Re: Cotton wool for lens cleaning

Posted by Neil Kad on
URL: http://confocal-microscopy-list.275.s1.nabble.com/Cotton-wool-for-lens-cleaning-tp6175236p6175887.html

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Hi Aleksandrs,

In my place we routinely use Q-tips, now I mean Q-tips and not any other brand. We have gone through many different swabs but nothing compares. I now work in the UK where Q-tips are unavailable so I have to import them at great expense from the US!

We clean up residual oil with one end and then mop up with a sparsely methanol soaked tip at the other end. So far I've not seen any degradation.

Cheers

Neil

Come to our Biochemical Society Focused meeting:

http://www.biochemistry.org/MeetingNo/SA118/view/Conference/

=================================
Neil M. Kad PhD.,
Lecturer in Biological Sciences,
University of Essex,
Colchester,
Essex CO4 3SQ,
United Kingdom.

Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]

http://www.essex.ac.uk/bs/motor_protein/
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> Date: Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:03:31 -0400
> From: [hidden email]
> Subject: Cotton wool for lens cleaning
> To: [hidden email]
>
> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
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>
> Dear list,
>
> The current practice at our facility is to inspect and clean the  objectives of our scopes periodically (approx. once every 2-3 months for each scope) using lens paper wrapped around small clean-room swabs.  I had noticed, however, that the field service technicians who run the PMs on our instruments tend to use 100% cotton wool (which I understand to be essentially the same material as your basic 100% cotton ball in the pharmacy) and are able to service our lenses in a much more efficient manner (read: waayyy quicker) than myself using my current methods.  In the interests of improving my maintenance efficiency, I've been considering trying this out myself but wanted to check in with the list to see if anyone can share their experiences, insights or advice before proceeding.  My main concern is that the cotton might contribute to premature wear on the lens coating.  As cleaning solvents, I use either Glass Plus, anhydrous ethanol and/or water.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Aleksandrs J. Spurmanis
> Microscopy Specialist
> Imaging Facility
> McGill University Life Sciences Complex
> Francesco Bellini Building
> 3649 Sir William Osler
> Suite 137
> Montreal, QC
> H3G 0B1
> tel.:  [phone]
> fax:  [phone]
> [hidden email]
> http://www.mcgill.ca/lifesciencescomplex/core/imaging/