We report herein a method for the recovery, purification, and application of OX063, a costly, commercially available non-toxic spin probe widely used for EPR imaging, as well as its corresponding quinone methide (QM) form. This precious probe can be successfully recovered after use in animal model experiments (25–47 % recovery from crude lyophilizate, with 98.5% purity), even from samples that are >2 years old. Significantly, the recovered trityl can be reused in further animal model EPR imaging experiments. The work also describes support for the observed formation of an air-sensitive radical derived from QM under reducing conditions.