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Isopropyl alcohol for cleaning negatives?
Hi,
Is isopropyl alcohol safe for cleaning negatives?
I need something that helps me to clean finger marks from some negatives. One tip that I had given was use of isopropyl alcohol. But how is the safety?
I don't want to ruin these negatives.
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Yes, it is very good, and at present times, it is the easiest product to be found on the market.
But be aware, there is a very little amount of water in it, about 1 to 2 %.
After a wile, the alcohol evaporates and the percentage will change in favour of the water.
Do NOT drink it...
Good luck,
Philippe
"...If you can not stand the rustle of the leafs, then do not go in to the woods..."
(freely translated quote by Guido Gezelle)
PS: English is only my third language, please do forgive me my sloppy grammar...
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You need to ensure you buy the 99% pure isopropyl as opposed the more common 70%. The 70% tends to leave smears on the negatives and because it takes longer to dry, is more prone to attract dust as opposed to the 90%. I buy harder (i.e. cheaper) Q-Tips, dip in a capful of alcohol and then rub gently to remove fingerprints, loose dust and waterspots. Most drugstores have the 99% whereas the 70% can be bought at Wal-Mart, grocery stores, convenience stores, etc. The good part is the price, I think I paid under $5 for a 700ml bottle.
Once a photographer is convinced that the camera can lie and that, strictly speaking, the vast majority of photographs are "camera lies," inasmuch as they tell only part of a story or tell it in a distorted form, half the battle is won. Once he has conceded that photography is not a "naturalistic" medium of rendition and that striving for "naturalism" in a photograph is futile, he can turn his attention to using a camera to make more effective pictures.
Andreas Feininger
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I can vouch for the alcohol and qtip cleaning idea. Done it just the other day. No ill affects for me but test first on a negative you dont care about of course :-)
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 Originally Posted by Usagi  Is isopropyl alcohol safe for cleaning negatives? I have had the best results with a product called "PEC-12" - made for cleaning negatives. It is a pretty high-powered solvent, but it does not penetrate and soften the gelatin and fingerprints almost 'float' off so no rubbing is required. They also make a completely non-abrasive "PEC-wipe".
I have scratched negatives with Q-Tips and alcohol - I cleaned for too long with too much pressure. You find out how much is 'too long and too hard' only 'too late'.
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I usually use a clean microfibre cloth and high purity IPA.
BTW, you can really speed up neg drying time by using a bath of 50/50 water and IPA for a couple of minutes. I believe it is an old newspaper shooter's trick. It's apparently not recommended for general use, but on the films I've used it on, I've had no ill effects.
Lens caps and cable releases can become invisible at will. :D
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Originally Posted by Kevin Kehler You need to ensure you buy the 99% pure isopropyl as opposed the more common 70%. The 70% tends to leave smears on the negatives and because it takes longer to dry, is more prone to attract dust as opposed to the 90%. I buy harder (i.e. cheaper) Q-Tips, dip in a capful of alcohol and then rub gently to remove fingerprints, loose dust and waterspots. Most drugstores have the 99% whereas the 70% can be bought at Wal-Mart, grocery stores, convenience stores, etc. The good part is the price, I think I paid under $5 for a 700ml bottle. I have found a residue with even the 90% isopropyl alcohol (may be brand dependent). The Kodak film cleaner does not leave a residue for me.
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Some brands of isopropyl alcohol have oils and other addatives to make them undrinkable. The best bet is 95% ethyl alcohol, Everclear.
DIGITAL IS FOR THOSE AFRAID OF THE DARK.
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Originally Posted by ic-racer I have found a residue with even the 90% isopropyl alcohol (may be brand dependent). The Kodak film cleaner does not leave a residue for me. None of my local camera shops carry the Kodak, for which I have heard nothing but good results. I use the 99% isopropyl alcohol because it's available and I haven't had a problem with reside although some dusty waterspots are more resilient than I am willing to scrub.
Once a photographer is convinced that the camera can lie and that, strictly speaking, the vast majority of photographs are "camera lies," inasmuch as they tell only part of a story or tell it in a distorted form, half the battle is won. Once he has conceded that photography is not a "naturalistic" medium of rendition and that striving for "naturalism" in a photograph is futile, he can turn his attention to using a camera to make more effective pictures.
Andreas Feininger
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