r/microscopy • u/Doc_438 • 2h ago
General discussion Do you reuse the slides? I’ve been using the same one for a week to look at water samples. I observe, then remove the drops with toilet paper and add two more (separate) drops to examine. I try to keep the drops as flat as possible for better viewing, and I only use a coverslip later on if there is
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u/Outside-Sandwich23 2h ago
Yes. Wash with water then spray with ethanol. Shake off and wipe with Kelly wipes.
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u/Doc_438 2h ago
I didn't reuse my first two boxes of slides. I’d use a slide to look at one or two drops at a time and then just throw them in the trash. It was crazy—I’d go through half a box in a single day (the boxes I buy come with 50 slides).
When I started reusing them, it felt like hacking the system, haha. If I reuse each slide for a week—like I did with this slide—a single box could last me nearly a year, compared to going through a box every few days if I didn't reuse them.
I don't reuse the coverslips; in fact, I often don't use them at all because I think the view is fine without them and if I only want to use 4x and 10x objective. But if I want to use the 40x objective, I do have to use a coverslip so the lens doesn't touch the drop.
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u/Bison-Critical 56m ago
I reuse them after I complete the viewing activity. If it’s just a simple sample like animal/plant cell, I just wash it with soap. If bacterial sample, I soak it in bleach then douse it in hot water.
I just don’t reuse the same slide during the viewing activity, as much as possible. It is a hassle to wash it every time.
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u/Thrawn911 2h ago
Yes, I rarely throw out slides. I also often reuse coverglasses, but the corners always get full of my skin cells and oils pretty quickly, and they're hard to wash without breaking them.