You are absolutely right! It's a common mistake to think a conical flask should be washed with the alkali solution it will contain during titration. Here's why:

Washing a conical flask with alkali before titration is a bad idea because:

* Contamination: The small amount of alkali solution left in the flask after washing will dilute the acid being titrated, leading to inaccurate results.

* Reaction: If the alkali solution used to wash the flask is strong, it might react with the acid used in the titration, further affecting the results.

* Unnecessary step: Washing the flask with distilled water is sufficient to remove any impurities that might interfere with the titration.

The correct procedure for preparing a conical flask for titration is:

1. Rinse with distilled water: Thoroughly rinse the flask with distilled water to remove any residue from previous experiments.

2. Ensure it is dry: You don't need to dry the flask completely; just ensure there are no water droplets clinging to the inside.

By following this procedure, you ensure that the conical flask is clean and ready to receive the acid or base solution for accurate titration.