Which practice is recommended for preparing glassware before use?

• A. Soaking in detergent
• B. All of the above
• C. Rinsing with nitric acid
• D. Treatment with sodium chromate in sulfuric acid

Answer: (B)

Cleaning glassware thoroughly before use is about removing every possible residue that could affect a reaction or measurement. Different residues need different approaches, so a combination is most effective. Detergent washing tackles oils and greases that would otherwise trap dirt and interfere with reactions. A nitric acid rinse then helps dissolve mineral deposits and metal ions that detergents can’t fully remove, leaving a cleaner surface. For particularly stubborn films, treatment with a strong oxidizing cleaner like sodium chromate in sulfuric acid can break down residues that resist milder cleaners. When all these steps are used together, the glassware is much more likely to be truly clean and inert for experiments. After cleaning, a thorough rinse with deionized water and proper drying finishes the process and prevents recontamination. This is why using all of these practices as part of glassware prep is recommended.