Hypo Clear

Overview

Fixer does not rinse out of an emulsion easily, especially in fibre paper where it soaks into the paper base. Left behind it slowly attacks the image, producing the yellow-brown staining and fading that ruins prints decades later.

Hypo clear — also sold as washing aid — is a sulfite solution that converts residual thiosulfate into compounds the wash water can remove far more readily. Two minutes in hypo clear can cut a fibre-paper wash from an hour to fifteen minutes, and a film wash from ten minutes to five.

It is not a substitute for washing. It is a shortcut through the slowest part of it. Use it after fixing and before the final wash, and still wash properly.

What it does well

• Cuts fibre-paper wash time from about an hour to fifteen minutes
• Cuts film wash time roughly in half
• Protects prints against long-term fading and staining
• Also acts as a mild stain remover on film
• Cheap and simple to use

Safety notes

Working notes

• Always use it after fixing and before the final wash — never in place of the wash.
• Agitate continuously; hypo clear works by contact, not by soaking.
• Keep it separate from the stop bath container; acid neutralises it.
• If you are not doing archival work, a longer plain wash is a perfectly good alternative.

Compatible with