# How to remove Water Spots?



## Queen of Spades (Jun 9, 2010)

Hello!
    So I have my own lab now, not as full-o-stuff like the one in college. Anyways, I am having issues with water spots drying on my film. So I tried photo-flo with my fingers (like the photo store folks said) and when I chekced it a few days later, my film had this sticky residue on it.  I can't find one of those cool inner-double-squeegee things, though I wonder if that would help. I'm thinking try a little low air hair-dryer next? 
Help!
Much Hope,
Annie


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## ann (Jun 9, 2010)

what ratio of photo-flo are you using? are you using distilled water? there should be no sticky residue on the negatives.

I would never suggest to anyone that they use squeeqee, fingers are fine.

a few drops of photo-flo, or LPN which imo is better in distilled water should be doing the trick.  Then hang the negatives in a dust free area. We used to use a clothing bag from the container store to protective negatives from dust until dry.


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## Sbuxo (Jun 9, 2010)

What we usually do is after the last water bath we put the reel in Photo-Flo and then run it through our index&middle finger once and hang the negatives immediately in the dryer. I've never had water spots yet.


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## kelli_anne (Jun 9, 2010)

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## kelli_anne (Jun 9, 2010)

I never use my fingures to remove photo flo. I simply pinched both ends of the film, stretched my arms out, one arm higher then the other and let it drip of the flim. The flew times I did use my fingures (when in a hurry) I ended up with water marks. This could be cause from water being on your hands and fingures. How do you hang them up to dry, if you clip them up, make sure your clips do not have water on them.


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## Sbuxo (Jun 9, 2010)

running it through your fingers once takes out excess water, never had a problem w/ water marks yet.


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## white (Jun 9, 2010)

Photo-flo is the last thing you do before drying, right? (Have to ask)

Like ann said, a few drops of photo-flo with distilled water. Sounds like you might have hard water. Also hanging the negs horizontally so the water has less distance to travel may help.

I've also never had any problems dipping my fingers in photo-flo and then squeegeeing.


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## Flash Harry (Jun 10, 2010)

You did leave them in the fixer long enough, sticky, is not good and photo-flo should be used very sparingly, 2 drops in a final wash with distilled water in the process tank, finger squeegy then hang in a dust free environment, all will be OK. h


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## Jeff Colburn (Jun 10, 2010)

Back in the day I just used a multiblade squeege (it kind of looked like kitchen tongs) and no Photoflo. We had hard water, and I almost never had water spots. For the few spots I did get I would breath on the film to get a little moisture on it, like you do to a window, and wiped it with a photo Chamois. The spots came right off with not damage to the negs. 

Have Fun,
Jeff


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## Derrel (Jun 10, 2010)

How to remove water spots? 

"Cascade! The dishwashing detergent that leaves no water spots." (Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

If your PhotoFlo solution has too much PhotFLo in it, it will leave streaks or spots. I have found that a very assiduosly maintained tank of PhotoFlo seemed to work better than adding it to the final rinse...seems like after a few hours, the bubbles pop and the PhotoFlo just simply works better, so I always preferred a separate "tank" of PhotoFLo that had a lid, and used that instead of adding it to the film washer.

Fingers seemed to work quite well for me, as opposed to the film squeegee thingies...I always found it was easier to just squeegee the film with my own hands rather than the squeegee tool.


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