Matthew,

Acid cleaning (or the equivalent thereof, EXTRAN, i.e.) is standard practice
for most histology labs especially for silver stains (actually silver
reduction techniques).  If you do not "acid clean" you run an almost 100%
risk of ruining a silver stain.  It has been my experience to grab a
non-acid cleaned coplin jar, pour fresh silver solution into it and watch
the solution immediately turn milky.  I am not sure of the actual chemical
reasons but I know that no matter how much you rinse you probably are not
getting all traces of the detergent off.  Probably the same reason you are
not to use detergent on a good beer drinking glass or on beer bottles when
you sanitize for bottling home-brew (another story).  Silver is extremely
sensitive and I was taught to, and always have, acid cleaned (at least) for
silver techniques. 

Thomas Jasper HT(ASCP) BAS
Histology Coordinator 
SMDC Clinical Laboratory
Duluth, MN
tjasper@smdc.org

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Starost, Matthew (NIH/OD/ORS) [SMTP:starostm@ors.od.nih.gov]
> Sent:	Tuesday, December 31, 2002 6:35 AM
> To:	histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
> Subject:	Cleaning
> 
> Why would you need to acid wash your glassware for special stains
> procedures (i.e. gram, PAS, steiners, GMS, etc).  Couldn't one just wash
> the glassware with the commercial glassware detergent available and rinse
> thoroughly with DI water.
> Matthew F. Starost DVM, PhD 
> Diplomate, ACVP 
> NIH, Bldg. 28A, Rm. 115 
> 9000 Rockville Pike 
> Bethesda, MD 20892 
> Phone: 301-496-4465 
> Fax: 301-402-1068 
> E-mail: starostm@mail.nih.gov 
>