Bleach turned green??

Hi All,

I mixed up a batch of legacy Pro sepia and bleach solution a few days ago. I toned about 6 prints, each time pouring the bleach solution back into the container. When I mixed it, it was yellow. I came home after the weekend, and it turned neon green while I was away! It was stored in a dark room in a clear glass bottle. Is this normal, or has something gone wrong?

Thank you for your help!

Chris

Mine does the same, doesn't seem to affect the bleaching effect. Don't think bleach goes bad, just loses its effectiveness the more you use it.

Thanks for your reply! I’ll keep using it then.

Chris

I don't sepia tone, but I use a rehalogenating bleach for print bleaching. Usually when mine turns green, it is past its useful life (usually contaminated with fixer) and I toss it.

IIWY, I'd keep a careful eye on my bleach to make sure it was staying active after it has turned green. Ferricyanide bleach only lives a short while after being mixed with sodium (or ammonium) thiosulfate (i.e., fixer).

Best,

Doremsu

Doremus,
I don't think turning to green is a sign of fixer contamination, because mine turns green and I almost always bleach and/or tone prints after they have been fully washed and dried (and usually considered for a bit).

That's odd. My bleach generally takes several months to turn green. Ferricyanide bleach will react with acids to dorm Prussian blue, hence the green color when this happens in a yellow liquid...
Traces of acid from fixer are a likely source, but certainly not the only possibility.
Obviously wash well before bleaching because of the risk of losing highlights. Been there, done that...