Cleaning slides?

[Hawklord]

I've recently bought a used microscope and along with it came a box of slides with specimens on but they haven't been looked after. Is there anything I can do to clean them up? I'm not too bothered about them apart from the fact I could use them to practice on.

 

[MuswellMetro]

I've recently bought a used microscope and along with it came a box of slides with specimens on but they haven't been looked after. Is there anything I can do to clean them up? I'm not too bothered about them apart from the fact I could use them to practice on.

My Daughter did a stint as a lab technician in her gap years and the school was cash strapped so the recycled slides

a dash of bleach and fairy liquid and a good soak overnight in warm water, agitate and CAREFULLY remove a slide, rinse and dry by pushing off the water between a folded paper towel betwee finger and thumb

cover slips...nay buy a new lot

 

[Ruary]

Depends what the slides are and what they are mounted with: Glycerine Jelly Muswell's recipe will work soak in the water for a long time.
Canada Balsma or Numount not really woth the while
smears be ver careful, you don't know what pathogens you might be dealing with.
If the slides are sealed with a ring of sealant try acetone to dissolve it, if this doesn't work then you need toluene and again the job is not worth it.
Slide glasses are not that expensive.

 

[luckyclover]

Is it that you want to clean the slides to look at the specimens that are on them already? A wipe with some alcohol will remove oil etc.
If it is to recycle the slides (permanent mounts) please don't bother. I'd rather dry and reuse teabags.

 

[Hawklord]

Yes I'm wanting to view the slides, but I think they would be best destroyed as I don't know what's on them and I can't read Latin.

 

[luckyclover]

All is not lost http://translate.google.co.uk/#la/en/