Article: Put on gloves and tie back long hair to prevent contaminating the bacteria sample you'll be testing. Disinfect a workspace under the fume hood, or in another well-ventilated area. Check that the bunsen burner and microscope are functional before you begin. If the glass slide is dirty, wash it in soapy water to remove grease and dirt. Disinfect the slide with ethanol, glass cleaner, or whichever method is recommended by your laboratory. You can use the Gram stain method to help identify bacteria present in medical samples, or bacterial cultures grown in a petri dish. In order for the Gram stain to be useful, add a thin layer of the sample on the stain. A sample under 24 hours old is recommended, as older bacteria may have damaged cell walls that respond less predictably to gram staining. If using a tissue sample, add 12 drops onto the glass slide. Spread it evenly on the slide to form a thin smear, using the edge of a second sterilized glass slide. Allow it to air dry before continuing. If taking bacteria from a petri dish, sterilize an inoculation loop in a Bunsen burner flame until it glows, then let it cool. Use it to place a drop of sterile water on the slide, then sterilize and cool the loop again before transferring a tiny sample of bacteria and gently stirring into the water. Bacteria in broth should be mixed in a vortexer, then added with an inoculation loop as above, without adding the extra water. If you have a swab sample, roll the swab lightly across the slide. Heat will fix the bacteria to the slide, so they are not as easily rinsed off during the stain. Quickly pass the slide two to three times through a Bunsen burner flame, or heat it on top of an electric slide warmer. Do not overheat, or the samples may become distorted. If using a Bunsen burner, the flame should be a small, blue cone, not a tall orange one. Alternatively, the smear may be fixed by methanol instead, by adding 1-2 drops of methanol onto the dried smear, draining off the excess methanol, and allowing it to air dry. This method minimises damage to host cells, giving a cleaner background. A staining tray is a shallow metal, glass, or plastic dish with a small mesh or wire support running across the top. Place the slide on top of this support, so the liquids you'll be using can drain down into the tray. If you do not have a staining tray, the slide can be placed directly on top of a plastic ice cube tray.

What is a summary?
Prepare for laboratory work. Sterilize a glass microscope slide. Add the sample to the slide. Heat fix the smear. Position the slide on a staining tray.