equipment, cross contamination and cleaning

[hoffy]

OK, so I have finally developed my first film. I have tried to make the effort as controlled as possible to (hopefully) get a reliable result. At first glance, the developing has worked OK.

What I do have to ask, though, is how much should you clean the gear? Is it a case of a few rinses in water and She'll be right, or do I need to scrub, bleach, rinse, repeat, ect....

Also, obviously it is possibly quite easy to cross contaminate chems. Should I go to the hassle of marking mixing containers for each step and keeping them exclusively for their designated chem?

Thanks

 

[Ian Grant]

Just a reasonable wash should be fine, if the tanks etc get a lot of use then a clean every 6 momths with bleach & a soak in washing powder works wonders.

Your dev, stop, fix, wash cycle should keep the ttank reasonably clean anyway but it's always better to wash everything again at the end od a session.

Ian

 

[BobNewYork]

I've always kept designated measuring cylinders and storage containers for fix, stop and dev. I rinse out the measuring cylinders after each use - two or three fills and dumps with vigorous shaking for each. The dev tanks I rinse three times with water as hot as I can take it. Seems like a lot but it just becomes a routine - clean each container as you use it - and you don't end up troubleshooting problems that may or may not arise from contamination.

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

A quick rinse is all that is needed. Some claim Photoflo builds up on reels, but I have been using the same reels and Photoflo for 40+ years with no problems and no more than a rinse under the tap for cleaning.

Color developers are another matter, and will deposit tar on the reel.

I don't keep special beakers and have no problems. I use the old 'soft' Kodak beakers made from low density polyethylene.

I have had trouble with modern Cesco (bright white, matte finish, dimple bottom) trays and chemicals being absorbed into the plastic. I dedicate the trays to use with only one chemical. Older white plastic trays with a shiny finish don't seem to be a problem. Black plastic fr-brand trays react badly to blue toner (actually, everything reacts badly to blue toner).

 

[Nigel]

What I do have to ask, though, is how much should you clean the gear? Is it a case of a few rinses in water and She'll be right, or do I need to scrub, bleach, rinse, repeat, ect....

Also, obviously it is possibly quite easy to cross contaminate chems. Should I go to the hassle of marking mixing containers for each step and keeping them exclusively for their designated chem?

Thanks

I always mix fresh chemistry. My graduates are used only for photo chemicals and I rinse with warm water between measurements and let them drain and dry before putting them away. My (metal) spirals and tanks, I rinse with warm water and drain and dry before before putting away. I have always thought that if I see a build up of gunk, I will put any of it through the dishwasher. If it doesn't survive, (perhaps a risk for plastic graduates) I will simply buy more.

For stock bottles, I always mix fresh. The bottles I mix in are dedicated (and labelled) to one chemical only.

 

[hoffy]

Thanks for your reply's. I probably over did it, but hey i was just be cautious!

 

[bdial]

If you over do it, you will probably never know. On the other hand, if you under do it, you might tear your hair out figuring out where the problem is, not to mention the possibility of ruining some work.