karsten
Dear readers,
I’ve unearthed a large-format enlarger from a cellar and, whilst rummaging through it and carrying out maintenance, I’ve unfortunately discovered that the notorious mould has taken hold of it. Almost all the lenses are affected, though some only on the outside. But the condensers too!
I’ll be disposing of the lenses that are affected on the inside. But I want to disinfect the condensers and lenses with external infestation.
But WITH WHAT, and can I remove the mould in such a way that it doesn’t spread in my lab? The whole enlarger, including the small parts, is surely contaminated, it’s just that you can only see it on the glass. So does the whole unit need to be treated with a fungicide somehow?
Can anyone help me with some practical chemical advice?
Kind regards, Karsten.
Wolfram
Hello Karsten,
First of all, my condolences.
A lot has already been written on this subject.
And a great deal of it is contradictory.
The mould isn’t a problem.
You can get rid of them with vinegar-based cleaner.
But then there are still the spores..... .
They’re almost indestructible.
You could put the parts in the oven at 140 degrees.
However, neither the lenses – due to the likely presence of ? – nor the various coatings can withstand that.
The general advice is: remove the mould as best you can and prevent re-infestation by ensuring the items are stored in a dry place.
Since the capacitors are neither coated nor particularly delicate, you can clean them with anything that won’t scratch them.
Ideally with alcohol in an ultrasonic cleaner. (Although care must be taken with the flammable liquid)
If you completely dismantle the device and clean it as thoroughly as possible, the mould should not reappear if stored in a dry place.
The situation is different with the lenses.
Not all mould is the same.
You can simply wash off the normal kind, as described.
But with the kind that ‘eats away’ at the lens coating, there’s nothing you can do.
At best, you can clean them, check whether the optical performance has deteriorated, and try to live with the result... .
Regards
Wolfram
karsten
Thanks for now, Wolfram,
Vinegar or vinegar essence is a good idea; it won’t damage the paintwork or plastic either. I’d also thought of Hospisept, a hospital-grade disinfectant.
But what do you mean by ‘alcohol in an ultrasonic cleaner’?? I’ve just read about n-propanol – how is that better than isopropyl alcohol??
Unfortunately, there’s a lot of vague information on the internet about this; hydrogen peroxide + ammonia?
Am I understanding you correctly: clean it as thoroughly as possible and then handle it so that the fungus doesn’t grow back, especially by storing it in a dry place! And that’s good, because spores are floating around everywhere: in the air, mould in the shower, etc., ... so no need to worry about “contamination” in the lab?
Best regards, Karsten
Wolfram
Hi Karsten,
Yes.
As we say here in Saarland: "Don’t make a big fuss about it"
Fungi, bacteria and viruses are everywhere.
As long as you don’t create a cosy spot for them, they’ll usually stay out.
There are hundreds of types of fungal spores in the air in any room.
But they can only settle and multiply where they find the ideal conditions.
No matter how meticulously you clean and disinfect your enlarger, as long as it isn’t kept dry – as in your poorly ventilated cellar – those things will keep coming back.
I don’t think much of all that chemical stuff.
They’re just poisons with a limited lifespan.
Or do you want to subject yourself and your family to all that toxic stuff?
If we were talking about priceless items, you could have it done professionally. (Have the lenses reground and recoated...)
But for an old enlarger?
As I said: clean the thing and store it in a dry place.
Anything else would probably be overkill.
There are also articles here in the forum about mould on lenses.
But they didn’t come to a better conclusion either.
Regards
Wolfram
Urnes
Hi Karsten,
As Wolfram has already said, don’t panic at first, then gently fry the mushrooms in cream (I just couldn’t resist that, now that the smell of mushrooms is wafting over from the kitchen).
Get some isopropyl alcohol from the chemist. You can’t do much more damage to mouldy lenses at today’s second-hand prices. Then simply wipe the mould off with a cotton bud. I have a damp cellar and it happens now and then. As long as the mould hasn’t eaten into the glass or appeared on the inside of the lenses, it’s not a problem. It’s been years since I last treated the lenses. You need to be careful with old lenses, as the alcohol can dissolve the black lacquer on the inside of the mount on some of them. You just have to be a bit careful. But even if the lacquer comes off a little, it doesn’t usually affect the image quality.
Regards, Sven.
