I have to admit that it's a looooong time since I've done anything with film - I used to process my own B&W stuff, from early 80's up to early '90s.
Handling negatives during the development stage was critical, down to rinsing and drying properly to avoid water marks, and then for storing them to avoid dust and scratches I used A4 sheets with 5 or 6 slots for strips of negs.
All my cameras & lenses were stolen in 1991, and I was so devastated I jacked in photography. I did get something back on insurance, which I put into a high-end hifi system (which is still going strong), but I digress.
SD