"Dr Phred" wrote in message
oups.com...
I have a huge collection of 35 mm slides that were stored in vinyl
holders. They are kind of stuck in there. It seems the vinyl oozed
something onto the slides, and if you just yank the slide out, it
leaves a "water ring". I'm leaving the slides in there until I can
figure out how to get them out without damaging them. Any suggestions?

The plasticizers used in many PVC products seem to reach out and effect
anything it is in contact with. A vinyl CD case I left on a wood cabinet for
a few weeks became glued to it. It turned the finish into a sticky goo.
Hopefully no permanent damage was made to your slides.

In addition to the other advice, I'd add a wetting agent to the wash to
reduce spotting as the film dries. I used to process my own slides and the
wetting agent, Kodak Photo Flow in my case, was a must.

Polypropylene or, if you want to spend some money, crystal clear mylar
sleeves are recommended.

John