MicrobeHunter.com Microscopy Forum

Hello All:

I started a thread on removing immersion oil from objectives. This is a different issue.

I'm trying to figure out the best way to clean immersion oil from prepared, purchased slides that I will use repeatedly and which a. I do not want to immerse and b. do not want to contaminate other objectives.

I am thinking about IPA and a lenswipe. In your experience, what's the best option?

It seems to me that if I can remove the obvious oil, even if there is a very thin film, that given my working distances, my dry objectives should be OK. On the other hand, the W.D. for my 40x is 0.66 mm, not much clearance!

Hi, I recently discovered that simple lens-wipes (the damp kind in little individual foil packets) bought from our local supermarket are the very best solution to removing oil (immersion just used that is) from the condenser, slide and ojective... Simple single-pass wipes over the glass, perhaps 2-3 passes per element does the trick. These wipes leave absolutely no residue whatsoever, unlike IPA at 95% - the purest available to me, which without exception leaves smears behind. Just a wipe and lift, wipe and lift etc...

This is the packet in the U.K. - Since I discovered these, using oil-immersion has become a breeze - one wipe makes several strips and is all I ever need per session.
As it says on the packet - absolutely no residue and evaporation in about 5 seconds - the best solution I've ever used in fact!

I'll have to agree with the wipes as a solution. Liquid spray lens cleaner doesn't work nearly as well.
Greg

The best way to clean immersion oil from a slide is to take a single piece of lens paper and place it on the slide where the oil is located. Take a cotton tipped applicator and dip it into a bottle of xylenes, then touch it to the lens paper slightly in front of the oil and slowly drag the lens paper across the slide keeping the paper parallel to the slide. If done right, it will pull all of the oil off and leave a clean and dry slide. If you do this inside use a ventilation hood. Otherwise do it outside.

I use lens paper to suck off the oil then clean with petrol ether instead of xylene. Always clean everything after I am finished and don't leave oil on anything. Takes a minute or so per session. Oil residues on slides do impact contrast when using dry objectives.

Those wet wipes appear to be a good choice. Considering to try that.