I was trying to add a post in from another thread and kinda messed this thread up! My apologies but it added the post to the first post. I was trying to show something you could use to dry the tubes!

 

[rebekwl]

A couple of cool ideas! I actually have a lipstick caddy (holding lipstick). It could be repurposed

 

[radiata]

Please let us know if this works out. I Googled "lipstick caddy" and got some things that looked like they could be used for frag holders...

 

[drheacock]

I threw this together with 3" electrical conduit cut in half and some short pieces plastic coat hangers hot glued into holes I drilled in conduit. Screwed it to the back of the door below my wet bar where I store my fish stuff.