The direct smear examination for detection of tuberculosis is the most common method in our country. For safety of laboratory workers and improvement the sensitivity of the smear examination, a method was developed in which acid fast bacilli were killed with 10% 84 disinfectant and concentrated by foltation on a layer of xylene before staining by the Ziehl Neelson or auramine O methods. The best results were obtained by auramine O staining after flotation. Staining by Ziehl Neelsen method after flotation gave better results than direct Ziehl Neelsen staining without flotation. It's testified that the method can kill or inactivate Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The flotation method offers advantages for smear preparation in local clinical tuberculosis laboratory.