Q Exactive cleaning

[zacmcd2509]

I know this topic has probably been dealt with before but any new tips or tricks would be helpful. Running a QE, doing predominantly gel purified protein samples, but finding we need to clean quadropole every month. Any advice in keeping instrument clean. We have tried using clean samples(hence the 1 D gel purification) reducing the peptide load on the column but maybe there is something we are missing

[leadazide]

My guess would be that either you are running at settings that cause all your MS2 scans to Max out the IT or the quad is not cleaned thoroughly enough..

Samples from gel are very dirty and will dirty a QE fairly quickly but I would expect at least the months between quad cleans..

Are you cleaning it yourself or do you have thermo come and do it?

And it is a QE right? And not a QE+?

[zacmcd2509]

Thanks for feedback. yes running a Q exactive.
Using IT of between 75 to 120 ms for MS2
Should I decrease this to 50?

An engineer cleans the instrument

So you are saying the in gel preps are the problem? Anything I can do, aside from avoiding them, to decrease the problem. Increase de-staining? washing?

Thanks
again, your time is appreciated