Home movies, videotapes and audio tapes

Videotapes, audio cassettes, records, CDs, DVDs and home movie film are made of modern materials that may be chemically unstable, which makes good storage especially important. Good storage and careful handling do the most to keep them playable.

Where to keep them

• Somewhere cool and fairly dryRoom temperature or below, at about 35 to 40% humidity, in a steady spot.
• Not the attic or basementOr anywhere with a risk of leaks or big temperature swings.
• Away from light, heat and vibrationKeep them out of direct light and away from radiators, vents and anything that shakes.
• Away from magnetic fieldsKeep magnetic tape away from motors, transformers, loudspeakers, vacuum cleaners and TVs.

How to store them

• Stand everything uprightRecords and reels on edge, cassettes on their long edge.
• Use a sturdy shelfRecords weigh 35 pounds or more per foot of shelf. Dividers every 4 to 6 inches keep them from leaning.
• Keep records of different sizes apartDon't shelve 78s, LPs and 45s together.
• Don't rewind after playingStore a tape as it was played, and rewind it just before the next play.
• Use acid-free boxesFor any paper-based boxes, and avoid containers that build up static.

Handling them

• Start with clean, dry handsKeep food and drinks away.
• Don't touch the playing surfaceHold records by the edge and label, CDs and DVDs by the edge and the center hole, and cassettes and videotapes by the outer shell only.
• Keep the player cleanFollow the maker's instructions for cleaning the player.
• Let cold items warm upGive anything brought from cool storage time to reach room temperature before playing it, at least 24 hours for film.

Old home movie film

• Handle it by the edgesDon't touch the face of the film, and keep it in a closed, light-blocking can or box.
• Keep aging acetate film apartAcetate, or safety, film breaks down over time, gives off gases that harm other items, and shrinks and turns brittle. Keep it apart from everything else, in a ventilated container, as cool as possible.
• Treat very old nitrate film as a fire hazardNitrate film can catch fire on its own around 100°F and can't be put out once it burns. Keep it below 70°F and away from any heat, and consider having it digitized.

Cleaning magnetic tape is a job for a preservation specialist. Dust can be blown off records, CDs and DVDs with canned air.