Chemical, water or other analysis requiring exact measurement and
dispensing of liquid reagents relies on the use of pipettes. Some
pipettes are disposable, however, reusable glass pipettes are preferred
because they are typically of higher quality and are calibrated more
exactly. The main disadvantage of using glass pipettes is the difficulty
of cleaning them between users.
Some pipette cleaners are simple plastic jugs that fill and siphon
water several times. Cleaning is accomplished by means of soaking and
flushing. After this process, pipettes are typical placed in an oven for
drying. This process can take hours and requires handling of wet
pipettes. As a result, the tips are easily broken, rendering the
pipettes useless. Another cleaning method is to use a laboratory
glassware washer. Miele lab glassware washers equipped with pipette
injector baskets and specified cleaning agents are ideally suited for
the task and provide repeatable and analytically clean results.
When cleaning pipettes, Miele injection baskets provide remarkably
clean results for hard-to-reach interiors. Each pipette is placed tip
down in a protective plastic holder, where water and detergent are
injected providing thorough cleaning. A heated DI rinse follows to
ensure complete removal of trace residues. If HEPA-filtered drying is
used, forced hot air will circulate through the pipettes, providing
complete drying.
Sources: Laboratory Network.com