[Spazcat]

How do you clean your glassware?

Usually I just throw some dish soap in and give it a good scrub and leave it upside down to air dry, but recently I have realised spots of different coloured gunk on my glassware and just general smudges of stuff.
I can usually get these smudges off just with some paper towel, but some need a bit more effort to get out.
I was just wondering how everyone here cleans their glassware and if anybody has some tips for better cleaning.

Thanks, Spazcat.

[clarkstill]

If acetone or soapy water don't work I normally try aqueous acids (e.g. HCl) and base (KOH).  If these also don't work, I try conc H2SO4.  Then i'd leave it overnight in the base bath.  If that doesnt work, it's aqua regia (3:1 H2SO4:HNO3) or piranha solution (3:1 conc HCl:aq. H2O2).

Sonication also helps when the contaminant is an insoluble particulate.

And if those don't work, it's time for a new RBF.

[billnotgatez]

@clarkstill

If acetone or soapy water don't work

I am glad you said those words before talking about further ideas

[Arkcon]

Yes.  We definitely start with soap and water.  And try a couple of times, before we use stronger reagents.

Without knowing what you're working with spazcat: and what your needs are, its hard for us to know what to tell you.  'Tho I'm going to doubt that someone posting in Citizen Chemist needs RCA clean.

In my analytical lab, the first thing I do is use alcohol to wash off the Sharpie writing I've put on the outside of the glassware, so it doesn't end up everywhere.  Could this be the source of your "multicolor" problem?  Then I use laboratory soap, but dish-washing soap is probably fine for you.  I rinse with tap water until the soap is gone.  I give it three more tap water rinses, then 3 distilled water rinses.  Air dry is usually adequate, but I may oven dry if I need it soon.   I don't usually rinse out with solvent, because that's a waste of solvent and a burden to dispose of.  However, if you have to do that, acetone is the best choice -- other solvents like methanol or ethanol tend to leave a moisture residue behind.

[Spazcat]

Thanks guys, I usually just wash it with soap and water and rinse out quite a lot, but still end up with some marks. I have tried acetone, but it still had a quite similar effect. Any marker I use on glass just wipes off with a paper towel.
I might try some stronger reagents the next time they need cleaning to see if it works better.

Thanks for the tips!!

[Dan]

If that doesnt work, it's aqua regia (3:1 H2SO4:HNO3)

Aqua regia is conc. HNO₃/conc. HCl (normally ~1:3)

or piranha solution (3:1 conc HCl:aq. H2O2).

Piranha is conc. H₂SO₄/30% H₂O₂ (~3:1) and is extremely dangerous. It's banned all the institutions I've worked in. Spazcat, I wouldn't recommend it.

[Spazcat]

If that doesnt work, it's aqua regia (3:1 H2SO4:HNO3)

Aqua regia is conc. HNO₃/conc. HCl (normally ~1:3)

or piranha solution (3:1 conc HCl:aq. H2O2).

Piranha is conc. H₂SO₄/30% H₂O₂ (~3:1) and is extremely dangerous. It's banned all the institutions I've worked in. Spazcat, I wouldn't recommend it.

Wasn't planning on it. Can't get a hold of many strong acids anyway.

[clarkstill]

Silly me, confused my hcl and h2so4. Piranha isn't bad, you just have to make it in the vessel to be cleaned so you never have to handle it... for valuable glassware it's a life saver.

[alvacado]

I usually clean my glassware with salt and water, salt can make glass and china items clean and white.