Lampworking advice please?

[Ciren]

I have quite a few lamp beads that will have a white powder in the middle, can anyone tell me the best way of getting rid of it please?

[mizgeorge]

These will probably be imported from India or China. The powder is bead release, which really should have been cleaned before they're sold. The simplest way to remove it is with a pipe cleaner, but make sure you do so UNDER WATER as you really don't want to be inhaling the dust.

You may need to be careful, as this type of bead, unlike artisan lampwork, is unlikely to have been annealed, so is at risk of randomly cracking or even splitting into pieces, even whilst cleaning, and may not be suitable for more vulnerable jewellery like bracelets or rings.