Cleaning Mounted Slides

[PC4]

Just uncovered some of my large collection of mounted 35mm slides and dispite them being in plastic storage sheets some damp has got in and some have gone mouldy.
Any ideas on how I can clean them safely without damaging the pictures?

[daggerfan]

I've never tried it but PEC-12 photographic emulsion cleaner was always the recommended product to go for back in my slide days. Success may be hit and miss depending on amount of mould.

[PC4]

Thanks Daggerfan for the info, I tried the internet but always clearer to get someones experiance.

[mustang5861]

For over 40 years, both personally and professionally (for publishers), I have used lighter fuel applied with cotton-buds, with the latter then used to gently clean away anything on the slide. The fuel evaporates very quickly, so there isn't the additional problem of stains on the slide surface from the liquid itself. If necessary I then use a blower-brush to get rid of any strands of cotton that may have come off the cotton-bud. Easy-peasy; works every time.

[paddyboy]

I can certainly vouch for what Mustang says re: the lighter fuel trick

[Wiltshire-Dave]

Slides will clean well but if the mould has attacked the emulsion then cleaning may not help - depends on the level of damage, hope yours will be ok. I lost a set to mould a few years back and then spent hours in Photoshop repairing the damage so at least I managed to keep a copy of the images if not the originals. Will keep it all crossed for you

Dave

[KeBul]

Depending how bad they are I would recommend scanning first and then cleaning - thus if things don't go well with the clean at least you have something half decent scanned.

I use Lasersoft Imaging's Silverfast scan software, which does a pretty good job of digitally cleaning up (so much so, it's rare I resort to physical cleaning).

Here's a post I made a while back with some cleaning info...

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=224235&p=1443205#p1443205

One thing I would emphasise is speed in cleaning, once you've made the emulsion wet it can start to get sticky and then you're in a world of pain with fibres stuck into the emulsion. So get in there and complete your swabbing as quick a possible.

Kev

[Archer]

I went to a local photo specialist a couple of weeks ago with this same question. I ended up buying a small bottle of FC50 Film Cleaner from a company called fotospeed.com. I have cleaned a few slides by taking them out of the mount, brushing the cleaner on and wiping it clean in one go (if possible) with a microfiber cloth. It worked quite well for me for a couple of nicotine stained slides.