Australia's Science Forum

Hi all, has anyone had good success using Caster Oil for oil immersion microscopy. What about clean up of the slides after? Do you need methylated spirits or alcohol wipes?

We have tested out our brand new microscopes with a drop of Motic oil that came with them - the booklet says we should use Xilene to clean the objective and slide. Any ideas what else will work? Microfibre cloth?

Use Windex on a tissue

General glass-cleaning advice (spectacles and microscope accessories in particular) is to never use tissue or paper towel, as the glass may be scratched. Use an absolutely clean tea-towel or glass-cleaning cloth instead. I never bother with Windex as methylated spirits work better. For best results, clean in warm soapy water beforehand.