[Histonet] Re: Distilled water rinse versus tap water rinsing,a curious thing

[Andrea T. Hooper]

Dear Naira,

My institution's tap water does not blue my hematoxylin counterstain 
to my satisfaction so this is why I prefer to use a blueing reagent 
for immunos. I like my hematoxylin counterstain for IHC to be *really 
really* blue so I need a blueing solution beyond that of tap water to 
accomplish that. In addition, when doing quantitation based on color 
gradations I wanted to install some sort of quality control and 
reproducibility in the counterstaining and I found that using a 
commercial reagent was better for that.  I found the ammonia water we 
were using for paraffin H&Es to be very harsh on my frozens so now I 
use the Scott's. If your tap water blues appropriately I would keep 
using that it is much cheaper (aka free). Also as Gayle mentioned 
there are many other cheaper sources of reagents similar to Scott's 
which work just as well.

Andrea

At 9:13 AM -0500 4/27/05, Margaryan, Naira wrote:
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>Dear Gayle/Chris/Andrea,
>
>  I usually use hematoxylin Mayer's as a counterstain and after wash 
>with H2O, 95%Alcohol, 2x100% Alcohol and Xyline for immuno-.
>
>The "Scott's Tap Water" and bluing solution I use for H&E only.
>
>If it is wrong, please, let me know. Why you use "Scott's Tap Water' 
>in immuno?
>
>
>Thanks,
>Naira
>

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