Re: Cotton wool for lens cleaning

Posted by McDonald, David L on
URL: http://confocal-microscopy-list.275.s1.nabble.com/Cotton-wool-for-lens-cleaning-tp6175236p6178529.html

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We use the adhesive free cotton tipped swabs from Puritan.  They are
available from VWR, catalog# 10806-005.

Dave
 

Dave McDonald
Scientific Imaging Lab
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
1100 Fairview Avenue North, DE-512
Seattle, WA 98109
206-667-4205


-----Original Message-----
From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]]
On Behalf Of Neil Kad
Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 2:58 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: Cotton wool for lens cleaning

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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/
=================================

> 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
> *****
>
> 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/