Muriatic acid for cleaning testing vials?

[rovster]

Hey all, I'm no chemist but I know some manufacturers recommends cleaning the glass vials with citric acid. Can you just substitute muriatic acid instead? If so how dilute a preparation would you use? 1:10? 1:20? Thanks!

 

[bertoni]

Muriatic acid would work, but it's hard on the lungs and mucous membranes. I'd spring for some citric acid, but a very dilute solution, more like 1:50, probably is safe enough, although I'd work outdoors.

 

[hkgar]

Why not vinegar? That's what I have used.

 

[Dan_P]

Muriatic acid is around 30%, which is quite potent and being volatile should be handled outside or in the garage with the doors open. A dilute solution of 1:10 (add 1 part concentrated acid TO 9 parts water) or 3% is plenty strong to wash glassware, though 1% would probably be OK too. You generally want the acid to work quickly but not be unnecessarily strong. And you don't need a lot either. Unless your glassware is very contaminated, use just enough dilute HCl to wet the glass surfaces. This turns out to be not many drops.

 

[outssider]

red sea magnesium test vial gets coated pretty good so I clean with vinegar but every once in a while I put straight muriatic acid in to give it a good cleaning...that works great and only needs to be in a few minutes

 

[billsreef]

Standard for lab glassware is a 10% HCl solution