Any technique for cleaning stained trays?

[John Kasaian]

Hello! I came across some cool old yellow kodak duraflex trays. I'd like to use them only they're badly stained with crusty reddish brown stuff. Is there any product you'd recommed for removing chemical stains? I tried PEC (because thats what I had) and it didn't do a thing. What would you try? Thanks!

[domenico Foschi]

If the reddish brown stuff is selenium, i have no idea, but in case is developer, i would try ferry. Even household pwdered bleach should help.

[chi cheung]

If it is developer stain, try Lysol Toilet Bowl cleaner. I learn it from an one hour machine maintanence technician. works for me pretty good.

[Tim Curry]

Bleach in solution first, then a powdered cleanser and some elbow grease.

[John Cook]

Many moons ago, I used a prepared tray cleaner which was a dark red liquid. Just poured it into the tray and waited a while. No scrubbing. Probably very toxic stuff. Just did a quick web search and found nothing. B&H has Kodak commercial cleaner as a special order. Perhaps the tree-huggers got after the makers of real tray cleaner.

Chi Cheung is correct that the Lysol toilet cleaner in the tall aerosol can is a commercial machine favorite. Not sure about old developer stains. But it's nice to keep a can under the darkroom sink. Makes me feel secure.

I have had great success with liquid bleach. But keep it away from hypo in unvented areas. The two are supposed to combine and release some sort of lethal chloride or chlorine gas. I'm not a chemist, nor do I play one on tv.

I would definitely avoid gritty powdered cleanser like Comet, which will surely scratch the tray surface. A darkroom favorite for this used to be powdered BonAmi (with the picture of the tiny newborn chick = hasn't scratched yet).

[Gem Singer]

Hi John Kasaian,

Get hold of a can of Lysol Disinfectant spray. Try it on your trays. It worked for me when other cleaners failed to remove the red selenium toner stain that appeared on my toning tray, as well as on the bathroom tub and surrounding tile. If it doesn't work on your trays, you can still use it for disinfecting the bathroom. What do you have to loose?

[Chad Jarvis]

Bleach. 1/4 cup to a gallon of water. Let it soak for a couple hours. Rinse thoroughly.

[John Kasaian]

Thank you all for the ideas! The Lysol did the trick---I had to let it soak for 20-30 minutes and rinse with water, and how that Kodak yellow sparkled! Hot dog!

[kthompson]

fwiw--the red stuff that John mentions was probably edwal tray & tank cleaner.

[John Cook]

You're right again, d.k. Thanks for refreshing my memory. Yucky stuff which worked great.