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Isopropyl alcohol, what percent?

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  • Isopropyl alcohol, what percent?

    I’ve seen a lot of comments that mention using isopropyl alcohol (aka rubbing alcohol or IPA) for cleaning film. Does it matter what percent concentration it is? Pharmacies local to me carry 70% and 91%, and I can get 99% on Amazon. Anything else I should be aware of when selecting isopropyl alcohol?

  • #2
    98% Isopropyl Alcohol

    Ordinary rubbing alcohol will create streaks on the surface, so stay away from it. Make sure the product doesn’t include any substances that might harm your negatives. You can purchase a higher concentration from a hardware shop or a petrol station. However, do not soak your film in alcohol since this may cause the emulsion to burn.​
    source: https://everpresent.com/how-to-clean-negatives/

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    • #3
      Hi Justin.
      Welcome to the fourm.
      You need to use the highest alcohol content possible 99.9%. All of the lower percentage levels contain water, and this will leave streaks on the film. The higher percentage of alcohol means that it will evaporate almost instantaneously, leaving no streaks.
      Another good film cleaner is carbon tetrachloroethylene ( dry cleaning fluid ) but this needs to be used in a well ventilated room.

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      • #4
        And don't leave it unstopperd for long as it will absorb water from the air!!

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