Cleaning a Balance

Many factors contribute to obtaining reliable weighing results which always fall within process specifications. One factor which is often overlooked, and which can have a major influence on the quality of results is simply the cleanliness of the measuring instrument being used. Especially with balances, the risks of sample (cross) contamination can be large whenever cleaning guidelines are not strictly adhered to. But which steps need to be considered when cleaning a balance? And which cleaning agents can/should be used? This reference paper aims to provide an overview of typical cleaning products which can be used to clean the various parts of a typical lab balance, and also offers some important considerations when purchasing a new balance.