Quick tip on keeping your bac water crystal clear and sterile longer

Posted by vialclub in Reconstitution and Storage

Hey everyone just wanted to drop a quick pointer for folks who are relatively new to managing their lab supplies. When you draw from your bacteriostatic water vial make sure you wipe the rubber stopper with fresh alcohol every single time even if you just used it five minutes ago. Also store your upright vials in a dark cool drawer instead of leaving them exposed to constant bright overhead lab lighting. It sounds super simple but keeping things clean right from the start saves you from weird cloudiness or contamination down the road when you are in the middle of an active study. Patience with your prep steps really pays off big time over the life of your research materials.

8 Comments

cold2184

Spot on with the alcohol swab advice because skipping that step is how you end up with floating particles after a couple of weeks.

echo88

Alcohol swabs are totally overkill if your workspace is clean. I never use them and my supplies stay pristine for months.

bench2146

Honestly I just throw mine in the fridge right after reconstitution and never bother with dark drawers. Never had an issue in all my years of lab work.

amberfiles

Skipping alcohol is playing Russian roulette with your samples man. One tiny speck of dust on the needle tip ruins the whole batch.

vialclub

Better safe than sorry when dealing with organic research compounds for sure. Thanks everyone for sharing your different lab habits.

peptidehawk27

Fridge is fine for reconstituted vials but your unmixed bac water actually lasts longer at room temperature away from light sources. Cold storage can sometimes cause pressure issues if the seal gets micro cracked.

coldmind64

There is zero scientific backing for keeping bac water at room temp over refrigeration. Standard lab protocols always recommend cold storage for longevity.

vialclub

Both ways can definitely work depending on your ambient room temps and how fast you burn through a single vial. The main thing is just avoiding any moisture buildup around the metal crimp ring.