Found out film can survive a trip through the washing machine

So I left a roll of Kodak Gold 200 in my jeans pocket last week, and my wife ran the laundry without checking. I pulled it out of the washer, all soggy and sad, and figured it was a total loss. Out of pure curiosity, I let it dry for a couple days in a bag of rice, then sent it to the lab anyway. Just got the scans back today, and get this, about 15 of the 24 shots came out perfectly fine. The colors are a bit faded in some, but you can still see everything. I was shocked. The lab guy said the canister seal must have held up just enough. Has anyone else had film survive something crazy like that? I'm kind of tempted to try it again on purpose, but maybe that's pushing my luck.

3 comments

3 Comments

ninasanchez1mo ago

Didn't I read that some old film survived a plane crash?

maxm631mo ago

Yeah, @ninasanchez, that story is wild!

patricia9054d ago

Wait, the plane crash thing reminds me, did anyone see that post where a guy accidentally put a roll of film through the dryer too? I remember someone saying the heat actually warped the plastic spool inside and fused some of the film together. I bet if you really pushed it you could get a whole new look, like those lomography cameras that mess with the exposure on purpose. Maybe next time try the spin cycle on delicate, see if you get more artsy results than just faded colors. But hey, 15 out of 24 is still a win in my book, I'd call that a pretty good laundry day for a film nerd.