The state of your lab equipment will have a lot of adverse effects on your work if they are not maintained in a proper way. Therefore, in order to avoid compromising any of your scientific results it a must that the condition and nature of your equipment are at their absolute best.
Taking genuine care of your science lab equipment, more importantly of chemistry lab equipment, is an extremely vital skill for all present-day physical scientists. Also, if done regularly it will actually be much easier and comfortable to maintain it than if you leave it off for later.
Here are a few points to help you figure out how to go about maintaining your lab equipment:
Table of Contents
• Cleaning – The most affordable and easiest way to have a well-maintained lab.
- Firstly, you need to know about the most fundamental step to keep your equipment free from contaminants, which is to wash any item utilized, regardless of the start or end of an experiment and generally with deionized water. Here, deionized water is supposed to be used because unlike distilled water it does not conduct electricity, has a more neutral pH and does not cling to glassware sides which would most probably alter the pH of added mixtures and bring about a systematic error in the aftermath. All the washed equipment should later be carefully dried with the help of a towel that does not leave any residue or shed, mainly clear the extra water from the equipment.
- When cleaning a microscope you should use a mixture of alcohol and ether in the ratio 30:70, which would make certain that it is properly cleaned to give you precise results. Always refer to the directions given on the equipment’s manual on what steps to follow while cleaning it. In case of cleaning challenging equipments make sure to get the help of a qualified professional.
• Refurbishing and Repairs
Refurbishing every once in a while helps turn your equipment as good as new thereby extending its life. It is the process of taking apart each and every component of the equipment and cleaning them out separately. Polishing certain pieces and re-lubricating the moving parts (if any).
Repairing will obviously be required from time to time due to the wear and tear of equipment which are regularly used. Instead of going for immediate replacement of your defective equipment, consider if it could be just requiring some repairs to function properly. This consideration might save you a lot of money more often than not.
• Calibration
Calibration is supposed to be done regularly and to the correct standard. Failing to do so can cause faults in accuracy and lead to data corruption. Do a stock of your instruments and choose which is most reasonable for everything – from fundamental preventive maintenance to further developed accuracy confirmation.
As the reputation of all laboratories depend on the accuracy of its equipment, consistent cleaning, Cleanroom Workbenches , repairing, refurbishing and calibration of each instrument is of utmost importance.
