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Thread: Cleaning rubber tanks

  1. #1

    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Appleton, WI
    Posts
    3

    Cleaning rubber tanks

    I was given 3 kodak rubber tanks. They haven't been used in maybe 30 years. I need to clean them. Is there a reason I can't just use dishsoap? I can tell they did not have much use as there is no real chemical residue anywhere, just years of grime.

    Thanks,

    Bill

  2. #2

    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Los Angeles
    Posts
    811

    Re: Cleaning rubber tanks

    you might try muriatic acid and/or something really alkaline like diluted lye - depending on whether it was a dev or fixer tank... dish soap won't cut it if it's not simple grease.

  3. #3
    W K Longcor
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    New Jersey
    Posts
    310

    Re: Cleaning rubber tanks

    If it is just "grime" -- soap and water -- maybe a scotch-brite pad for scrubbing.
    If you think there is some old chemical remains -- here is an old trick, taught to me many years ago -- and it works wonderfully. Fill the tank with tap water ( NOT hot) and add some Saniflush toilet cleaner (It has been a few years -- I hope they still make the stuff ???) Let it bubble a while ( 15 minutes +/-) then dump ( put it in your toilet and get double use of the solution). Fill & dump three times with clear water. Done! You now have the freshest smelling developing tanks around. We used to do this on a monthy basis in a large roller transport graphic arts film processor. The place always smelled great -- until we opened up the fixer tanks!

  4. #4

    Re: Cleaning rubber tanks

    Cleaning tanks with stopbath will sometimes do the trick, but regular Kodak or Edwal tank and tray cleaner will work better.

  5. #5

    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Location
    SoCal
    Posts
    1,067

    Re: Cleaning rubber tanks

    When I got my Nova slot processor, it was black as heck. I used a bunch of Denture cleaning tablets overnight and did it for 2 nights. Then bleach. Now its minty white.

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