Taylor Testing Reagents, Kits and Supplies
All reagents have a shelf life,
whether they are liquids,
powders, crystals, tablets, or
test-strip pads. If kept dry,
powders and crystals are
very stable; acids are also
long lived. Date of
manufacture is not the
controlling factor when it
comes to shelf life—storage
conditions are more
important. As with all
perishables, reagents are
sensitive to environmental
influences and will last longer
under controlled conditions.
To this end, we recommend:
•Storing reagents at a
consistent temperature in
the range of 36°–85°F (2°–
29°C); extreme temperature
fluctuation, say from a
refrigerator to a hot car
trunk, causes reagents to
deteriorate.
•Keeping them out of
prolonged direct sunlight.
(Note: their brown plastic
bottles help protect very
light-sensitive reagents.)
•Segregating reagents from
containers of treatment
chemicals.
•Replacing caps immediately
and tightening them carefully
so that exposure to air and
humidity is limited.
•Avoiding switching bottle
caps, placing bottle caps on
soiled surfaces, repouring
reagents into contaminated
containers, or touching test
strip pads.
Taylor formulates its
reagents to remain effective
for at least one year, with
only very few exceptions
(molybdenum indicator in
liquid form is one; after four
months old it should be
tested against a standard
periodically). As a general
precaution, replace all
reagents more than one year
old, or at the beginning of a
new testing season.
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