Remove deposits in chemical bottles

MNossi · 2014-06-19T19:05:24+00:00

Hallo! Habt Ihr Rezepte, wie man aus Glasflaschen Chemikalienablagerungen von Fixierer und Entwickler entfernt? Dank für Eure Hinweise! Mario ?

MNossi

Hello! Do you have any tips on how to remove chemical residues from fixer and developer from glass bottles? Thanks for your advice! Mario ?

Wolfgg

Hi Mario, For glass bottles, just give it a good go – try hydrochloric acid (from a DIY store). But make sure you wear safety goggles and gloves, cover your nose and open the window. Best regards, Wolfgang

Renate

Hello, Hydrochloric acid isn’t strong enough for silver. The only thing that works is warm nitric acid. That’s also a bit more dangerous and requires even more protective measures. Heated aqua regia (hydrochloric acid plus nitric acid) works quite well for cleaning, but it’s extremely dangerous and is best avoided. I dispose of laboratory equipment that is difficult to clean and replace it with new items. That’s safer and often cheaper too. If you always pour developer into bottles that have previously contained developer, the deposits won’t cause any problems. Even after thorough cleaning, you should never use chemical bottles for foodstuffs afterwards. Best regards, Renate

CPD

I completely agree with Renate! Anything I can’t get clean with denture cleaner goes straight in the bin! € I use Aponorm bottles from the chemist’s. They’re quite cheap. € € Bye!

Wolfgg

With some bottles, after using hydrochloric acid, you need to put a twisted piece of paper inside (it needs to be long enough for the end to stick out, otherwise it’s difficult to get it out again) and push it along the inside wall with a stick. That’s how I’ve managed to get every glass bottle clean again so far. Even the ones with a silver coating. Best regards, Wolfgang

Ewald

Hello, Hydrochloric acid isn’t strong enough for silver. Best regards, Renate

Either I use a bottle brush with a flexible handle, or I fill the bottle with some construction sand – not too fine-grained – and 1/3 of the bottle’s volume of water, then shake it all up for a few minutes; afterwards, the bottle is clean. (Sandblasting principle)

Lichtjahr

Hello, In the past, bottles were cleaned mechanically. Using small glass or steel balls. Fill the bottle with cheap glass beads or ball bearings and swirl it around whilst turning it. Rinse and check it regularly during the process. … The plastic may also change colour; this is not a build-up of deposits. I’ve seen this happen with a plastic bottle for a stop bath (2% citric acid) – the inside of the bottle turned brown. … If nothing helps – bin it and dispose of it. … Regards, Edi