Microbial Test Kit, 10 Pack

Storage and stability

Our Microbial Test Kit tubes should be stored unopened at room temperature (about +20°C/+68°F) and protected from drought and light (simply leaving them in their sturdy, lightproof box is a good idea).  The slides must not be allowed to freeze. The expiration date is marked on each tube (shelf life is 9-10 months; typically there is about 7-8 months shelf life from the time of manufacture - each tube has a "Best Before End", printed on the side as BBE: YY-MM-DD.  For easy reference, this date is now printed on the box label as well.  CURRENT BBE: 05 FEB 2024

Any unused slide showing microbial growth should be discarded.  Temperature fluctuations may result in condensation settling at the bottom of the dip-slide tube.  This sterile liquid can simply be disposed of down the sink.  The performance and the results of Microbial Test Kit are not affected by this, provided that the media are not visually dehydrated.

How to Use

• The dip-slide is carefully removed from its container without touching the agar surfaces. It is then dipped into thin or aqueous products and held in contact with the sample for 5-10 seconds so both sides of the slide are completely wetted. 
• If you're testing a cream or lotion, using a sterile swab, dip into your sample and streak the surface of each agar plate.  
• Place the slide back in the tube and screw on the top.
• The test slides can be incubated using an incubator and initial results can be examined and enumerated after 24-48 hours for bacteria and 48 and up to 120 hours for yeast and mold. If no incubator is used and the slides are stored at room temperature, you may need to wait up to 5 days for bacteria and up to 7 days for yeast and mold.  We say "examine" because you may need to leave it in the incubator (or wherever you have it stored) a bit longer, especially for slow-growing organisms, but you want to get a first look in at that time.  If you have organisms that grow quickly, and you leave them for too long, growth will become confluent.
• After incubation, compare the colony density on the agar surface with the included evaluation chart.  The results should be evaluated with the tube sealed.

Interpretation of Results

The evaluation chart shows colonies formed on the slides which correspond to different degrees of microbial contamination.  The figures are shown in colony forming units per milliliter ( cfu/ml) on the included chart.

• Colony growth of incubated samples on both sides of the slide is compared to the pictures in the evaluation chart  the picture that most closely resembles the colony density on the agar slide is taken as the test result.
• Bacterial growth - Most bacteria grow to form red colonies, but colorless colonies may also form and must be taken into consideration.
• Yeasts and Molds - It is possible for molds or yeast or a mixture of both to grow on the rose bengal agar.

As the manufacturer recommends these be shipped between a temperature of 2°C - 40°C (36°F - 104°F) with a travel time of no more than 1 week, we will not ship these to Rural Delivery addresses in Summer.

DUE TO THE NATURE OF THIS PRODUCT, ALL SALES ARE FINAL, IT MAY NOT BE RETURNED. 

This product may have a lead time of 10 days if we don't have any in stock