Are your microscopes dusty and getting dustier? Are there smears across new, clean slides? Do parts seem loose? Use these simple tips to keep your scopes clean and in tip-top condition all year long.
Remove dirt and grease from the microscope body with a moist paper towel. Products on the market that will help you keep your microscopes clean and dust-free are dust brushes, cans of air, lens tissue, and cleaners. Cleaners should be nonabrasive, and alcohol based.
Clean the eyepieces after each session to prevent fingerprints and smudges from remaining on these glass surfaces. Using soft, circular pressure, clean each eyepiece lens with cleaning solution and lens paper or a microfiber cloth.
The 4× and 10× objectives shouldn’t require much cleaning, but the 40× and 100× will. When the scope has been subjected to liquid specimens, you may need to remove the objective lens and view through it to see what is blocking the light and preventing a quality image. Gently clean the outer objective lens using lens cleaner and lens paper or a cotton-tipped swab. Clean the 40× and 100× objectives especially after using immersion oil or making wet mounts. Use only liquids specified for optical use on the eyepieces, objectives, and condenser.
If microscopes drift out of focus, locate the adjustment collar on the inside of the coarse-focus knob (usually on the left side). Tighten the collar with a clockwise turn using the “C wrench” supplied with your microscope.
Did you know that an empty micropipettor tip box makes a great microscope kit box? Fill it with toothpicks, tweezers, coverslips, slides, cotton, transfer pipettes, and lens paper. It keeps everything neat and handy. For a detailed guide to your microscope, download our helpful microscope infographic.
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