Cleaning slides

Roy G wrote:
"m Ransley" wrote in message
...
Can slides be cleaned with lens cleaning fluid or anything like
denatured alcohol or windex. Should a cotton swab or rag be used.

Hi.

Think about it for just a few seconds, and you will realise that the film
was originally processed in wet chemicals and washed in water.

Slides can be washed in water with a mild detergent added. Just swish them
about, while holding the film rebate with forceps. Rinse off in clean
water to which has been added a few drops of "Wetting Agent", which is
itself a sort of detergent. Allow to dry in a dustfree area, a bathroom is
ideal.

Roy G

Won't this ruin the cardboard?

On Thu, 28 Sep 2006 10:19:25 GMT, "Roy G"
wrote:


"Gary Edstrom" wrote in message
.. .
On Wed, 27 Sep 2006 22:29:42 GMT, "Roy G"
wrote:

Big Problem: Anytime you get film wet, you are softening the
photographic emulsion. A soft emulsion is VERY easily damaged.

Gary



I think I am aware of that, having processed hundreds of films over the
years.

Still, if my advice is followed carefully then no harm will come to the
slide.

Remember I did say hold with forceps on the rebate.

Roy G


First, my comment was not directed at you. It was directed at the
original poster. When someone asks if it is ok to use Windex to clean
film, I feel it is necessary to warn them about the nature of film.

Second, he was asking about cleaning slides. He would have to unmount
them in order to rewash them. He would then have to remount them. I
think that washing is out of the question.

Third, the best approach to use to cleaning film is the minimal
approach. Do the MINIMUM to do the job. If simply blowing the dust
off the frame works, do that. If not, gently wipe the surface of the
film with an approved cleaner and lintless cloth. Rewashing is a VERY
last resort.

Gary Edstrom

Roy G wrote:

.......
Slides can be washed in water with a mild detergent added. Just swish them
about, while holding the film rebate with forceps. Rinse off in clean
water to which has been added a few drops of "Wetting Agent", which is
itself a sort of detergent. Allow to dry in a dustfree area, a bathroom is
ideal.

If you choose this route, make sure the bathroom is really dust free. I used
to use a bathroom for a darkroom. Vacuuming the walls and ceiling really
makes a difference in the amount of dust.

Hi Fred,

Glad I included this previously, as the brochure on the issue was not
transitioned but incorporated into another piece.

The most important facts are whats used to do the cleaning, the right
solutions, and how it is done. Hope that ransley sees and notes this. Newron
is my private identity.

Talk to you soon.

Ron Baird
Eastman Kodak Company





"Fred Lotte" wrote in message
...
In article ,
(m Ransley)
wrote:

Can slides be cleaned with lens cleaning fluid or anything like
denatured alcohol or windex. Should a cotton swab or rag be used.

Avoid anything that may leave fibers or any residue behind. Be very
careful as to what chemicals
you use on film.

I found this on the web some time ago (probably from a google search).
Sorry, I did not save the
URL :-(

===================begin quoted text=========================
Fungus on Kodachrome 35mm Slidesby "Newron" rbaird1nospam@[EMAIL
PROTECTED] Feb 11, 2005
at 07:26 PM

Greetings RSD,

Sorry you are having a hard time finding the content you have mentioned.
Actually, the documents
to which you refer are being transferred to a database of FAQs. IF I
recall correctly, the book
was called Prevention and Removal of Fungus on Kodak Films.

There are several areas of interest with this publication and our support
teams have extracted
the most used data and put into a database for you to review. In this
case, the following
article can be found on the support tab of films and processing off the
main page of the Kodak
Home page.

Actually, mold and fungus can form on slides and other photographic
materials. Fungus spores and
bacteria are in the air regardless of air temperature and humidity.
Moisture, darkness, and
stagnant air foster fungus growth on the gelatin emulsions of film. If
photographic films are
stored for any length of time in an area having a relative humidity of 60%
or above, there is a
tendency for fungus to grow either on the emulsion surface or base side of
the film.

The following should remove mold and fungus from slide film if the fungus
growth has not etched
or distorted the film emulsion.

Note:

a.. Wear cotton gloves to avoid getting fingerprints on the film.

a.. Remove the slides from their cardboard/glass mounts before cleaning.

What you need:

a.. a Kodak Photo Chamois, or a soft, plush pad, or some absorbent cotton.

a.. isopropyl alcohol in a concentration of 98% or greater*.

Moisten the photo chamois/pad/cotton with the isopropyl alcohol, and
gently wipe the slide until
it is clean. Remount the slides in clean glass mounts or new cardboard
mounts.

DO NOT use the following:

a.. water, or solutions that contain water. Fungus usually makes the
emulsion water soluble.

a.. ordinary rubbing alcohol (it contains too much water).

*If you have difficulty locating this, check with gas stations and auto
parts stores. It is sold
as "dry gas" for your car, but be sure to check the label to be sure you
have a 98% solution
with no other additives."

There are several other conditions you might find, RDS, on old slides. If
you find lines that
move randomly over the image area and cannot be cleaned or removed, it is
most likely due to
insects. Very small mites can get on the film and will eat the gelatin.
Since there is no set
pattern to their

movement, the lines will wander but usually concentrate in one section of
the slide. It is
important that you store the slides in an environment conduscive with good
living conditions.
And, that you protect them as best you can.

You can find the list you are looking for - at least for the professional
films which might
apply broadly, by going to the following URL

http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/databanks/filmDatabankList.jhtml?id=0.1.14.34
.9.18&lc=en

Let me know if you have questions,

Ron Baird

Eastman Kodak Company

===================================
Fungus on Kodachrome 35mm Slidesby "grol" grolschie@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Feb 10, 2005 at
12:50 PM


"Tom" anntomdo@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
wrote in message
news:XTvOd.45$mu6.10@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
What dan you do about subject problem?

Thanks,

Tom D.

Depending on the year of the slides, I was told that a small amount ethyl
alcohol is fine.
Earlier slides would disolve though.

I tried this a few months ago on some slides taken in the late 60's, and
found that the
cardboard mounts didn't appreciate it and that the slides really needed to
be washed afterwards
because of the smeering of the disolved fungus and "watermarks" left
behind. Some spots where
the fungus was removed from, were left damaged - the fungus had eaten into
the emulsion in a few
places and the alcohol removed the fungus leaving a see-thru hole in the
emulsion. The alcohol
seemed to do nothing to the rest of the slide.

Risky doing this, so practise on a few slides that you don't mind throwing
away. Unmount them
first, and remount them.

grol
=====================end quoted text=====================

The Kodak link is still good and I spent about 10 minutes pondering the
titles to see if one of
them was about cleaning. No luck.

A 758 page book titled The Permanence and Care of Color Photographs:
Traditional and Digital
Color Prints, Color Negatives, Slides, and Motion Pictures is available at
http://www.wilhelm-research.com/book_toc.html as a 79.6MB free download.
I browsed chapter 18,
Handling and Preservation of Color Slide Collections, which basically says
Don't get them dirty
to begin with.

--
Fred Lotte

In article ,
"Roy G" wrote:

"m Ransley" wrote in message
...
Can slides be cleaned with lens cleaning fluid or anything like
denatured alcohol or windex. Should a cotton swab or rag be used.

Hi.

Think about it for just a few seconds, and you will realise that the film
was originally processed in wet chemicals and washed in water.

Slides can be washed in water with a mild detergent added. Just swish them
about, while holding the film rebate with forceps. Rinse off in clean
water to which has been added a few drops of "Wetting Agent", which is
itself a sort of detergent. Allow to dry in a dustfree area, a bathroom is
ideal.

Better still, find a neighbour with a pre-teething baby. Give him or her
a box to work with and bob's your uncle!