Among 235 women attending an outpatient clinic, the diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis was made using three of the following four criteria: typical discharge, pH more than 4.5, positive amine sniff test, and clue cells in a wet smear. These findings were correlated with the finding of clue cells in air-dried wet smears rehydrated more than 1 month after the visit. The rehydrated specimens had the same microscopic appearance as a nonpreserved wet smear. The demonstration of clue cells in the rehydrated smears correlated with the composite diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis with a sensitivity of 96% and specificity of 98%. In a busy multi-physician setting, the scoring of clue cells in stored and rehydrated smears can be used to obtain consistent readings for wet-smear diagnostics, thus simplifying teaching and increasing the utility of wet smears in clinical research.