17 replies to this topic

[Saltynuts]

Is there any special tool (or technique) you can use to get cotton balls out of test tubes, especially after the water behind/under them has dried up?  I can usually bang them down top first to force the cotton ball down, but a lot of time it cracks them.  Using a skinny rod or what not is hard because it tends to push them back into the tube as much as it lends to being used to pull them out.  Seems like a flat rod, that had a little piece at the end that laid flat one way, but the dropped down when you turned it over, would be ideal.  Thanks for any help.

[Serafine]

Pincers.

[skocko76]

I use a chopstick that I cut a bit at the tip, similar to a drill bit. It just needs to be rough at the tip, really. I push the chopstick to the side of the cotton ball, twisting it constantly. The cotton gets stuck to the tip, and the whole cotton ball starts rotating. Then I pull it out, rotating all the time, as that prevents the cottonball to "shed" the bit stuck to the chopstick. You can imagine a tool that would catch your hair if someone was to put it there and twist it.

Edited by skocko76, November 12 2017 - 12:52 PM.

[nurbs]

Check out this thread, specifically this post. Works great:

 

http://www.formicult...-tubes/?p=63231

[antaioli]

Long tweezers or a chop stick. If the cotton is "suctioned" in you need to break the seal to make it come out easier which is easiest done by sticking something between the cotton and the tube to allow air in.

[FeedTheAnts]

I use anything I can to break the suction and then hold the tube in my hand while I swing my arm and watch the cotton go, "Whee"!!!!

[nurbs]

Pulling out moldy cotton from a test tube is totally gross, like popping a massive zit. But also strangely satisfying.

[T.C.]

Pulling out moldy cotton from a test tube is totally gross, like popping a massive zit. But also strangely satisfying.

You find popping a zit satisfying?

 

 

 

Is there any special tool (or technique) you can use to get cotton balls out of test tubes, especially after the water behind/under them has dried up?  I can usually bang them down top first to force the cotton ball down, but a lot of time it cracks them.  Using a skinny rod or what not is hard because it tends to push them back into the tube as much as it lends to being used to pull them out.  Seems like a flat rod, that had a little piece at the end that laid flat one way, but the dropped down when you turned it over, would be ideal.  Thanks for any help.

I use tooth picks, not like the ones at restuarants, but the steel ones with the sharp hooks dentists use.

 

(You know, those sharp thins they scrape your teeth with, and when they bump your gums with them you wanna cry like a baby.)

[nurbs]

 

Pulling out moldy cotton from a test tube is totally gross, like popping a massive zit. But also strangely satisfying.

You find popping a zit satisfying?

 

 

 

 

 

Yup 

[Klassien]

Pulling out moldy cotton from a test tube is totally gross, like popping a massive zit. But also strangely satisfying.

That's an interesting analogy. If moldy cotton is like a massive zit, is it a blackhead? Those can get pretty messy; one must make sure they have plenty of paper towels and a trash can nearby. If it gets bloody and doesn't stop, then you are out of luck and have to deal with it scabbing over.   

 

On the other hand, I use a skewer to pull it out. Quick and painless for the most part.

[T.C.]

You guys are disgusting.

[dermy]

I've used tiny screw drivers before they work good, you just gotta be careful with the ants and the brood so you don't squish them.

[Reacker]

you guys are all doing it wrong

[Serafine]

you guys are all doing it wrong

That's pretty much exactly what I use.


(I rarely have to do it though, my test tubes usually last between 8 and 12 months.)

Edited by Serafine, November 13 2017 - 12:15 AM.

[nurbs]

you guys are all doing it wrong

 

To the OP, if you have just a few test tubes, all of these methods listed work completely fine. But they are not 100% efficient, especially if you have hundreds of test tubes to clean.

 

I've tried all manner of methods to quickly remove cotton from over hundreds of test tubes now, and have realized you need some kind of "hook" that grabs the cotton from behind, especially if there is a pocket of suction that prevents just a long tweezer or skewer/chopstick from pulling it out on the first try. OK this description is getting kinda PG-13, so I'll stop right there.

 

 

Edited by nurbs, November 13 2017 - 12:39 AM.

[dspdrew]

If you are trying to do it for free, then a lot of these suggestions are your best bet. If you are someone who likes to spend money on the proper tool for the most efficient use of your time, there is nothing better than alligator forceps.

 

[sgheaton]

Too fancy for my blood, Drew!

I'll stick to a chopstick with a paperclip duct-taped to the top.

[Hunter]

i use a old bowfishig arrow i had laying around