How To Clean Old Black And White Negatives

Download Article

Download Article

Whether you lot're using negatives to create photographic prints or preserving them for archival purposes, you lot need to know how to make clean them properly and store them safely. Grit and mold are just two things that will cause flaws in photographs or lead to long-term harm. To properly care for your negatives, it'due south important to effectively tackle easily removable substances, such as dust, and more harmful substances similar mold.

1. 1

   Wearable make clean cotton or nylon gloves. Gloves will proceed boosted fingerprints off your negatives. Brand sure the gloves are free of lint and grit. This will prevent your negatives from getting scratched during the cleaning process. You lot tin can buy these gloves in your local photography supply shop.^[1]

2. 2

   Employ a dry antistatic fabric. Static attracts grit, and then it's important to avoid other kinds of cloths. The cloth should be soft and clean. Softness and cleanliness volition protect your negatives from scratches. Anti-static cloths are available at photography supply stores.^[two]

   Advertisement

3. 3

   Clean the negatives. Have the textile in your dominant paw. Drape it over your palm and fingers. Partially close your hand to class a C. Concord each negative in your non-dominant hand. Gently rub the negative over the cloth until information technology's free of dust.^[3]

4. 4

   Spray the negatives with antistatic film cleaner. If the cloth didn't practice the play a joke on, spray one squirt of cleaner onto a nonabrasive antistatic cloth. Gently move the cloth over the surface of the negative. Use calorie-free dorsum-and-forth strokes until all dust, watermarks, and/or fingerprints are gone. The cleaner will dry immediately. You can buy it at your local photography supply store.^[4]

   • Antistatic motion-picture show cleaner emits potent, potentially toxic, fumes. Make sure your workspace is well ventilated. Wear a mask for extra protection.^[5]

   Advertisement

1. 1

   Purchase 98 per centum isopropyl alcohol. Avoid regular rubbing alcohol from the medicine cabinet, which volition leave streaks on the surface. Make sure the product is gratis of additives, which could damage your negatives. You lot tin buy a higher concentration at the hardware store or at the gas station.

   • If you lot're shopping at the gas station, 98 percent isopropyl alcohol might be sold equally "dry gas."

2. two

   Find a well-ventilated space. Isopropyl alcohol in high concentrations emits fumes. Work in a room with an open window. If possible, place a fan in the window and so that it faces the outside. This will draw fumes out of your workspace.^[6]

3. 3

   Moisture a cotton wool ball or static-gratuitous cloth with the alcohol. Later putting on your gloves, uncap the booze. Place the cotton ball or cloth over the top of the bottle. Turn the bottle upside downward for about a 2d. Return the bottle to an upright position and supercede its cap.

4. iv

   Wipe the negative. Holding the negative in your dominant paw. Apply your other hand to make clean the surface. Move in a gentle back-and-along motion until the gunk is completely gone. Allow the negative to air dry.

   Advertisement

1. 1

   Place negatives in protective containers. These can be acrid-costless paper sleeves or polyethylene pocket pages. In one case yous've sorted your negatives, store them in fire-proof metallic slide boxes. You lot can purchase all of these at your local photography supply store.^[seven]

2. 2

   Store the negatives in a cool location. Heat can discolor and disfigure negatives. Cull a room with an ambient temperature no higher than lxx °F (21 °C). Keep the negatives away from heat sources such equally vents, radiators, and windows receiving directly sunlight.

   • For gimmicky color negatives, the temperature should be no higher than 40 °F (4 °C).^[8]

3. 3

   Control the storage room humidity. Humidity can trigger the growth of mold and rust. Too much moisture in the temper tin can lead to watermarks on the negatives. Don't allow the relative humidity to rise above xxx-forty per centum. If your negatives are heirlooms or antiques, you should consider investing in a hygrometer, which measures ambient humidity.^[9]

   Advertisement

Add together New Question

• Question

  Some of my dad'southward WWII 35mm negatives have gotten very, very wet. Tin I salvage these irreplacable images?

  

  The Library of Congress has an informative video and detailed instructions that might help you out. Scroll down about midway to become to the "Photographs and Negatives" subheading. The site also links to pages and PDFs from historical societies and museums. Good luck!

Enquire a Question

200 characters left

Include your e-mail accost to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

Thank you for submitting a tip for review!

• Avoid using canned air to clean your negatives. Even if y'all don't shake the can, it can yet eject liquid, which tin damage the negative. Canned air also contains chemicals that tin damage your negatives beyond repair.^[10]

Advertizement

Things Y'all'll Need

• Cotton gloves
• Soft, static-free cloths
• Static-free moving picture cleaner
• 98% isopropyl alcohol
• Protective sleeves
• Metal slide box

Well-nigh This Commodity

Article Summary X

To clean negatives that take accumulated dust, fingerprints, or watermarks, start past putting on make clean cotton wool or nylon gloves to keep additional fingerprints off the negatives. Adjacent, gently wipe the negative with a dry anti-static fabric, which you tin can become at photography supply stores. If the material solitary doesn't do the trick, spray one eject of anti-static movie cleaner onto the cloth and wipe the negative over again using light dorsum-and-forth strokes until the surface looks make clean. If you're dealing with dirt, rust, or mold, try wiping the negatives with a cotton ball dampened with 98 percent isopropyl alcohol. For tips on preventing future dirt and damage, read on!

Did this summary help you?

Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 76,893 times.

Did this article help you?

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Clean-Negatives

Posted by: wilsonliche1953.blogspot.com

Share this post