Cleaning negatives and slides

[Stephen H]

Having dug a few old slides out which are about 20yrs old, I`ve noticed a dirty deposit on the surface of some of the slides. Does anyone have any tips for cleaning slides.

Attached is a close up of the problem I face

[Carrie]

We have something at work which we've used to remove biro from some old photos. It was just something we got to try out, but it seems quite useful so far. It's a photographic cleaner (liquid in a small spray bottle) bought from www.preservationequipment.com. I was looking on their website, but can't actually find it listed in their products. I'll try to remember to dig out the actual name tomorrow at work.

[Stephen H]

Thanks Carrie - Any solution (no pun intended) gratefully received.

[Jaxs]

something like this: courtesy of Photoshop;

[Stephen H]

Was really hoping to clean up the original slides. Don`t think I`ve the patients or skill to touch them up with a paint package and get decents results, though I will give it a try.

[Thumper]

I have a very similar problem with transparencies that have, in the past, been sent off for commercial scanning on the older drum or cylinder machines. I suspect a fluid was used to clean the transparencies before scanning, or perhaps they were even wet when fitted to the drum. Now, some years later, the scaly deposit left on the film seems impossible to remove.

[djb]

thumper, the oil used on drum scans shouldn't leave a residue, we've never had a problem as such, not to say I don't believe you about your muck, but in any case, a product sold here in N America called PEC-12 is what we use to clean negs, prints etc etc and is made specifically for photo use.

Stephen, those lines look very very much like mould rather than dirt. Looks exactly like what can grow on the inner elements of a lens that has been left in a damp bag and kept in a basement-I've seen similiar lines on lens brought in to a used camera store that i worked at ages ago. When a lens get fungus growing on it, its usually toast, so good luck finding something that can clean them.

Stick your nose right tup to the transparencies and you may smell the tell-tale smell of fungus.

[Carrie]

Sorry I never got round to posting earlier, the stuff we got from Preservation Equipment is PEC-12 Photographic Emulsion Cleaner already named by djb. It's made by Photographic Solutions Inc of 7 Granston Way, Buzzards Bay, MA 02532 USA.

[Stephen H]

Thanks for all the help. I`ve managed to get some PEC-12, and it`s worked on some very dirty 40 year old slides that I was trying to scan for a great uncle, but not the one I pictured.

djb - I think your mould theory could be right, though I`m not sure how or when the slide could have been exposed to damp conditions.

Thanks to everybody for their help

[Thumper]

If you get the chance, could you tell us if you found the PEC-12 in the UK, and where? Thanks

[Stephen H]

A company called crown digital, their web site is www.crown-digital.co.uk, and address

Crown Photo Systems (UK) Ltd
East Portway
Andover
Hampshire
SP10 3LU

Telephone: (44) 01264 335334
Fax: (44) 01264 333349
E-Mail: sales@crown-digital.co.uk

PEC 12 spray was £9.99, and with some pads about £15, I think carriage was about £6.

Haven`t had too much chance to use it, but it seems to work on some slides, but not the one I pictured. Be warned the spray does smell.

I also read in a book on scanning, that slides can be washed in warm diluted E6 final rinse solution, but I haven`t had a chance to look into this method yet.

My main concern with pec12 is scratching the slide, while wiping the solution, so I think gently does it is the order of the day. But the solution itself doesn`t appear to have any adverse effects on the negative/slide.

[djb]

Originally posted by Stephen H
[
My main concern with pec12 is scratching the slide, while wiping the solution, so I think gently does it is the order of the day. But the solution itself doesn`t appear to have any adverse effects on the negative/slide. [/B]

the main thing to remember is that scratching is going to be done by dragging a hard piece of dirt or whatever across the slide/neg, so the trick with a rather crotty speciman is to always get as much crud off first by air etc and then when using a proper tissue, to use a rolling motion so that what gunk gets picked up on the paper or cloth will not be continued to drag across the emulsion.

and yes, PEC-12 really never leaves chemical marks, it lives up to its intended purpose.

good cleaning