I used Kodak's Photo-Flo some years ago. When I ran out I never could remember to go get more. The power station where I work used a non-ionic surfactant for some resin cleaning and I used it for a while until I got what looked like fungal growth occuring in the soap. I have since been using a few drops of Joy or Dove or any liquid detergent I could lay my hands on. Any suggestions on which liquid detergent would work best. It's easier for my wife to remember to pick it up at Walmart than for me to remember to get Photo-Flo at the photographic supply store.

-- Don Eastman (deastman@ipa.net), August 03, 1999

Answers

The best product on the market is Edwal LFN (low-foam wetting agent). I wouldn't use anything else for this purpose.

-- Ed Buffaloe (edbuffaloe@unblinkingeye.com), August 04, 1999.

I've heard of different soaps and detergents being used for wetting agents. However, I'd stick to products specifically for photography as drying streaks and spots can ruin an irreplaceable negative.

Photo-flo is not expensive since you only use a drop for a roll of film. My last bottle lasted for about 5 years. Another recommendation is to use distilled water for your final rinse with a drop of photo-flo. Soak the film for a couple of minutes in distilled water and photo-flo(or edwal)and then hang without wiping. You can minimize the use of distilled water (which you wife can get at the grocery store) by using 8 oz or just enough to cover a single 35mm reel and one drop of wetting agent and then soaking several reels of film, one at a time. Don't try to save this and reuse it. I tried and had problems.

-- Gene Crumpler (nikonguy@worldnet.att.net), August 04, 1999.

I have used Photo Flo for 20 -30 years and only recently took a good look at the actual instructions. We were all taught to use a "drop" to the final wash and let it soak for a minute or so. Most of the time I had some dryining problems, of course on the neg that mattered most. Anyway PF is on my bottle 1:200 which for a 120 roll is 3ml to 600ml of water. Far more than "a drop". I experimented with ways of mixing the PF and water and foumd a syringe allowed accurate measuring and I could then squirt the PF into the water by putting the syringe under the water and not introducing air [thus bubbles/foam]. I then, with the syringe still under the water suck water into and out of the syringe 3-4 times which mixes the PF and water. There will be little or no foam on the water. Next return the film reel [with negs] gently to the mixture gently turn it once or twice and let it sit for about 1 - 1.5 minutes. Remove the film clip it and hang to dry. I think my problems with PF were too little and too much agitation, causing streaks etc. Hope this is of some interest. Regards Steve Nicholls [Adelaide Australia]

-- Steve Nicholls (gl1500@chariot.net.au), August 04, 1999.

I've switched to Edwal LFN...only one drop and no foam! Spic n span negs all the way. No other choice.

Actually, all you're doing is breaking the surface tension of the water and any soap will do, but you need a really clean substance for negatives...I just find LFN to be about the cleanest. For some reason, soapy products seem to attract air born dust. LFN doesn't.

-- Todd Frederick (fredrick@hotcity.com), August 08, 1999.

I put Photo-Flo in an eyedropper bottle and use 1 drop per 2oz of distilled water, one shot.

-- Tim Brown (brownt@ase.com), August 09, 1999.

I would only use PhotoFlo or LFN on negatives. They are VERY hard to replace.

But if you really want to use household materials, realize that most all of the liquid detergent products use teh same basic surfactants. But they add color dyes, fragerance, and other junk. Woolite is supposed to be pure detergent (with water of course).

-- Terry Carraway (TCarraway@compuserve.com), August 09, 1999.