Stained developertrays

patricia de roeck · Aug 8, 2011

I've done a search on this and nothing is coming up - I'm a bit nervous about using a strong gritty scouring paste to clean it up, can anyone advise on what to use that won't scratch the surface of the plastic. Many thanks
Trish

Kevin Caulfield · Aug 8, 2011

Hi Patricia, there is actually a quite recent thread on this. I will try to find it in a sec. Definitely don't use an abrasive cleaning method as that will create huge amounts of surface area for gunk to grow.

Kevin Caulfield · Aug 8, 2011

Hi Patricia, that other thread is called "cleaning filthy drums".

tomalophicon · Aug 8, 2011

Is it very dirty? I use my fingers with househould detergent, though the trays are never filthy.

R gould · Aug 9, 2011

Once or twice a year I use household bleach to clean my developing trays, as long as the trays are well washed afterwards it has never caused any problems, other than that I never bother,it is harmless staining and I have never seen it as a problem,
Richard

Ian Grant · Aug 9, 2011

Every so often I make up a Permanganate/salt bleach, that helps, other times a dichromate/hydrochloric acid bleach. I'll even try household Sodium Hypochlorite bleac.

However stains build up that can't be removed, scouring type cleanes can help very short term but actually make the problem far worse in the long term. The stains get into the plastic, they aren't just on the surface.

A good wash with warm soapy water after every session is the best way to keep rays clean.

Ian

Rick A · Aug 9, 2011

Check out this thread:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Monito · Aug 9, 2011

In that drum cleaning thread, (there was a url link here which no longer exists) how a tarnish cleaning compound for silverware (cutlery, utensils) was instantly effective for cleaning developer trays.

Personally, I like the silver patina on my developer trays. It's kind of a badge of honour, a mark of experience. It is very stable, so it can't be creating much interference or contamination.

Never apply an abrasive to surfaces that will used for chemicals, especially surfaces that can have different chemicals at different times, and most especially sequentially. I had momentarily thought that fine sand swirled in a glass bottle to scour it might be fine enough, but I was quickly disabused of that notion.

BetterSense · Aug 9, 2011

I never clean my trays with anything but plain water. I consider anything that builds up on them to be normal.

pcyco · Aug 9, 2011

hallo

no problems with developer stain they should get clean with water

fixer: a friend told me to use corega-tabs (dont know a name in english) this are tabs to clean your 3rd teeth.
works well for me
--
thomas

Tony Egan · Aug 9, 2011

pcyco said:
hallo

no problems with developer stain they should get clean with water

fixer: a friend told me to use corega-tabs (dont know a name in english) this are tabs to clean your 3rd teeth.
works well for me
--
thomas

The brand name is Steradent in Australia (denture cleaning tablets that dissolve and fizz in warm water) and I use them regularly to soak reels and things. Leave them soaking overnight and then scrub with a toothbrush if necessary. Never tried it with trays. A thorough rinse in hot water after each session has kept mine in good shape after many years.

paul ron · Aug 9, 2011

The best way to clean B&W trays is to use the Kodak TC-3 formula of Potassium Permanganate n sulfuric acid bath followed by a second nutralizing solution.

I believe you can buy the tray cleaner already prepared or look up how to make it yourself using the Kodak formual whcih you can find on the net.

Bob Carnie · Aug 9, 2011

Me too, I like the fact that I can easily tell them apart. I saw a series back about dev trays of different printers , I thought that was pretty cool.

BetterSense said:
I never clean my trays with anything but plain water. I consider anything that builds up on them to be normal.

Rick A · Aug 9, 2011

I only rinse my trays out with hot water at the end of every session and they still look clean after several years of use. My slot processor was a different story, leaving chems in plastic for extended periods of time made it look disgusting. Once a year I would clean it by soaking in water with Polident denture cleaning tabs. It sometimes took a couple of treatments in the developing slot to come fully clean.

patricia de roeck · Aug 9, 2011

Thanks for the good response everyone - seeing as the staining doesn't present a problem I think I'll go with the 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' school of philosophy, leave it be and just enjoy the interesting patterns.
Cheers, TRisha

SkipA · Aug 9, 2011

My developer trays are stained heavily with what looks like silver build up but is probably a lot of things besides. I use the same trays for sheet film development with pyro developers, and for prints with amidol. I always wash with hot water right away after using my trays and often scrub with paper towels, but the stains build up anyway. I've tried all kinds of cleaners that didn't work. R-9 bleach didn't even work that well. So I finally gave up trying to get the stains out. As far as I can tell, they don't cause any problems.

Monito · Aug 11, 2011

Bob Carnie said:
Me too, I like the fact that I can easily tell them apart. I saw a series back about dev trays of different printers , I thought that was pretty cool.

It was probably this series:

Dead Link Removed

First thing to notice is that more of the trays are "filthy" than not. A few are spotless and may have been purchased just before the request came in (or conceivably right after).

Includes both Adams, George Tice, Wynn Bullock, Andreas Feininger, Kim Weston, Mapplethorpe, Arnold Newman, Leonard Freed, Sally Mann, some historical trays, and many others.

Bob Carnie · Aug 12, 2011

Yes this is the series,,, My tray looks a lot like George Tices.

Monito said:
It was probably this series:

Dead Link Removed

First thing to notice is that more of the trays are "filthy" than not. A few are spotless and may have been purchased just before the request came in (or conceivably right after).

Includes both Adams, George Tice, Wynn Bullock, Andreas Feininger, Kim Weston, Mapplethorpe, Arnold Newman, Leonard Freed, Sally Mann, some historical trays, and many others.

Stained developertrays

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