Cleaning Ilford Multigrade filters?

Specifically the mounted , under lens type. My set is dusty/grubby , and I've read many warnings about ruined filters.
Is there any liquid which is safe to use ?
Thanks.

I don't know that there is a satisfactory answer for your question, other than the fact that Ilford says that they need to be replaced every few years.

But I did want to muse on the irony of someone with your user name posting this question.

Smudger said:

Specifically the mounted , under lens type. My set is dusty/grubby , and I've read many warnings about ruined filters.
Is there any liquid which is safe to use ?
Thanks.

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I can say with some authority and sadness NOT to use any detergent nor filter/film cleaner ....... the dye washes out almost immediately. I've gone the method of using above the neg/diffusion chamber filters, below the lamp house in case they become a bit dirty.

best of luck,
cheers,
Sam

No, but to save bucks at the university darkroom, I would buy the 6" unmounted filter sets and cut them down and mount them in the previous filters' holders...it gave the lab assistants something to do when things got slow. We had 19 enlargers and I tried to keep 10 good sets of filters available.

MattKing said:

I don't know that there is a satisfactory answer for your question, other than the fact that Ilford says that they need to be replaced every few years.

But I did want to muse on the irony of someone with your user name posting this question.

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The irony is noted. "Smudger" was the Cockney term for a street photographer , and contains its own commentary on the quality of their work.

I guess the best answer is, very carefully. If they were mine (and I actually have a set here, but for now they're clean), I would blow them off, run them under water in the sink, and wipe them down very gently w/ a clean, new sponge (one light swipe, w/ no pressure). Then try a small drop of optical lens cleaner that you buy in the little bottles from eye glass stores on a corner of the filter and wipe dry w/ a microfiber cloth or spotlessly clean cotton cloth. If that works, try the whole filter.

Smudger said:

The irony is noted. "Smudger" was the Cockney term for a street photographer , and contains its own commentary on the quality of their work.

Click to expand...

A mate used to refer to a busy printing session as 'Banging out the smudges'.