Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: cleaning screens?

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Posted by Dana Stutzman (Member # 209) on 11-05-1999, 04:33 PM:

Does anyone have any tips or suggestions on cleaning screens? What type of information would I need before deciding? Thanks!

Posted by Ken Layton (Member # 133) on 11-05-1999, 08:01 PM:

How old is the screen? Is it slashed? What kind of stains are present on the surface?

You don't want to use any type of harse or abrasive cleaners on it. Are you looking to throroughly clean it or just get the dust off of it?

Whatever you do to clean it, DO IT SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY.

Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 11-05-1999, 11:21 PM:

One of our monthly duties in a 12 plex I used to work in was to go around and check the screens. At first they gave us a natural fiber brush that we were only supposed to use on the screen. After a year, it was too dirty to use.

And before Joe chimes in here to bitch that I never did it monthly; I did scrape a lot of Gummi Bears off the screens.

The next thing they gave us was a disposable system with cloths and a pad. The consumer version is now being advertised as the Swipper Sweeper. These pads worked pretty well to get dust off and the occasional Gummi Bear.

When things really got bad, (Coke stains and Gummi Bear slime) they brought in a professional. Here is what he did. He had one bucket of soapy water (Ivory Soap) and one bucket of clear water. He had lots of clean white towels. They literally soaped up the screens. Then they rinsed them. Then they dried them.

It worked and they didn't streak the screens, which I have seen before. My only advice is to be thorough if you try this. Personally, I never went beyond the Swipper Sweeper stage.

Don't try to clean just one part of the screen. It's an all or nothing thing. You don't want a clean, shiny spot in the middle of screen.

I am a firm believer in curtains and theatres large enough so that the screens are out of range of Gummi Bears and spit-wads. I once pulled gobs of toilet paper off a screen. At least that didn’t leave a mark. I don’t think I am going to sell Gummi Bears at the next theatre I run

I started out at a theatre that allowed smoking. The screens had yellowed with the years. Don’t try cleaning nicotine stained screens with soap and water. You will only streak them. This has not been an issue lately. The last theatre that allowed smoking in Denver became a no-smoking theatre when it twinned in 1989.

Posted by Mike Bianchi (Member # 271) on 11-05-1999, 11:51 PM:

And never, ever, clean a silver screen with anything wet. Dust with something like the new swipper.

Posted by Erika Hellgren (Member # 22) on 11-06-1999, 12:45 AM:

I was bitched at severely by a professional screen cleaner about using the swiffer thing Ian mentioned. He also told me that when you dust the screens you should always go in an up and down motion - never side to side. Depending on how many screens you have to clean and how dirty they are, you might consider hiring a professional to do it, I'd say, once a year. And dust them (and knock off gummie bears and spit balls) once a week yourself.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 11-06-1999, 01:48 AM:

This may be one of those "duh" things, but one theater manager I know of had an usher go "knock off the gummi bears" from the screens. The usher did it with the handle end of a broom...which happened to be painted red.

Nice red streaks those screens had. Be careful.

Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 11-06-1999, 02:07 AM:

Erika!

Please tell me more about not using the Swiffer type material on the screens. What was the nature of his concerns? What did he think could happen? We never had a problem at that 12-plex, but I wouldn't want to make a mistake at my new plex.

Thanks,
Ian.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 11-06-1999, 03:18 AM:

Ian and Erika-- didn't you both used to work in that same 12-plex with me? I vaguely remember both of you.

Anyway, my senior tech does not like to professionally clean the screens in the first 5 years, because he says after you do that, they never look the same again. What is the consensus on this? I have heard from just about every different direction that "professional screen cleaning" actually does more harm than good.

Posted by William Hooper (Member # 71) on 11-06-1999, 11:22 AM:

quote:
He had one bucket of soapy water (Ivory Soap) and one bucket of clear water.

Probably the reason for the Ivory is that Ivory Snow & Ivory Soap are *just soap*, & contain no detergents. They've long been used in many critical cleaning tasks. Ivory dishwashing liquid is probably a detergent. I couldn't find Ivory Snow clothes detergent last time I needed to do a big screen clean, & wonder if it's still available. I guess I should check the bars of Ivory Soap & if they contain no perfumes, detergents, deodorants, etc., they could be pulverized for the soap solution.

quote:
He had lots of clean white towels. They literally soaped up the screens. Then they rinsed them. Then they dried them.

How'd they keep the soap solution from drying before the rinse, if the the soap solution was applied to the whole screen first (& with a slow method like application with towels)? How big was this screen?

Posted by Dana Stutzman (Member # 209) on 11-06-1999, 12:09 PM:

Thanks for all the great suggestions! I'll have to show these to my boss and try to talk him into it now. Would 'Ivory Soap' flakes work best then? It seems it would break up fastest. I'll have to try a small test patch first near one of the edges.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 11-06-1999, 02:02 PM:

We had Theatre Services Corporation (the late Al Wigington's company) clean our screen once. They used a soapy solution (their own formula, I think) but applied it via a weed sprayer. They then used white towels wrapped around long push-broom shaped tools to wipe and rinse. Good results.

I also have a screen brush. Anybody know the best method for cleaning the brush? Can I just soap/water it?

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 11-06-1999, 02:32 PM:

Al Wiggington was the best screen cleaner I've ever seen and is already missed. The mixture is something only he and his son know. I believe his son has taken over the business, but I don't have a phone number. Anyone have contact information?

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 11-06-1999, 06:27 PM:

Screen cleaning is now being done by Al's trained assistant, Broken Hand. (Yes that's his name, he's a Native American.) He was being trained by Al during our screen cleaning. Nice guy.

The company still regularly advertises in Boxoffice. Just look for an ad from "Theatre Services Corporation". (don't have a magazine handy or I'd post it the contact info now.)

Broken Hand cleaned the screen at the Opera House Theatre in Sun Valley, ID after a screening of "Double Jeopardy" during our Rocky Mountain convention in September. He talked about the process and answered questions for the 40 or so people who stayed to watch. The next morning, we had a presentation of trailers in the same auditorium. Pretty striking difference!

Posted by Erika Hellgren (Member # 22) on 11-06-1999, 10:01 PM:

Ian, I don't remember exactly what the guy's complaint was about the Swiffer thing - maybe it's too abrasive. But I know it was NOT designed to clean professional screens.