(I meant "Some." Is there no way to edit headers?) [Fixed! --Oren]
By early photographic training, as well as idiosyncrasy, I have always been meticulous in the darkroom, keeping anything wet off the dry side (or area, when one counter and no sink was all I had) and scrupulously handling and cleaning up chemistry. As follows logically, I was never one for printing without tongs, though we had to at college. I rinsed a lot and kept a fresh towel. (I remember cringing repeatedly years ago, watching Fred Picker's excellent printing video. He kept going from hand-developing his prints and then returning to the dry side, as if directly from the fixer, with not even a mention of getting the fixer off his hands. Yes, it was a video, which cut from scene to scene, in between which he unquestionably washed and dried his hands carefully, but as a training video...)
Anyway, as in the kitchen, where baking soda is a super, non-abrasive cleaner (great on stainless steel and enamel; chemically, it turns grease into a soap, I've read), I keep a box handy at my darkroom sink -- top off and lying on its side for easy access. I long ago picked up the habit of sniffing my fingers for, chemicals when processing. Since a baking soda solution can be used as a fixer-remover bath, I trust that, beside its deodorizing properties, it also helps keep me from transferring fixer residue (fixer clings to fingers as well as paper fibers, it seems) to my towel and wet side equipment. If my fingers fail the sniff test, a quick dip, rub, and rinse are all it takes.
If one of our chemistry experts happens to read this and has a correction to make, feel free. Otherwise, I offer it as a tip to beginners and others who may be interested.
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