[Histonet] Recycled alcohol

[Rene J Buesa]

Issues with recycled ethanol and xylene appear frequently in this list and I always answer the same: IF the recycling unit is working adequately and is maintained well to assure a final (recycled) product of good quality there should be no differences because ethanol and xylene will be pure. 
The color of hematoxylin has nothing to do with ethanol although eosin may be influenced by water in the ethanol after staining.
Now, if you want to simplify your dewaxing procedure, instead of xylene and ethanol dewax your sections using to baths of 2% aq. dishwasher soap at 90ºC and you will be able to dewax much faster and cheaper, with optimum quality.René J. 

--- On Fri, 7/22/11, histotech <@t> imagesbyhopper.com <histotech <@t> imagesbyhopper.com> wrote:



From: histotech <@t> imagesbyhopper.com <histotech <@t> imagesbyhopper.com>
Subject: [Histonet] Recycled alcohol
To: "Histonet <@t> Lists. Utsouthwestern. Edu" <histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Date: Friday, July 22, 2011, 7:06 AM


Hi Histonetters!

For those who use recycled alcohol, I have a few questions.

Do you use it in your automatic H&E stainers?
Are you having any troubles with proper, consistent H&E staining?

We are using recycled alcohol, and wish to continue to do so IF we can.  We are having issues with our staining - hematoxylin isn't as purple as it should be, eosin is way too pink/red. We use recycled alcohol when deparaffinizing and running down to water. For the record, we are also using recycled xylene.  After staining, we use 2 recycled 100s and two fresh 100s. I have increased the hem time, decreased the eosin time, adjusted the acid alcohol and bluing... I'm tearing my hair out trying to troubleshoot this!  Can anyone help me?

Thanks!
Michelle
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