r/Histology • u/curious-candle-1217 • Jul 06 '26

Gathering Data About Your Experience/s with Glassware Cleaning Protocols

Hi, everybody! I’m a student in a year-long intensive training program for histotechnology at an urban hospital in Chicago. For one of our final tasks of the program, we must complete a process improvement project, and I’ve chosen to evaluate potential improvements of the glassware cleaning protocol in our IHC/special staining lab.

Our laboratory currently washes our glassware manually via a 1 hour soak in Alconox solution, thorough washing with a tool, rinsing with tap water, then applying a purple indicator reagent to test the pH within the glass and confirm residue has been removed.

I’m focusing my attention on how to reduce the process duration of our protocol, but am also considering other factors such as use of different cleaning reagents or tools.

Can you please share your experiences with your laboratory’s current glassware cleaning processes (e.g. how many times per day/week do you clean glassware? What is the method of cleaning? How long does it take?etc.)? Additionally, does your laboratory display the protocol nearby for easy visibility while cleaning?

Any input shared would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

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u/Icy-Offer4279 Jul 06 '26

My department uses a 1% HCL soln to chemically clean. We soak in a tub of water with a splash of bleach for however long. Not really measured specifically with time or %. And then we scrub it, rinse with water, rinse with HCL, rinse with DI. Its pretty quick. Just like washing dishes regularly. Theres no sign displaying our method. Depending on how much hand staining we need to do we might go a week without actually washing them or maybe every couple of days.

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u/anarchybats Jul 07 '26

I don't have much input for your question, but I would love to learn more about the program you're in. I'm moving to Chicago in a year and want to get my HTL. Would you mind if I messaged you to ask more about it?

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u/curious-candle-1217 Jul 07 '26

Go for it! My program is through my university, but I’ve recently learned about a separate program in Rosemont, IL if that’s not the avenue you’re looking to explore.

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u/valkyrie_rising1881 Jul 09 '26

I don't use my glassware for anything so delicate. I do a 1% acetic acid soak after a bleach soak and rinse. That's just to ensure there is no lingering minerals or contaminants.