Glassware Cleaning:

Standard Operating Procedure

Purpose: To provide a clear explanation for proper cleaning of laboratory glassware.

Scope: Glassware is extensively used and it's crucial to prioritize laboratory safety when
handling it. Taking proper care of glassware is essential to prevent accidents and maintain its
durability. Scratches weaken glass, increasing the risk of breakage, while sudden temperature
changes can cause thermal shock. To ensure safety, follow these guidelines for cleaning
glassware. This SOP is applicable to both reusable and disposable glassware.

Personal Protective Equipment Required

To ensure personal safety, the following protective equipment is required when cleaning
glassware: lab-coat, safety glasses or goggles, nitrile gloves, and heavy-duty gloves. A safety
apron can be worn over the lab-coat for added protection. For acid and base baths, it is
recommended to use a face shield. It is also advised to wear long trousers and closed shoes.
Please note that specific PPE requirements may vary depending on the task, with heavy-duty
gloves necessary for handling broken glass and acids.

General Precautions
1. Handle and store glassware carefully to prevent damage.
2. Before each use, inspect glassware for scratches, cracks, or significant damage. Discard if
necessary.
3. Use soft, non-abrasive plastic-core brushes or cleaning sponges/rags. Use appropriate
brushes to clean inside of deep glassware. During washing, all parts of the glass article
should be thoroughly scrubbed with brush selected for the shape and size of the glassware.
Brushes should be in good condition to avoid any abrasion of the glassware.
4. For special types of precipitate material stuck on glassware use nitric acid as needed. Handle
corrosive substances with caution.
5. Acetone or ethanol can be used to remove lab marker pen labels. Do not use acetone on
plasticware.
6. Do not reach inside of glassware with bare hands or fingers while cleaning to prevent cuts,
in case of breakage.
7. Counter mats can help reduce the chance of breakage and resultant injury.
8. Avoid overloading sinks or soaking bins.
9. Do not place metal or hard objects, such as brushes with metal parts, glass stirring rods, or
spatulas, inside the glassware to prevent scratching and breakage.
10. Avoid using strong alkaline products and hydrofluoric acid as cleaning agents. These
materials dissolve glass, leading to damage and eventual breakage.
11. Do not use any abrasive cleansers, including dry/powedered abrasives (e.g. Vim); wet
abrasive cleansers (e.g., Handy Andy, Boom, Spotless, MAQ, etc., with scouring particles);
and abrasive tools (wire wool, stones, and sponges with abrasive sides, etc.), as these will
scratch the glass and cause eventual breakage and possible injury. Scotch Brite and similar
scouring pads will scratch glass and should not be used.
12. Do not use heat as a method to remove carbon residues, as temperatures above 400°C can
cause stress and eventual breakage in the glass.
13. Use proper drying racks for thoroughly cleaned glassware.
14. When cleaning up broken glass, use tongs, a dust pan, and a broom. Use hands only for
handling large pieces of glass and wear heavy leather gloves to protect the hands. Dispose of
broken glass in labeled, rigid, and sealed containers before disposal.
15. Ensure necessary cleaning items, such as soap/detergent and distilled or deionized water, are
readily available. Final rinse with distilled or deionized water is essential. Avoid contact
between glassware and acid before detergent is completely rinsed to prevent grease film
formation.
16. Provide proper instruction for using specialized glass equipment with unique risks,
especially for first-time users.
17. Offer appropriate training and supervision, particularly for new users, to ensure safe and
effective glassware cleaning practices.
18. Before use, thoroughly remove all soap detergents and cleaning fluids from glassware.
Rinse with tap water, shaking and emptying containers/articles multiple times. Final rinse
should be done with distilled or deionized water to ensure complete removal.

Methods of Cleaning
1. Cleaning glassware before a chemical reaction is started.
a. Involves inspection of glassware and cleaning any inadvertent contamination or
general cleaning.
b. Use CLEANING METHOD 1 in the SOP for instructions.
2. Cleaning glassware after a chemical reaction is complete.
a. Involves neutralization and disposal of unwanted byproducts.
i. Requires proper understanding of Organic Waste Disposal SOP.
ii. Requires proper understanding of Acidic and Basic Solution
Neutralization SOP.
b. Proceed to CLEANING METHOD 2 in this SOP for further instructions.
3. Cleaning stubborn chemical residues and films
 a. Verify if CLEANING METHOD 1 or 2 does not work.
b. Cleaning specs for metallic or organics that are not easily removed.
c. Proceed to CLEANING METHOD 3 in this SOP for further instructions.
4. Cleaning NEW glassware
a. Verify if glassware is new
B. Use CLEANING METHOD 4.
5. Drying of glassware
a. After washing and draining excess water, glassware can be dried in hot air oven at
100°C. Volumetric glassware should not be dried in the hot air oven and should
be dried at room temperature, by standing them on a folded towel.
b. Afterwards, dried glassware should be protected from dust by cotton plugging or
tapping with paper pieces.
c. This step follows CLEANING METHODS 1, 2 and 3.
6. Storage and Handling of Cleaned Glassware:
a. Stored cleaned glassware in a clean, dust-free environment, such as a cabinet or
drawer, to prevent re-contamination.
b. Handle cleaned glassware with care to avoid scratches, chips, or cracks that can
compromise its integrity.
c. Regularly inspect stored glassware and discard any items that show signs of
damage
Cleaning Method 1: Before Reactions
Purpose: To ensure safer and more confident reactions, it is recommended to inspect glassware
for any inadvertent contaminations and clean them before conducting reactions.

Pre-Equipment Check
1. Inspect glassware for damage:
a. Scratches on inner surfaces
b. Chips, holes, star cracks, or anything that compromes the integrity of the glassware.
Discard if defects are found

NOTE: Standard taper glassware, especially the round bottom flask, is susceptible to star cracks.

Proper Cleaning Procedure - Should only require gentle cleaning

1. Inspect for residue
a. Water spots – Left from common tap water or dried condensation
i. Distilled or deionized water will remove these
b. Chemical deposits – missed from cleaning after reaction
2. For Chemical residue removal
 a. Wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) such as mask, face shield and gloves
while cleaning glassware.
b. Use a detergent solution (e.g 10L of water and 0.2L liquid soap or detergent
mixed to a homogeneous solution) designed for lab glassware.
c. Soak dirty glassware in a basin of warm detergent solution for 2 hours.
d. Refer to special recommendation for cleaning specific glassware marked with *
(pipettes, burettes, glass stirrers).
e. Scrub with a good soft brush or sponge until dirt is removed.
f. Rinse thoroughly, at least 3 times, with tap water and then with distilled or
deionized water. * Make sure you rinse both the inside and the outside surface.
g. Soak in 1% v/v nitric acid (HNO 3) (take about 5mL of nitric acid in 500mL
volumetric flask containing about 200mL of water and dilute to the mark with
water before washing).
3. Place on drying rack to air dry.

* Cleaning of specific type of glassware; recommendations for specific equipment

a. Test tubes: do not leave them on the drying rack; put them in the oven to dry
overnight (wrap tubes together with aluminum foil before putting them in the
oven).
b. Burette: Wash burette with detergent and water. Flush the burette with a jet of
running tap water to remove cleaning agent completely. If burette has a glass
stopper, wash the stopper separately.
c. Pipette: Place pipettes tips down, in a cylinder or tall jar containing solution. Do
not drop them into the cylinder as this make cause breakage or chipping of the
tips rendering the pipettes useless. A pad of cotton at the bottom of the cylinder
will help to prevent breakage at the tips. After soaking, for several hours, drain
pipettes and run water over and through them until traces of dirt are removed.
Soak pipettes in distilled or deionized water for at least one hour. Remove
purified water, dry outside with a cloth, shake out the water and dry in hot air
oven. After drying, place pipettes in a dust free drawer.
d. Glass stirrers: These can be cleaned along with the general glassware. However,
it’s convenient to clean them in a personal acid bath kept in the hood (it’s easy to
lose stir bars in the big buckets).

NOTE: Stubborn residues may require a solvent cleaner or a base bath soaking to clean.
See CLEANING METHOD 2 in this SOP for specifics on these instructions.
Cleaning Method 2: After Reactions

Purpose: The purpose of this cleaning method is to effectively clean contaminated glassware
after completing a reaction. Cleaning the glassware after the reaction allows for proper steps to
be taken, as the chemical residues are known. It is advisable to wash the glassware as soon as
possible after use to prevent the residue from becoming difficult to remove.

Proper Cleaning Procedure

1. Dispose of the byproduct excess
a. Proper understanding of Organic Waste Disposal SOP.
b. Proper understanding of Acidic and Basic Solution Neutralization SOP.
2. Water soluble solutions (e.g., sodium chloride or sucrose solutions)
a. Rinse with tap water and distilled water.
b. Place in detergent solution and scrub with a good quality brush or sponge
c. Rinse under tap water to remove detergent
d. The rinse with distilled water
e. Dry in hot oven.
3. Water insoluble solutions (e.g., solutions in hexane or chloroform)
a. Rinse with ethanol or acetone
b. Then rinse with distilled water.
c. Place in detergent solution and scrub with a good quality brush or sponge
d. Rinse under tap water to remove detergent
e. The rinse with distilled water
f. Dry in hot oven.
4. Vacuum greased joints
a. Dissolve by rinsing joints with hexanes.
b. Visually confirm greased joint is clean by observing that the joint has an even
frosty look to it before any necessary base bath cleaning.
5. Place on drying rack to air dry
Cleaning Method 3: Stubborn Chemical Residues

Purpose: The purpose of this cleaning method is to effectively remove stubborn chemical films
and residues from contaminated glassware that cannot be properly cleaned using CLEANING
METHODS 1 AND 2.

General Precautions
1. Baths are quite hazardous to unprotected skin and especially eyes.
a. Always use eye protection, and thick black gloves when manipulating glassware
around the baths.
2. Only glassware should go in the baths, AND, only if glassware is completely glass.
a. No ceramic/glass funnels or things of the like.
3. Rinse gloves after use to prevent spreading solution all over your work area.
4. Base bath can severely damage glass; do not leave soaking any longer than necessary.
5. Always separate glass joints before soaking.
a. A base bath can actually chemically bond them together permanently.
6. Organic solvent need to be disposed in special waste containers if it is used.

Proper Cleaning Procedure

1. Contaminant is a metal-containing compound (use Acid Bath)
a. Immerse glassware in concentrated HCl or H2SO4 till apparent solid has dissolved
under the fume hood.
i. NOTE 1: Always put acid into water!
ii. NOTE 2: Always neutralize solution before moving to the next step.
b. Rinse with plenty of tap water. (At least 5 times, thoroughly)
c. Final rinse with distilled water or deionized water. (At least 5 times, thoroughly)
2. Contaminant is organic (use BASE Bath)
a. Soak glassware in a saturated solution of sodium hydroxide or potassium
hydroxide in ethanol or isopropanol (BASE Bath).
b. Rinse with plenty of tap water.
c. Final rinse with distilled water or deionized water.
d. *No NMR tube is allowed to wash in base bath. Base can make the tube wall
thinner, and such tubes have more potential to shatter.
3. Place on drying rack to air dry
Disposal of Cleaning Waste
1. Dispose of used cleaning solutions, such as acid or base baths, according to the
institution's hazardous waste disposal protocols.

2. Package broken glass in rigid, labeled containers and dispose of them as per the
institution's guidelines for sharp waste disposal.

Base Bath Solution in bucket sitting in secondary

container

Heavy Duty
Gloves

BASE Bath Solution

1. Get a large plastic container (~5 gallon)
2. Add approximately 200-300g of solid KOH pellets (or NaOH)
3. Add 4 L of ethanol (or isopropyl alcohol)
4. Carefully add 1L of deionized water
5. Leave the plastic container in secondary contain (i.e. sink) until KOH is dissolved and it
has cooled back to room temperature before storing
6. Replace cover to plastic container.
7. Label container with current date and a sign that says:
a. “DANGER: BASE-BATH SOLUTION, HIGHLY CAUSTIC!”
Cleaning Method 4: New Glassware
Purpose: The purpose of this cleaning method is to properly clean new glassware before its
initial use.

1. New glassware should be treated with 1-2% HCL overnight.

2. Wash it with tap water.
3. Wash with detergent solution
4. Rinse with tap water
5. Finally rinse with deionized or distilled water.

Maintaining a Clean Work Area

1. Keep the glassware cleaning area organized and free of clutter to minimize the risk of any
accidents.
2. Promptly clean up any spills or broken glass to prevent the spread of contamination.
3. Regularly clean and disinfect the work surfaces used for glassware cleaning.

Troubleshooting
1. If glassware is not coming clean after the recommended cleaning methods, consider using
an ultrasonic cleaner or soaking the item in a more concentrated cleaning solution.
2. If glassware is still showing signs of contamination after cleaning, check for any
remaining residue and repeat the cleaning process as necessary.
3. If glassware continues to break or crack despite following the proper handling and
cleaning procedures, investigate the root cause, such as improper storage or the use of
incompatible cleaning agents.