It is difficult to know who did it because the culprit did NOT intentionally do it. However, it is vital to raise awareness of cleaning glassware. Here, I prepared a checklist.
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| This is the scene of the incident!!!!! |
Glassware Washing Check List
1. Before you put your glassware away, clean it as much as possible.
Basebath is not a magical solution that will make dirt on your glassware warp into a black hole. It just removes organic molecules. Before putting away your glassware, rinse it with solvent, rub the glass with a paper, then brush with soap or sonicate.
2. Do not rely only on chemistry
Rubbing glass with a brush with soap are the most effective for removing stains. Even if you are sooooo into chemistry, you must admit the world is much more than chemistry.
3. Outside is just as important as inside
A chemical reaction happens inside the flask, so people sometimes underrate the importance of the outside cleanliness. In the first place, how can you know that inside is clean when the outside is dirty. Clean up everything. If you label your flask, strip off everything.
4. Check your glass in a base bath if the reaction is your first time
In a synthesis, sometimes you accidentally created something you could not see with your own eyes. You might clean up your flasks until it becomes crystal clear, but it does not assure that your flask IS clean. So, if you run a new reaction, 10 min after you put your flask into the base bath, check back if it is still clear or if you see black or colored materials that were reduced from a transparent product.
Good luck with your thorough washing!
