wschwetz
I have a few negatives that are 'distinguished' by stubborn dust or drying spots. Is there any way to get rid of them?
Whilst researching this online, I came across Tetenal Graphic Arts Film Cleaner, which I could only find for sale after a thorough search.
Has anyone tried it yet, and does it actually remove dust and drying spots? According to the (brief) description, it’s mainly designed for fingerprints and adhesive residue. That wouldn’t be of any use to me.
auckland
Hello Wilfried,
I use Tetenal Cleaner for exactly this sort of thing; it generally does the job. Water marks that aren’t from grandma’s day come off quite easily. Residue that has become trapped in the damp film and dried in with it, on the other hand, isn’t usually removed. Incidentally, very fresh drying spots can also be removed with a lint-free cloth on its own or with a light breath.
I find that the cloth used for the application and the environment during use are critical – they should be absolutely dust- and lint-free, otherwise you’ll just smear the dirt around or push it back and forth across the negative (in my experience). I use microfibre cloths like those used for cleaning glasses. A follow-up treatment with compressed air helps here.
In summary, it’s definitely worth a try. By the way, the stuff smells quite strongly, and unfortunately not in a way that suggests the fumes are particularly good for your health. Perhaps taking a deep breath of it might even put you in a good mood ;-)
Good luck!
wschwetz
Thanks, I think I'll give that a go.
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Is there any other way to get rid of stubborn dust? Any kind of solvent?
auckland
You can also re-rinse older negatives and let them dry again (following the same process as after the final rinse at the end of a standard development, i.e. including a wetting agent or similar). But please only try this at your own risk, as it’s easy to accidentally damage the negatives mechanically (scratches), and that really can’t be repaired. I’d start with the Tetenal kit.
Wolfgg
Hi Wilfried,
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Just soak a strip in distilled water for 30 minutes – use warm water (around 30°C) if necessary – and you might find you can simply wipe the dust away with your finger.
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Best regards, Wolfgang
Gast
Hi Wilfried,
I’d soak the film for another 30 minutes (using a wetting agent to reduce surface tension) and then wipe it down with a damp leather cloth. That’s guaranteed to be lint-free. That’s how I always do it with my films.
Regards, Jürgen
