Just discovered your channel & am so thankful I did. I see this video is a few years back but i have a question that the answer has eluded me. I have several old photographs from the 1940s that inadvertently got wet from the rain (were in a box during a move😢) & became stuck together. Is there any way to save them? Many are irreplaceable & I'm hoping to find a solution. Thank you in advance.
Hi Lucilla, been learning so much from your videos about photo caring! in Hong Kong, people ususally laminated their old photos and me too and that seems ok over the years. I'm re-thinking about this recently and would like to see how you think. I got a dozen of them, will clean them as you taught us and thinking about what's next for them. Thank you so much for your sharing.
Thanks for your question. If lamination means the photo is completely sealed between sheets of plastic with heat and low-grade adhesives then I do not recommend this at all and if you have already done this/it has been done in the past then I'm afraid there is no fix for this. The lamination process is irreversible and damaging to the item - it uses heat, unstable plastic and adhesives that will deteriorate over time and damage the photographs. Lamination is one of the worst things you can do to a photograph! If you have a photograph that has been laminated, my recommendation is to digitise the item as soon as possible before the item deteriorates any further. There should be ways to digitise the photograph to limit the reflective quality of the lamination plastic. This way at least the image is captured and preserved. You could see if you can find a local photographic materials conservator and see if they think anything can be done with the laminated photographs. I do know that most treatments are unsuccessful with this kind of material due to the adhesive used in the lamination process. If you are thinking about laminating your photographs, please don't! Other alternatives are safe storage and display methods. You want materials that have passed the Photographic Activity Test and are non-acidic and conservation grade. You can find these kinds of materials through conservation supply companies. Here is a great resource on caring for your photographs: www.sl.nsw.gov.au/research-and-collections/building-our-collections/caring-collections/caring-photographs#:~:text=Store%20photographs%20in%20paper%20or,in%20an%20archival%20ring%20binder. All the best with your photographs!
Some photo albums of the past had pages that were made of black heavy paper (much like what is referred to as 'construction paper'). Often people would use some kind of glue or adhesive to mount the photos to the pages. In my particular scenario the photos were originally loose for a time in a collection and they had information written on the backs of them, often dates and names of the people depicted in the photo. At a later date they were glued into an album. The album lasted for a few decades or so and began to fall apart. So the photos were removed from the black pages and the album discarded but the glue and much of the black paper fiber remained adhered to the back of the photographs. What is your method for removing the remaining album paper to reveal the written information?
Greetings, did you ever come right? My wife has exactly the same issue, except most of the photos are still stuck on the album pages or what's left of it. I searched and found white vinegar is able to dissolve the old glue. I tried on a test photo (one we were prepared to lose if necessary), and it worked - using a cotton bud dipped in the vinegar and dabbing the vinegar onto the black fibres and rubbing them off. The big caveat is that if the photo backing is damaged (by trying to scrape the fibres off with a knife) , the black dye from the album page may leech through to the front of the photo. Now, I am trying to ascertain if white vinegar is safe for the front of the photo; i.e. won't damage the image.
@@gregclarke6419 I had very good success with just simply scraping the black paper fiber and the glue away with a razor blade, holding the blade perpendicular to the surface, being gentle and just taking my time. The photo I worked on was an old school class group photo and all the names were written on the back. Trouble was, they were all first names only and the photo was made in 1928.
@@steves7896 Glad to hear it. I have the same - there is info written on the back as well, and I am concerned that the vinegar will clean that as well. I will give your method a try. Cheers.
Hi! Hi, I hope you are well, I wanted to know if you knew how to clean a damaged polaroid, I have seen your videos and I think they are great! I wanted to know just that, thank you!
Hello, thanks for your comment. Polaroids are known as 'instant photos' and can have different issues depending on if they are black & white (generally more stable, image created with silver gelatin) or colour (image created with silver gelatin & dyes) photos. Both B&W and colour polaroids are sensitive to light susceptible to abrasion and fading with colour also likely to have colour shifting. It's really important to store them in a cool, dark environment with good quality conservation grade materials. Also limit handling the image layer and if you have to do it with nitrile gloves. Now for cleaning it- most of the chemicals used to create this kind of photograph are proprietary (unknown). All the chemicals necessary to create the print are self-contained within or facing the support material. They are activated when the exposure is made and the image is squeezed through rollers ejecting it from the camera. Because it's not known how it is exactly made and which variety it is, I can't recommend anything. It could react horrifically to moisture and other solvents. Dry cleaning with a soft brush or air puffer is all I can recommend. There is usually a white border around the edge where you can do small experiments which hopefully won't damage the image but you need to be really careful and I still do not recommend this. If you are going to do your own tests, I recommend digitising the image first in case it goes wrong so you have a copy of it as is. I'm sorry I can't be more help - photographs are really tricky items and there are very few conservators that can safely treat them. And that's with them being able to examine and research the photograph in person!
If I spilled coffee and the coffee drops got on the physical photo and I don't have another to print, or to get how do I clean them off without ruining the photos??!!! Please help
I think the title is a little misleading. This is not how to clean your photos...more like how to remove loose dirt. No one searching "clean old photos" is looking for this.
Hi Adam, thanks for the feedback. I'm a professional paper conservator. This is a safe way to clean fragile photos you have at home if you have no training and limited resources. Photos are made through a chemical process and the image is very susceptible to chemical and physical damage. If you use moisture, chemicals or strong cleaning techniques (with abrasion) there is a LOT of risk to your photos. The ways I am recommending are the safest to remove loose surface dirt. If you're trying to remove things like stains or ingrained dirt - these are amongst the paper fibres and image layers and will be very difficult. My recommendation isn't to do it, but if you do something risky like that, digitising it first in case there is irreversible damage is a good idea. You could also take it to a professional photographic materials conservator to do conservation treatment if your photos are valuable to you. All the best!
Hello, I have some B&W photos that were hanging on my wall, a little too close to my kitchen. So over the years, a layer of grime has settled on the photos. This cannot be removed with air or a brush. My sense is a cleaning solution or solvent would be required. Any suggestions for a liquid cleaner or solvent that will remove the grime but not damage the photos? Thanks! Steve
I'm sorry to hear about your photographs. I'm afraid there is no liquid cleaner or solvent I can recommend. Photographs are created through chemical processes and there are lots of different types. They are very susceptible to damage. Some can handle moisture, some can't, some can handle solvents, some can't. Without knowing the photographs and being able to examine and do tests on them myself I wouldn't feel comfortable recommending one thing. If these photographs are important to you, the best thing is to hire a professional paper conservator to do a proper conservation treatment. If you're in the US you can find a conservator through the American Institute for Conservation: www.culturalheritage.org/about-conservation/find-a-conservator I understand going to a conservator isn't always an option. Removing the loose surface dirt is a good place to start. Then I recommend digitising the photographs so if anything goes wrong with the cleaning you still have a record of it before you start. If you really want to clean using something more than a brush, I recommend testing everything first. Ideally test on things that aren't original/valuable to you. If you have to test on the original try in a really non-obtrusive area near the edge and preferably where there is no detail or important things in the image. Sometimes the strongest solvent can be water. Conservators use really purified deionised water. This is not readily available. Another alternative (that is way better than tap water) is distilled water. I'm pretty sure you can purchase this through a supermarket (it does depend where you are). I would use a cotton ear bud with a bit of distilled water and roll it gently on a test patch. See if there are any changes (good or bad) to the photograph, and see if any dirt is lifted on to the ear bud. Good luck!
Hello - I'm so sorry to hear about your photos. Some information and tips I know of: - Step 1: carefully remove the moisture. I recommend handling the photos with gloves (first of all to protect the photograph image, and secondly to protect yourself from the urine). Ideally the gloves aren't fabric and don't have a roughened texture - for example nitrile gloves. Find a clean, dry and flat surface to work on. Try to blot the moisture out as much as you can with dry, absorbent materials like paper towels. Avoid the image side as much as possible as the urine might have made the gelatin emulsion (the bit that holds the image) soften and swell. Work from the back as much as you can. Once you have blotted up the moisture create a drying stack between sheets of paper towel, interleaving between each photo and place a light weight on top (such as a flat book). This will encourage the photos to dry flat. You can replace the paper towel regularly if they're still wet and keep checking on them. If the photos start sticking to the paper towel see if you have a non stick material to go on the image side such as baking paper. This won't absorb much moisture but will protect the image while the paper towel is on the paper side. - Step 2: once the photos are dry and flat, if you don't have another copy of them try to digitse them. You can use a scanner or a camera to do this. I have a video that goes in to detail but the main points are - capture in highest quality possible and save in a safe place where you can find them again. Also back them up! - Step 3 (optional): deal with stains and smell. Cat urine contains a sulfur molecule. Even after careful drying there will be residue from the urine in your photos that will make them deteriorate in the future. Enzyme treatments might work to reduce the smell and staining. However, this is a complicated thing to do and I recommend getting a professional photograph conservator to do the treatment. If you're in the US you can use the American Institute of Conservation to find a conservator: www.culturalheritage.org/about-conservation/find-a-conservator You can specify that you want a photograph or paper conservator and find one that is local to you. If you're in another country, there will be a national conservation body there that should have a search function to find a conservator. Conservation treatments do cost money but it is definitely worth it if the photos are valuable to you. All the best!
If it’s yours you can do what you like with it but all I recommend is a gentle brush dry clean. The important part of a photograph is the image side - if you rub even gently or apply moisture like water you risk damaging it.
I desperately need help with removing more than simply loose debris from photos. I have some photos that were stored in some kind of very crappy plastic/vinyl mini photo album that over time (30+ years) has degraded and the entire album, along with the photos contained therein, are coated in a sticky oily residue. eHow recommended using alcohol to clean photos, however, almost every commenter stated that it ruined their photo in one way or another to use such a method. I don't know what to do. The stuff is so sticky/oily that after removing the photos from the album I had a hard time getting it off my hands. Normal soap and water washing didn't work, so I had to use Dawn dish soap to get it off and I think I still feel a slight residue there even after that; therefore, I imagine that trying to safely remove it from my photos is going to be great fun. It also smells horrible, that old "rancid", for lack of a better word, smell that really old plastic containers or vinyl items get. Please help me to figure out a safe method to clean this nasty stuff off my photos.
Hello, that sounds terrible. I'm sorry your photographs are in such bad condition. It sounds like the plastic was a PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) which leached plasticisers onto the photographs. Please don't use alcohol - as the comments show it damages photographs. I don't think there is a safe way to remove that residue yourself - it will require solvents and equipment only available in a conservation laboratory so you don't risk breathing in the chemicals. My recommendation is to take it to a professional conservator that specialises in photographs. Depending on where you are- the American Institute for Conservation has a find a conservator page: www.culturalheritage.org/about-conservation/find-a-conservator As does the Institute for Conservation in the UK: www.conservationregister.com/ There are more for other countries, depending on where you are based. Conservation treatment can be expensive though. If the photograph is significant to you it might be worth the cost to ensure it lasts at least another 100 years. I completely understand if that's not an option for you. Another thing to think about is removal from the album is the first step. If you are able to safely do it and the image isn't obscure too much you could house the photographs so you can still see and safely handle them and the residue won't transfer to other items or your hands. Transparent 100% polyester pockets (known as Mylar or Melinex) that are archival quality could be used. Find out more here: www.preservationequipment.com/Blog/Blog-Posts/Why-polyester-for-archival-storage-when-is-a-pocket-a-sleeve It's not a proper solution but it is less expensive than treatment and poses limited risk to your photos. It goes to show that proper storage for photographs is really important so taking care with the housing and storage going forward would be best. All the best!
Is that all about 'cleaning a photograph' with just 'blowing' and 'brushing''? How disappointing? I so expected more in the way of removing stuck-on bits and erasing spots 'n stuff that mar and spoil an old photo. _Addendum: I have since read another comment prior to mine which bemoans more than mere blowing and brushing that is required._
Do you have a box of family photographs to delve in to? How far have you gotten through it? As you can see... I'm still going through mine.
Just discovered your channel & am so thankful I did. I see this video is a few years back but i have a question that the answer has eluded me. I have several old photographs from the 1940s that inadvertently got wet from the rain (were in a box during a move😢) & became stuck together. Is there any way to save them? Many are irreplaceable & I'm hoping to find a solution. Thank you in advance.
Hi Lucilla, been learning so much from your videos about photo caring! in Hong Kong, people ususally laminated their old photos and me too and that seems ok over the years. I'm re-thinking about this recently and would like to see how you think. I got a dozen of them, will clean them as you taught us and thinking about what's next for them. Thank you so much for your sharing.
Thanks for your question. If lamination means the photo is completely sealed between sheets of plastic with heat and low-grade adhesives then I do not recommend this at all and if you have already done this/it has been done in the past then I'm afraid there is no fix for this. The lamination process is irreversible and damaging to the item - it uses heat, unstable plastic and adhesives that will deteriorate over time and damage the photographs. Lamination is one of the worst things you can do to a photograph!
If you have a photograph that has been laminated, my recommendation is to digitise the item as soon as possible before the item deteriorates any further. There should be ways to digitise the photograph to limit the reflective quality of the lamination plastic. This way at least the image is captured and preserved. You could see if you can find a local photographic materials conservator and see if they think anything can be done with the laminated photographs. I do know that most treatments are unsuccessful with this kind of material due to the adhesive used in the lamination process.
If you are thinking about laminating your photographs, please don't! Other alternatives are safe storage and display methods. You want materials that have passed the Photographic Activity Test and are non-acidic and conservation grade. You can find these kinds of materials through conservation supply companies. Here is a great resource on caring for your photographs: www.sl.nsw.gov.au/research-and-collections/building-our-collections/caring-collections/caring-photographs#:~:text=Store%20photographs%20in%20paper%20or,in%20an%20archival%20ring%20binder.
All the best with your photographs!
Some photo albums of the past had pages that were made of black heavy paper (much like what is referred to as 'construction paper'). Often people would use some kind of glue or adhesive to mount the photos to the pages.
In my particular scenario the photos were originally loose for a time in a collection and they had information written on the backs of them, often dates and names of the people depicted in the photo. At a later date they were glued into an album. The album lasted for a few decades or so and began to fall apart. So the photos were removed from the black pages and the album discarded but the glue and much of the black paper fiber remained adhered to the back of the photographs.
What is your method for removing the remaining album paper to reveal the written information?
Greetings, did you ever come right? My wife has exactly the same issue, except most of the photos are still stuck on the album pages or what's left of it. I searched and found white vinegar is able to dissolve the old glue. I tried on a test photo (one we were prepared to lose if necessary), and it worked - using a cotton bud dipped in the vinegar and dabbing the vinegar onto the black fibres and rubbing them off. The big caveat is that if the photo backing is damaged (by trying to scrape the fibres off with a knife) , the black dye from the album page may leech through to the front of the photo. Now, I am trying to ascertain if white vinegar is safe for the front of the photo; i.e. won't damage the image.
@@gregclarke6419 I had very good success with just simply scraping the black paper fiber and the glue away with a razor blade, holding the blade perpendicular to the surface, being gentle and just taking my time. The photo I worked on was an old school class group photo and all the names were written on the back. Trouble was, they were all first names only and the photo was made in 1928.
@@steves7896 Glad to hear it. I have the same - there is info written on the back as well, and I am concerned that the vinegar will clean that as well. I will give your method a try. Cheers.
Hi! Hi, I hope you are well, I wanted to know if you knew how to clean a damaged polaroid, I have seen your videos and I think they are great! I wanted to know just that, thank you!
Hello, thanks for your comment. Polaroids are known as 'instant photos' and can have different issues depending on if they are black & white (generally more stable, image created with silver gelatin) or colour (image created with silver gelatin & dyes) photos.
Both B&W and colour polaroids are sensitive to light susceptible to abrasion and fading with colour also likely to have colour shifting. It's really important to store them in a cool, dark environment with good quality conservation grade materials. Also limit handling the image layer and if you have to do it with nitrile gloves.
Now for cleaning it- most of the chemicals used to create this kind of photograph are proprietary (unknown). All the chemicals necessary to create the print are self-contained within or facing the support material. They are activated when the exposure is made and the image is squeezed through rollers ejecting it from the camera. Because it's not known how it is exactly made and which variety it is, I can't recommend anything. It could react horrifically to moisture and other solvents. Dry cleaning with a soft brush or air puffer is all I can recommend.
There is usually a white border around the edge where you can do small experiments which hopefully won't damage the image but you need to be really careful and I still do not recommend this. If you are going to do your own tests, I recommend digitising the image first in case it goes wrong so you have a copy of it as is.
I'm sorry I can't be more help - photographs are really tricky items and there are very few conservators that can safely treat them. And that's with them being able to examine and research the photograph in person!
If I spilled coffee and the coffee drops got on the physical photo and I don't have another to print, or to get how do I clean them off without ruining the photos??!!! Please help
I think the title is a little misleading. This is not how to clean your photos...more like how to remove loose dirt. No one searching "clean old photos" is looking for this.
Hi Adam, thanks for the feedback. I'm a professional paper conservator. This is a safe way to clean fragile photos you have at home if you have no training and limited resources. Photos are made through a chemical process and the image is very susceptible to chemical and physical damage. If you use moisture, chemicals or strong cleaning techniques (with abrasion) there is a LOT of risk to your photos. The ways I am recommending are the safest to remove loose surface dirt. If you're trying to remove things like stains or ingrained dirt - these are amongst the paper fibres and image layers and will be very difficult.
My recommendation isn't to do it, but if you do something risky like that, digitising it first in case there is irreversible damage is a good idea. You could also take it to a professional photographic materials conservator to do conservation treatment if your photos are valuable to you. All the best!
Removing dirt is cleaning, though...
Hello, I have some B&W photos that were hanging on my wall, a little too close to my kitchen. So over the years, a layer of grime has settled on the photos. This cannot be removed with air or a brush. My sense is a cleaning solution or solvent would be required. Any suggestions for a liquid cleaner or solvent that will remove the grime but not damage the photos? Thanks! Steve
I'm sorry to hear about your photographs.
I'm afraid there is no liquid cleaner or solvent I can recommend. Photographs are created through chemical processes and there are lots of different types. They are very susceptible to damage. Some can handle moisture, some can't, some can handle solvents, some can't. Without knowing the photographs and being able to examine and do tests on them myself I wouldn't feel comfortable recommending one thing.
If these photographs are important to you, the best thing is to hire a professional paper conservator to do a proper conservation treatment. If you're in the US you can find a conservator through the American Institute for Conservation: www.culturalheritage.org/about-conservation/find-a-conservator
I understand going to a conservator isn't always an option.
Removing the loose surface dirt is a good place to start. Then I recommend digitising the photographs so if anything goes wrong with the cleaning you still have a record of it before you start.
If you really want to clean using something more than a brush, I recommend testing everything first. Ideally test on things that aren't original/valuable to you. If you have to test on the original try in a really non-obtrusive area near the edge and preferably where there is no detail or important things in the image. Sometimes the strongest solvent can be water. Conservators use really purified deionised water. This is not readily available. Another alternative (that is way better than tap water) is distilled water. I'm pretty sure you can purchase this through a supermarket (it does depend where you are). I would use a cotton ear bud with a bit of distilled water and roll it gently on a test patch. See if there are any changes (good or bad) to the photograph, and see if any dirt is lifted on to the ear bud.
Good luck!
my cat peed on my old photos! how can i clean it? please help!
Hello - I'm so sorry to hear about your photos. Some information and tips I know of:
- Step 1: carefully remove the moisture. I recommend handling the photos with gloves (first of all to protect the photograph image, and secondly to protect yourself from the urine). Ideally the gloves aren't fabric and don't have a roughened texture - for example nitrile gloves. Find a clean, dry and flat surface to work on. Try to blot the moisture out as much as you can with dry, absorbent materials like paper towels. Avoid the image side as much as possible as the urine might have made the gelatin emulsion (the bit that holds the image) soften and swell. Work from the back as much as you can. Once you have blotted up the moisture create a drying stack between sheets of paper towel, interleaving between each photo and place a light weight on top (such as a flat book). This will encourage the photos to dry flat. You can replace the paper towel regularly if they're still wet and keep checking on them. If the photos start sticking to the paper towel see if you have a non stick material to go on the image side such as baking paper. This won't absorb much moisture but will protect the image while the paper towel is on the paper side.
- Step 2: once the photos are dry and flat, if you don't have another copy of them try to digitse them. You can use a scanner or a camera to do this. I have a video that goes in to detail but the main points are - capture in highest quality possible and save in a safe place where you can find them again. Also back them up!
- Step 3 (optional): deal with stains and smell. Cat urine contains a sulfur molecule. Even after careful drying there will be residue from the urine in your photos that will make them deteriorate in the future. Enzyme treatments might work to reduce the smell and staining. However, this is a complicated thing to do and I recommend getting a professional photograph conservator to do the treatment. If you're in the US you can use the American Institute of Conservation to find a conservator: www.culturalheritage.org/about-conservation/find-a-conservator
You can specify that you want a photograph or paper conservator and find one that is local to you. If you're in another country, there will be a national conservation body there that should have a search function to find a conservator. Conservation treatments do cost money but it is definitely worth it if the photos are valuable to you.
All the best!
Get rid of the cat!
JUST ;)
Can I just use wet cloth(water)?
Gente rub.
If it’s yours you can do what you like with it but all I recommend is a gentle brush dry clean. The important part of a photograph is the image side - if you rub even gently or apply moisture like water you risk damaging it.
I desperately need help with removing more than simply loose debris from photos. I have some photos that were stored in some kind of very crappy plastic/vinyl mini photo album that over time (30+ years) has degraded and the entire album, along with the photos contained therein, are coated in a sticky oily residue. eHow recommended using alcohol to clean photos, however, almost every commenter stated that it ruined their photo in one way or another to use such a method. I don't know what to do. The stuff is so sticky/oily that after removing the photos from the album I had a hard time getting it off my hands. Normal soap and water washing didn't work, so I had to use Dawn dish soap to get it off and I think I still feel a slight residue there even after that; therefore, I imagine that trying to safely remove it from my photos is going to be great fun. It also smells horrible, that old "rancid", for lack of a better word, smell that really old plastic containers or vinyl items get. Please help me to figure out a safe method to clean this nasty stuff off my photos.
Hello, that sounds terrible. I'm sorry your photographs are in such bad condition. It sounds like the plastic was a PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) which leached plasticisers onto the photographs. Please don't use alcohol - as the comments show it damages photographs. I don't think there is a safe way to remove that residue yourself - it will require solvents and equipment only available in a conservation laboratory so you don't risk breathing in the chemicals. My recommendation is to take it to a professional conservator that specialises in photographs. Depending on where you are- the American Institute for Conservation has a find a conservator page: www.culturalheritage.org/about-conservation/find-a-conservator
As does the Institute for Conservation in the UK: www.conservationregister.com/
There are more for other countries, depending on where you are based. Conservation treatment can be expensive though. If the photograph is significant to you it might be worth the cost to ensure it lasts at least another 100 years. I completely understand if that's not an option for you.
Another thing to think about is removal from the album is the first step. If you are able to safely do it and the image isn't obscure too much you could house the photographs so you can still see and safely handle them and the residue won't transfer to other items or your hands. Transparent 100% polyester pockets (known as Mylar or Melinex) that are archival quality could be used. Find out more here: www.preservationequipment.com/Blog/Blog-Posts/Why-polyester-for-archival-storage-when-is-a-pocket-a-sleeve
It's not a proper solution but it is less expensive than treatment and poses limited risk to your photos. It goes to show that proper storage for photographs is really important so taking care with the housing and storage going forward would be best. All the best!
Is that all about 'cleaning a photograph' with just 'blowing' and 'brushing''? How disappointing? I so expected more in the way of removing stuck-on bits and erasing spots 'n stuff that mar and spoil an old photo. _Addendum: I have since read another comment prior to mine which bemoans more than mere blowing and brushing that is required._