Thoroughly cleaning tanks and reels

hoffy · Jul 10, 2022

So, the old thread about foaming Ilford Films has gotten me thinking about problem solving.

The first thing I want to do is thoroughly clean all reels and tanks (yes, they have seen photoflo).

My reels are all plastic, either Jobo or Paterson.

Any clues? Would a hot wash in the dishwasher be OK? Detergent or not? Any other methods I should try?

Cheers

AgX · Jul 10, 2022

A warm alkaline bath to soften any gelatin.

A bleach bath to get rid of metallic silver.

hoffy · Jul 10, 2022

AgX said:
A warm alkaline bath to soften any gelatin.

A bleach bath to get rid of metallic silver.

Ok, what would you use for an alkaline bath?

Paul Howell · Jul 10, 2022

I use 2 tablespoons of baking soda, hot water, soak for a 1/2 hour followed by 4oz of household bleach in 32oz water, then a rinse and air dry. Over the years others have posted that all they use is bleach.

Tel · Jul 10, 2022

I've just been scrubbing with a brush in hot water and dish detergent. I think I'll try the baking soda/bleach formula now. Does it do anything special to remove blix? Or is blix residue even a problem?

gone · Jul 10, 2022

Dish washing soap, warm water, sponge and a toothbrush.

Paul Howell · Jul 10, 2022

I generally use SS when I develope C41 and E6, the expectation was when I developed up to 8 rolls of C41 in my Unicolor film tank. Although stained the Unicolor reels are clean.

MattKing · Jul 10, 2022

If you are going to use a dishwasher, be sure to avoid one that adds a Rinse Aid to the rinse cycle.

Sirius Glass · Jul 10, 2022

MattKing said:
If you are going to use a dishwasher, be sure to avoid one that adds a Rinse Aid to the rinse cycle.

faberryman · Jul 10, 2022

I use stainless steel tanks. When I am finished using them, I just rinse them out and dry them with a hand towel. Over at the community college they use the plastic Patterson tanks, and they never look clean. Always some residue. I am not sure why. Maybe the chemicals stick better to plastic than they do to stainless steel.

Sirius Glass · Jul 10, 2022

faberryman said:
I use stainless steel tanks. When I am finished using them, I just rinse them out and dry them with a hand towel. Over at the community college they use the plastic Patterson tanks, and they never look clean. Always some residue. I am not sure why. Maybe the chemicals stick better to plastic than they do to stainless steel.

Perhaps some do not know that a simple rinse does not remove surfactants and other chemical residues completely. It took me a while to learn.

mshchem · Jul 10, 2022

Dishwasher with typical small dose of powder detergent should get rid of any gelatin. I would not do this more than necessary. Also keep everything on the top rack. The drying element at the bottom of a dishwasher is a calrod that is so hot it can and does melt plastic.

Dishwashers are brutal when too much cleaner is used, so alkaline it will etch glass.

If a simple cleaning/bleach as others have suggested doesn't resolve the problem, buy new reels

Paul Howell · Jul 10, 2022

After I posted this AM I decided it was time to clean my Patterson reels, baking soda, bleach, stained but clean.

John Salim · Jul 10, 2022

I don't think Paterson tanks would survive dishwasher temperatures !

John S

MattKing · Jul 10, 2022

John Salim said:
I don't think Paterson tanks would survive dishwasher temperatures !

John S

Paterson reels survive dishwasher temperatures very well. So do the AP/Arista Premium/Samigon clones.
By the way, I haven't seen an uncovered drying element at the bottom of a dishwasher for decades.
I still use the top racks though for my infrequent, dishwasher reel cleaning efforts.

mshchem · Jul 10, 2022

MattKing said:
Paterson reels survive dishwasher temperatures very well. So do the AP/Arista Premium/Samigon clones.
By the way, I haven't seen an uncovered drying element at the bottom of a dishwasher for decades.
I still use the top racks though for my infrequent, dishwasher reel cleaning efforts.

Yep, usually under a guard of sorts. Same is true with auto defrost refrigerator freezer, counter intuitive but calrod is fixed to the refrigerator evaporator, several hundred watts to melt ice on the coil. Every now and then the terminator fails and you have a incandescent rod that leads to a bad situation.

Part of the problem when you heat, or steam a plastic part is the molded in stresses get relief and the part warps.

I have no problems with black and white chemistry, I do use a proper dilution of Photoflo in RO water, film on the reel.

Biggest issue I've seen are very ancient Paterson reels, older plastic resins, and tar from E4, E6 Color Developer.

Michel Hardy-Vallée · Jul 10, 2022

I always rinse my Paterson reels in hot tap water, sometimes I fill the sink to make sure they get fully submerged and I go my merry way, but I never had any gunk stick to them.

JerseyDoug · Jul 10, 2022

I just give my stainless tanks and reels, plastic graduates and funnels, etc. a quick rinse under the tap and leave them to air dry on a small dish rack in an 8x10 developing tray on the top shelf of a closet. No liquids touch any of the gear except developer, fixer and water - no stop bath and no Photo-Flo or equivalent ever. And no issues after 20+ years following this procedure.

Hilo · Jul 11, 2022

Combina plastic tanks and reels since 1978: 1 reel, 2 reels and 5 reels tanks. I use the 2 reels tank mostly. But also the others. Rodinal, stop, fix and photoflo.

After the fix, the reels go into a 5 liter measuring cup with water of 20 degrees, the same temperature as the chemicals. For a while the films just sit there because I wash the tanks and their tops right away with water of 20 degrees or warmer. No soap. I put them to dry and concentrate on the washing.

After 40+ years the tanks and the reels still look like new.

hoffy · Jul 16, 2022

Thanks to those who suggested ways to clean my reels. I have just finished a routine of 2table spoons of Bi-carb in 1L of hot water for 30 minutes, then 100ml of bleach in 1L of cold water for 30 mins then rinse. This included reels, centre column, tank and funnel.

I'll see how it goes when I next process (probably next weekend). My plan now is to use an old tank for photoflo and final rinsing. Hopefully this will see a reduction in foaming.

Thoroughly cleaning tanks and reels

hoffy

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Thoroughly cleaning tanks and reels

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