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1.5: Cleaning glassware

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    534166
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    To clean glassware, use the following procedures:

    • Use 2-3 mL of solvent to rinse residual organic compounds from glassware into a waste container. Most compounds should be highly soluble in the solvent. The default solvent is often acetone as it is inexpensive, relatively nontoxic, and dissolves most organic compounds. Residual acetone will likely evaporate from the flask, but it is acceptable for small quantities of residual acetone to be washed down the drain.
    • After a preliminary rinse with acetone, or for glassware that did not contain an organic compound, the glassware should then be washed with soap and water at the bench. A spray bottle containing a dilute soap solution (Alconox) is available at each sink.
    • Once clean and wiped mostly dry with a paper towel, place glassware back into the appropriate storage drawer at your hood. DO NOT leave on the drying rack when you are leaving for the day.

    1.5: Cleaning glassware is shared under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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