[Histonet] Martius-Scarlet-Blue solutions shelf life?

[Jonathan Cremer]

Hi Histonet,

I regularly do MSB stains with homemade solutions. Both the Martius yellow and the methyl blue seem to have a good longevity (they are 9 months old now and I've put at least 250 slides through them) and I expect them to go strong for another while.
The crystal ponceau 6R is a different story: I just threw away my second batch after the last two staining runs came out less intense than the slides before. So I am wondering now, is the shelf life of the red solution 3-4 months, is the dyestuff exhausted so quickly, or should I just add some more acid to the solution to 'rejuvenate' it?

In short, has anyone been able to determine an end point for homemade crystal ponceau 6R solution for MSB staining? And the other solutions, for that matter?

Many thanks and have a nice week-end,

Jonathan

---
Jonathan Cremer
Laboratory Technician
TARGID - KU Leuven