nov1604 from Lloyd Erlick,

I'm suspicious of anything that touches my negatives. I
file mine (mostly 120 format with a bit of 35mm) in the
polyethylene pages meant to store in three ring
binders. I remain suspicious about the polyethylene,
but so far (thirty years) can detect no problems. There
were reports in the past about scratches from this type
of file, but I've had none.

As to liquid cleaners and pads, again I am suspicious.
For specific problems like something stuck to a
negative I use Kodak negative cleaner (no longer
available and probably replaceable by your PEC12). But
I hate to do it and am very careful about it. For
general dust control neg cleaning fluids are not
helpful.

I think the largest single factor in general dust
control is humidity. The relative humidity in the
environment of the negatives is crucial, and should be
in the so-called human comfort range. This is very
broadly defined, and a given individual might like it
dry or wet, but usually 40% to 60% relative humidity is
considered 'normal'. Relative humidity of fifty per
cent would be just fine for negatives (and prints, and
lenses, etc etc.). If it ranges or is allowed to range
from 40 to 60 over the course of the seasons that would
be fine too. I would prefer 45 to 55, but that might
cost money in some parts of the world, such as my home
in the summer. Toronto summers can be very humid, and a
dehumidifier might not be able to bring the level below
60% in some cases.

I find a container of compressed gas (I use a tank of
nitrogen) and a hand-held blower perfect for removing
most dust as long as the relative humidity in my
darkroom is appropriate. If it gets too dry, small dust
particles simply return to the scene of the crime as
soon as they are moved.

Dryness makes it impossible to remove dust, and fluids
and wipes will not change this (except for stuck and
embedded dust particles). If the fluid has a small
amount of water it might clear the static electrical
charge briefly, but I wouldn't want to be fooling with
my negs and water wiping. Humidity is much easier to
control.

Negatives (and prints) should be stored in an
environment that is never allowed to get too dry or too
wet.

I've pontificated on the subject of humidity management
for the darkroom. My website contains technical
articles, accessible through the table of contents.

regards,
--le