mutrock

Your slides did not get damp. They were treated with an organic sealant when they were first processed by the photo lab. The sealant, being an organic substance turned out to be a wonderful food for mold. Everyone who has old slides has the problem, including National Geographic. I cleaned 100's of them a few years back. The cleaning process does not remove all of the mildew but gets at most of it. The rest I had to photoshop out when i digitized the slides. The process consists of removing the slides from their jackets, swishing them around for a short time in a cleaning solution, dipping them into a Kodak drying solution that prevents water spots, and then hanging them to dry and finally putting them into new jackets. Very tedious. I forget the solution but it included denatured alcohol and amonia. I have attached a link to the website that has the process I used. http://arstechnica.com/civis/viewtopic.php?t=808088

gmw12 Loc: Indianapolis & Windsor/UK & Montreux/Switzerl

You should NOT approach the slides with a cloth. There may be cleaning liquids around to try but since the mildew always attacks the emulsion, any rubbing would destroy the emulsion.

PhotoArtsLA Loc: Boynton Beach

There is a somewhat pricey cleaning solution, PEC-12, which is a tremendous film cleaner often used by museums. You must combine it with appropriately scratch free wipes, which, as it happens, PEC-12 also offers.

http://www.amazon.com/Photgraphic_Solutions-795122010111-Photographic-Emulsion-Cleaner/dp/B00009R72R

http://www.amazon.com/PEC-PAD-Lint-Free-Wipes-100per/dp/B0001M6K24/ref=pd_bxgy_p_img_y

JCam Loc: MD Eastern Shore

I have used TSP (Tri-Sodium-Phosphosate) detergent on many things; it not only removes the mildew but also kills the spores but have never used it on slides. If they don't have the paper frames, you might try making up a mild solution, soaking them, and rinse well, but try it on an unimportant test slide first.

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

Even though they may seem to be dry, there might be some remnant moisture at the mildew/film interface. So step one is to dry them fully and carefully. Then try a very soft camels hair brush to dislodge the mildew solids. I used to have a brush with an air squirter rubber bulb. The emulsion side will be more difficult than the shiny side. This approach will be time consuming, so useful on only your more valued slides.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

GREAT LINK! I'd forgotten about the lacquer used on old Kodachromes, but that is absolutely correct. DO be careful if you use formaldehyde! It is dangerous stuff and should be handled in a well ventilated area while using protective gloves.

The advice about not using water-based cleaners is sound. PEC 12, mentioned here as well, and the Edwal cleaner I mentioned, are both safe film cleaners.

Working with slides is a PITA. I was a multi-image producer in the 1980s, and don't miss cleaning four glass surfaces and two film surfaces for every slide in a 960-slide show before taking it on the road!

cmc65

I want to thank everyone who offered advise on this thread. The take away I think is that I should start with a chemical and not water, slow and easy. I feel far more confident now that I can salvage some of the more important slides after the holidays when I can set up a work flow and spend the time. This forum is wonderful for the wealth of experience it holds. Thank you all again.