Film drying in the bathroom took 4 tries to get right

Last month I hung a roll of HP5 to dry over the tub and ended up with dust specks baked into every frame. Turns out the shower steam from my roommate's morning routine was the culprit, it settled on the wet emulsion and ruined the negatives. I switched to drying in a closet with a fan running low for 90 minutes, zero dust now. Anyone else fight bathroom humidity for their film drying setup?

3 comments

3 Comments

milaw1411d ago

Actually, the bathroom might be the better spot if you time it right. That steam can keep dust from settling while the film dries, and my old setup in a closet gave me more static cling problems than moisture ever did. Fan airflow can push dust around too, so maybe your closet win is just luck of the draw.

xenaf519d agoMost Upvoted

Wait, is that actually why my closet setup keeps failing? Honestly, I've been blaming the room itself for years, but the static cling thing never even crossed my mind. I always figured a sealed space was the safest bet, but you're right about the airflow pushing stuff around, especially if the fan kicks on mid-dry. @the_emery, I get your water spot worry, but tbh my last bathroom attempt only went bad because I rushed it, not because of the humidity itself. Maybe the trick is waiting for the steam to clear a bit before you hang anything, so you get the dust control without the tacky film. I'm honestly rethinking my whole drying spot now, this changed my mind completely.

the_emery9d ago

Gonna have to disagree on the bathroom, man. Sure the steam settles dust, but you also get that humidity lingering on the film and it just makes things tacky. I've tried it twice, both times ended up with little water spots or the film sticking to itself. Closets aren't perfect either, but at least the lack of airflow means nothing's moving around when it counts.