Apparently I am not experienced enough. While reading Digital Camera magazine. I came across a suggestion for preping photos and film to be scanned. Among the magazines suggestions was to remove dust from the film was towet the film in water and then wipe it lightly with a cloth then let it dry. ALSO, and this is what attracted my attention, they suggested soaking PRINTED pictures in water them wiping them with a cloth to remove lint ect. Next to the suggestion was a picture of a bowel of soapy water and a cloth! I always avoided getting my photos wet. Because they often develop water marks. Which smudge when I try to remove them. While I know that pictures were once wet when they were printed. I'm not sure that the magazine gave a good suggestion. The magazines only caveat was not to let the pictures soak too long as they could fade. Whats the lowdown for this washing of scanned film and printed pictures. Is there something to it or should I just stick to my present method of blowing them with air or wiping away dus with a soft -relatively lint free - cloth? Also does anyone know of any sure fire tricks to remove grain say from a 400ASA film picture. I have some that I think could be really nice HOWEVER there is a grain problem. Bsteph

Sounds sort of extreme. Perhaps they mean when the materials have been REALLY abused; like with peanut butter and jelly fingerprints? I don't think washing of (conventional) photo materials would cause a major problem. However I'd hesitate with very old photos with cracked emulsion. Maybe we have a museum expert somewhere? The "soapy water" was a clue. Most clear shampoos will work like a wetting agent (as with Photo Flow), so any drops film out and leave no water spots. [BTW, an old trick to print scratched negatives was to dip them in wetting agent and print them WET. Don't think I'd like to run this through my LS-1000....] I'd say, if your less extream methods (with well preserved materials) work, continue to be gentle with them. Get rid of grain? I like grain.

Did they mention DISTILLED water? Did they say that ANY kind of SOAP is ok? Did they mention the special wetting solutions to use in negative washing? I've done darkroom work -- Do you know how easily airborn dust sticks to wet emultion? Did you say "wet the film in water and then WIPE it...with a CLOTH"?? Do whatever you want with a PRINT. It's just a print. I have succesfully washed PRINTS with my hands in regular water and a infintessimal amount of liquid dish soap (never wipe wet emultion with a cloth!), but It's a PRINT. This writer is OUT OF HIS MIND to suggest that you mess with your negatives like that. Negative emulsion is extremely delicate when wet. It is a crime - ablsolute sabotage - to advise this. I can hardly believe this. Is somebody JOKING here? (!) Joe

I'll have to take a look. As I recall it was called DIGITAL CAMERA! Uh all I can say is that it was a European Magazine. I'll check again maybe I missread things. But it's hard to mistake a bowel with sudse in it! Bsteph

Well I checked. I WAS WRONG. The magazine was Digital Photography Made Easy. It was European magazine. Which cam with a free cd containing several programs. There was a picture of a bowel with sudse in it. They had suggested a few drops of dish detergent emersing the print into the water and glently wiping it with a towel for those stubborn thing which cling to the print. They also did mention putting the film into water and glently wiping it. But letting it dry in a area safe from dust or hands. I don't know what to say about this mag it otherwise seemed alright. But I think to suggest to people who are starting out with digital photography to essentially wash ones prints with soap and water, if a speck does not come of with gently DRY wiping or blowing upon it, is a bit extreme. Which is why I asked. I would submit photos but I messed them up sorry. Bsteph

I would not recommend soaking negatives or prints in water. Negatives are extremely delicate and sometimes, even the softest cloth would scratch them with ease, wich is particularly bad for film scanning. If you have negs or slides with fungus, I would suggest the use of "tri-cloretileno" (I don't know its name in english) wich is, by the way, extremely poisonous. Some kind of 60,s, 70's & 80's colour prints can totally fade when in contact to water.

Thanks for the information Claudio. If I'm correct you are referint to a chemical called Trichloro ethylene. Which probaly makes you "light headed if smelled" But if I'm correct and I could be wrong doesent it dissolve the film? Even better can you get the name and manufacturor from the label. I'm very courious what this is. Bsteph

When ever I wash my negatives, I use some fix with an ear cleaner thingie (name escapes me) and then dry off with a soft towel personally. as for pictures, I use water, lol.

"Swab", Slynk; "Swab".

Well, the product may be used with care. It does not dissolve the film (its basis), but small ammounts of product (applied with a cotonette) and gentle rubbing would be highly recomendable. I buy this product directly from a chemical shop, and in some countries it may be a controlled substance. Once I found a neg-cleaner based on this product, but can't remember the name.

Here is a link describing health and environment risks of trichloroethylene: http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts19.html I think Kodak used to bottle this as a negative cleaner, but can no longer find it. I would not think one would use any of these extreme washing techniques routenely. Try a brush or puff of air. [Has anyone ever found an "antistatic" brush that actually works?] Save the more aggressive stuff for something that is really grunged up.

Try antistatic guns. They used to be sold at record stores. A popular sold one in the us was Zerostat. I know they still produce them. http://www.2spi.com/catalog/photo/zerostat.html I've heard that it can also over charge things with charges of the oposite polarity. HOWEVER I use them at work with static sensitive equipment for roughly ten years and that has not been my experience. Thanks Claudiow. I managed to look up Trichloroethylene. Yup it linked to cancer as I suspected. Use it in a well ventilated room. However I also is linked to nervous system damabe and intestinal system damage. It's a doozy! Forthose who are interested it also has trade names of formulations: Algylen; Anamenth; Benzinol; Blacosolv; Blancosolv; Cecolene; Chlorilen; Chlorylea; Chorylen; Circosolv; Crawhaspol; Densinfluat; Dow-Tri; Dukeron; Fleck-Flip; Flock Flip; Fluate; Gemalgene; Germalgene; Lanadin; Lethurin; Narcogen; Narkogen; Narkosoid; Nialk; Perma-A-Chlor; Perm-A-Clor; Petzinol; Philex; Threthylen; Threthylene; Trethylene; Tri; Triad; Trial; Triasol; Trichloran; Trichloren; Triclene; Tri-Clene; Trielene; Trielin; Triklone; Trilen; Trilene; Triline; Trimar; Triol; TRI-plus; TRI-plus M; Vestrol; Vitran; Westrosol Thanks all for the info!!! Bsteph