Saving wet family photographs

After a flood or a leak, many wet photographs can be saved, though they may warp or keep some stains. Some deteriorate quickly once they're wet, and mold can start growing within 48 hours. The image side of a photograph, called the emulsion, softens when wet and can stick to itself, to album pages or to the glass in a frame.

What you need

• Gloves, eye protection and an N95 respirator, in case of mold
• A long-sleeved shirt or smock
• A plastic drop cloth for the table, with unprinted newsprint on top
• Two tubs or trays of clean water, distilled if you have it
• Paper towels or clean cloth towels
• A fan
• A clothesline and clothespins, if space is tight

Steps

1. 1

   Sort them first

   Move any dry photographs somewhere safe and dry. If you have a digital copy or the negative, you can reprint the photo and let the wet one go. Save your effort for the ones you can't replace.

   15 min

2. 2

   Take them out of frames and albums

   Remove photos from frames, album pages and sleeves, as long as they aren't stuck. Don't pull apart photos stuck together or stuck to the glass. A framed item stuck to the glass can dry in the frame, glass side down, once the backing is off.

   15 min

3. 3

   Start with the color prints

   Color prints are the most easily damaged by water, so treat them first, then black-and-white prints, then negatives and slides.

   5 min

4. 4

   Rinse off the dirt

   If a photo is visibly dirty and the image is intact, lower it gently into the first tub and rock it slowly, then repeat in the second. Hold it from beneath in your palm and never touch the image side while it's wet. Don't rinse a photo whose image has blurred, feathered or faded.

   20 min

5. 5

   Lay them out face up

   Set each photo flat on paper towels or a clean towel, image side up. Change the towels underneath as they soak through. Dry them in the shade outdoors or in a room with a dehumidifier.

   20 min

6. 6

   Or hang them by an edge

   If you're short of space, clip photos to a clothesline by an edge only, far enough apart that they can't flap into each other.

   10 min

7. 7

   Move the air, but skip the heat

   Run a fan to circulate the air, which speeds drying and keeps mold down.

   5 min

8. 8

   Flatten them once they're dry

   Once dry, curled photos can be flattened under a heavy weight for several days.

   5 min

When to get help

If you can't get to valuable photos within 48 hours, freezing can hold them, but ask a conservator first before freezing old or valuable photographs or negatives. For a large or valuable collection, photos stuck together or to glass or album pages, or prints with no negative left, a photograph conservator can help.