When disaster strikes, your precious family photos are often a casualty. Learn the steps to restoring water-damaged photos to protect and save family memories.
When disasters hit, the loss of precious family photographs, scrapbooks, and memorabilia takes a huge emotional toll because, unlike furniture or clothing, these memorabilia items are irreplaceable. Whether it’s from a natural disaster, humidity, or your house was flooded or caught fire, your prized photos have probably suffered from water damage.
The first rule of fixing wet photos? Don’t panic! You may be able to salvage many or all of your pictures. Nothing is more depressing than facing piles of soggy, maybe even mud-spattered photos, papers, and other valuables after they’ve suffered water damage, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do something to fix them.
The best thing to do is to try to get to fixing wet photos within a maximum of two days, or they probably will begin to mold or stick together, making it much more unlikely they can be salvaged. This is hard to make a priority in such a short period of time after a disaster because there are so many other things demanding your attention. However, faster action is definitely better.
Begin with photographs for which there are no negatives, or for which the negatives are also water damaged. Don’t let the photos dry out! As your photographs dry, they will stick to each other and any other materials they may be in contact with. You’ll find it impossible to pull them apart without causing potentially irreparable damage.
Pictures in frames need to be saved when they are still soaking wet, otherwise, the photo surface will stick to the glass as it dries and you will not be able to separate them without damaging the photo emulsion.
Fix wet framed photos by removing from the picture frame, keeping the glass and photo together. Holding both, rinse with clear flowing water, using the water stream to gently separate the photo from the glass. Be patient - this might take a while. Your goal is to keep the emulsion on the photo, so do not forcefully pull the photo from the glass: rather use the water to let them float or glide apart.
Remove photos from water-logged albums and separate any that are stacked together, being careful not to rub or touch the wet emulsion of the photo surface with your fingers or anything else (not even a soft rag which may be your first instinct). If they are especially fragile, try laying the photos and/or papers on a flat surface and rinsing with a gentle spray of water.
While you’re working on your photos, store them in a container full of cold, clean tap water; the colder the better. Don’t add chlorine to the water, but change the water every day. The chlorine in tap water is enough to prevent the growth of fungi and other biological threats.
For restoration, the first step is to rinse your photos in a container of cold, clear running water. Don’t run the water directly onto the photos, because that could damage the chemical emulsion, causing permanent damage. Keep rinsing them until the run-off water is clear.
Carefully remove your photographs or negatives from the water, taking the smallest quantity possible. Pull them out of their wrappers if they are in a wrapper or envelope of some sort and gently separate them. DO NOT FORCE THEM APART. If they do not come apart easily, re-soak and rinse them, Repeat the separate-soak cycle as many times as necessary.
Lay each wet photo face up on any clean blotting paper, such as a paper towel. Don't use newspapers or printed paper towels, as the ink may transfer to your wet photos. Change the blotting paper every hour or two until the photos dry. Try to dry the photos inside if possible, as sun and wind will cause photos to curl more quickly.
If you don't have time right away to fix wet photos, just rinse them to remove any mud and debris, then carefully stack the wet photos (or clumps of photos) between sheets of wax paper and seal them in a Ziploc-type plastic bag. If possible, freeze the photos to prevent further damage. This way photos can be defrosted, separated, and air-dried later when you have the time to do it properly.
Hang-dry slides and negatives from a clothesline. Make sure they will not be exposed to dust. As an option, special solutions are available that facilitate uniform, spot-free drying when applied to negatives and slides.
If your prints curl while drying, wet the paper side (NOT the emulsion!) with a moist sponge and place each one between two pieces of acid-free paper or photo blotters, and leave them under a flat, heavy object for a day or two. Change the paper every hour or so until the pictures dry.
DO NOT place the photos outside since the wind and sun could cause the paper of the photographs to curl.
Although the pictures do improve over time, the same cannot be said for images that become stuck together. In many instances, these pictures ruin one another. And although you may not want to force them apart, sometimes that is the only choice.
If you are not sure your location is in the areas we cover, or if you'd just like to chat or ask a question, give us a call.
We are committed to an excellent finished product and even better customer service. Rest assured that when we show up for your restoration needs, you'll be informed, confident and stress-free.
