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L Shaped Spreader 2
Ergonomic Static-Free Design: Features a smooth, rounded L-shaped footprint with a specialized upward-curved end to prevent surface tension disruptions and ensure 100% specimen contact without snagging.
Medical-Grade Polymer Construction: Manufactured from high-impact, gamma-sterilized polypropylene, ensuring a residue-free surface that maintains biological neutrality and prevents cross-contamination during sensitive serial dilutions.
$2.82
Quick Answer: The L Shaped Spreader is a bent rod with a short straight foot, used to spread a small volume of liquid culture evenly over the surface of an agar plate. It is the usual tool for the spread plate method in microbiology.
The Spread Plate Method
In the spread plate method, a small measured drop of a diluted sample, commonly 0.1 mL, is placed in the centre of a dried agar plate and spread over the whole surface with a sterile L-shaped spreader. The foot of the L lies flat on the agar, so pressure is even and the liquid is drawn into a thin film instead of pooling. Rotating the plate while moving the spreader back and forth, by hand or on a turntable, covers the surface evenly. After the liquid is absorbed the plate is inverted and incubated, and each viable cell or clump grows into a separate colony.
Because colonies grow across the surface rather than inside the agar, spread plates are used for counting viable bacteria, for isolating pure colonies and for organisms that need air or are sensitive to the heat of the molten agar used in pour plates. Plates carrying a manageable number of colonies, conventionally between about 30 and 300, are counted and multiplied back through the dilution factor.
L-shaped spreaders are made in glass, stainless steel or single-use plastic, and the listing does not say which this is. Glass and metal spreaders are reused after sterilising, usually by dipping in alcohol and flaming; pre-sterilised plastic spreaders are used once and discarded. Knowing the material decides how students will sterilise it. Spread plates are normally poured in dishes such as the borosilicate glass Petri dish.
Where the Spreader Is Used
- Viable counts of bacteria in water, milk and food samples in microbiology practicals
- Plating transformed E. coli onto selective agar in molecular biology classes
- Isolating separate colonies from mixed cultures
- Spreading reagents such as X-gal over agar before plating
Safe Use and Care
- When flaming a glass or metal spreader, dip only the foot in alcohol, pass it briefly through the flame and let the alcohol burn off away from the alcohol beaker.
- Let the spreader cool for a few seconds or touch it to the agar edge first, since a hot spreader kills cells and melts the surface.
- Keep the alcohol beaker covered and away from the burner flame to prevent fires.
- Decontaminate used spreaders in disinfectant or by autoclaving before washing, and discard plastic ones as biohazard waste.
Specifications
| Item | L-shaped spreader for agar plates |
| Form | Rod bent to a right angle with a flat spreading foot |
| Main method | Spread plate technique for colony counts and isolation |
| Sterilisation (by material) | Glass or metal: alcohol dip and flaming; plastic: single use |
| Material and dimensions | Confirm at enquiry |
Why Choose LabEquip
Microbiology and biotechnology labs in colleges and universities use spreaders daily, so they are usually ordered in sets for each practical bench. LabEquip lists this spreader in Biology Lab Products; state the material and quantity you need through the contact page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is an L-shaped spreader used in the spread plate method?
Place a small drop of diluted sample on the agar, lay the sterile foot of the spreader flat on the surface and move it back and forth while turning the plate until the liquid is absorbed evenly.
How do I sterilise a glass spreader safely?
Dip the foot in alcohol, pass it briefly through a burner flame and let the alcohol burn off away from the beaker. Keep the beaker covered and never return a burning spreader to the alcohol.
Is an L-shaped spreader the same as a hockey-stick spreader?
The names overlap, and ‘hockey stick’ is often used for the same bent-rod shape, sometimes with a slight angle at the foot. A triangle spreader has a closed triangular foot that some users find easier to hold flat on the agar.
Why must the spreader cool before it touches the agar?
A hot spreader kills the bacteria being spread and can melt or gouge the agar, giving low and uneven counts. Wait a few seconds or cool it on an unused part of the agar first.
How many colonies should a countable spread plate have?
Laboratories conventionally count plates with roughly 30 to 300 colonies. Fewer gives poor statistical accuracy and more makes colonies merge, so several dilutions are plated.
What material is the spreader made of?
L-shaped spreaders are made in glass, stainless steel or single-use plastic, and the listing does not name the material, so confirm it when you enquire.
Last Updated: September 2026
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