Developing in the Kitchen or Bathroom?

[ibcrewin]

I finally convinced my wife that it's perfectly safe to develop film in an apartment with two young children. Whoo hoo!

If I develop my films in the Bathroom, I end up using the sink where we brush our teeth wash hands etc. If I develop film in the Kitchen it's in the food prep area. Any suggestions on which is a better venue? I was using a community darkroom before so it didn't matter!

What can I do about cleaning spilled fixer/developer safely? I keep telling my wife that The Clorox spray is probably more toxic that developer or fixer. Is that true or at least somewhat true? I'll be souping my film late at night when the girls are fast asleep so if I make a mess I'll have sometime to clean it up properly. I just want to know how.

Thanks!

 

[Gumby]

Bathroom. Probably easier to make light-tight. Also, easier to clean after your darkroom session - less risk of food contamination.

(p.s. it is a rare night that my boys are "fast asleep" when I want to do something "adult". Maybe your girls are different, but I wouldn't bet money on it. Good luck!)

 

[ibcrewin]

Well I'm not printing in the kitchen.. Just souping the negs..

 

[bmattock]

Kitchen sink - you have more room to move. I do mine in a kitchen of a house I share with 4 roommates. I begin by cleaning all the counters, scrubbing out the sink, etc. Then I process my film, and while my negs are rinsing, I put all the equipment in the dishwasher. When the last neg is hung and drying, I scrub out the sink and countertops again, and I'm done.

You can always tell someone to hang on if they need to use the kitchen sink while you're counting down seconds to pouring out your dev. You might have a harder time doing that in the bathroom...hehehe.

But seriously, the kitchen for me. I presume you are using a changing bag like me and making the room dark is not an issue.

 

[Gumby]

sure, but at some point you'll need total darkeness to load reels. unless you are using a changing bag/tent.

 

[cosmonot]

I do mine in the kitchen, but I have a stainless steel sink that is big enough to hold all of the "wet" stuff. Tanks, bottles, graduates, etc. all stay in the sink. Leaving a bottle of developer/fixer somewhere where a kid could get to it is probably the most dangerous part of the whole procedure, since I don't do a lot of food prep inside my sink anyway. But then, I don't have kids and I'm the only one that cooks in my kitchen, so I don't have to worry about what anyone else says 😉

The jobo is going to get set up in a bathroom though. No space anywhere else, and my basement laundry room adjoins my workshop, so it's not exactly the cleanest place in the house. Grinder slag and sawdust would probably ruin it, and my film, pretty quickly.

 

[foto_fool]

Kitchen - just put away or cover any wood cutting boards unless you want your next chopped veggies to taste like sulfur.

 

[bmattock]

sure, but at some point you'll need total darkeness to load reels. unless you are using a changing bag/tent.

Right - I do. When you live in a 9x12 room, you learn to conserve space.

 

[Gumby]

thanks, but my comment was in response to post #3. we hit the 'enter' button at the same time.

 

[Sjixxxy]

Kitchen sink - you have more room to move. I do mine in a kitchen of a house I share with 4 roommates. I begin by cleaning all the counters, scrubbing out the sink, etc. Then I process my film, and while my negs are rinsing, I put all the equipment in the dishwasher. When the last neg is hung and drying, I scrub out the sink and countertops again, and I'm done.

I'd take that anyday over my last string of roomates who's kitchen sink policy is to just fill it to the point where I can't even draw water from it, and then bitch & cry when I ask them to please do their damned dishes.

 

[PATB]

After months of using a community darkroom, I also finally convinced my wife that processing negatives at home won't kill the kids. After 10 rolls, I discovered a potential problem that no one but me has noticed: the Ilford Rapid Fixer stinks. I have cleaned the bathroom where I process my rolls and the fixer smell still lingers.

My "solution" is to try a) the Clayton odorless fixer, which I just ordered yesterday from Freestyle or b) do all the mixing and pouring of fixer outside the house.

Just FYI.

 

[BigSteveG]

Kitchen is best. Just make sure to tightly cap all containers when not filling/pouring.

 

[lns]

I have three kids. I develop the film in the kitchen, but I store the chemicals in a room in the basement on a high shelf. I have separate cleaning sponges and a drying rack for the tanks and graduates and stuff, so the film development equipment never mixes with food, dishes or utensils at all. I also develop at night, clean all the processing equipment as soon as I've done and put it away first thing in the morning. I wipe the sink and counter down with cleaner afterwards, using paper towels because I can throw them away. And I use x-tol or rodinal mostly, because those seem pretty harmless. I think most people have worse stuff under their sink already anyway. The biggest thing I would worry about if your kids are young is keeping the chemicals inaccessible.

 

[fbf]

I lock everything in the basement bathroom and I am the only one who has the access. but it does STINKs, I mean really...

 

[John Noble]

I develop film in the kitchen with no worries: just keep everything in the stainless steel sink and scrub it after I'm done. I stay away from pyro developers and don't use toner due to toxicity concerns. D-76, stop bath, and fixer aren't as bad as, say, Easy-Off.

I make prints in our downstairs half bath and dry them on the dining room table. No worries there, either.

My woodworking and metalworking tools are a lot more dangerous to my two young children than any of my photo gear or chemicals!

 

[mrb]

Laundry room sink. It's one of those big cast concrete monsters. As long as nobody's washing clothes, it's definitely the right place in my house.

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Basement kitchen (yep, gotta kitchen in the basement, complete with stove and sink). It's the safest and more private spot in the house.

Hence, if you have access to a basement or laundry room, ibcrewin, use that instead. No risk for the family means peace in the home front. 🙂

 

[Holmz]

I would recommend NOT using PYRO.

While I am not Jewish I have been in some Kosher kitchens, where different utinsels and cutting boards are used for meat etc.

You will want you kitchen to be like a Kosher kitchen and NOT be contaminated with chemicals. I would not store any chemicals in the kitchen either - it would be just asking for trouble.

I would choose the toilet over the kitchen or bathroom sinks.

 

[Ducky]

A, No kids living at home
B, Two bathrooms
Seems a no-brainer, I use the second bathroom. I keep the small amounts of D-76 and Fixer under the bathroom sink in a black plastic bag with the doors closed.
The counter is covered with a plastic bag and a designated towel when I working.
Spool loading is done in a (sort of) changing tent. No need for the bathroom to be dark.

 

[nikon_sam]

Downstair's bathroom is the official "Darkroom"...I develop film in there and also print...
I sometimes use the kitchen sink to mix chemicals in powder form, once they become liquid they get mixed in the bathroom...will also use the kitchen sink to rinse off stuff...only because it's bigger and easier to do there...
I have the downstairs hall closet to store most of my camera gear and darkroom chemicals...the kids are old enough to know what's there and for the most part don't even go in there...
Clean up is no big concern...I have two big bags of terry-cloth type towels and use them to wipe down the counter when done...if i miss something there will be a white spot there when it dries...
Personal note: Don't get Fixer in your nose...trust me on this...