Saving family keepsake photos and heirlooms from floods and water damage

Wear rubber gloves, a respirator and protect yourself from contact with disease organisms present in floodwaters. Practice safety first. "fema guidelines" For images that are found still submerged in water. Most flood waters are very muddy. Rinse away the flood silt with lots of slow flowing clean water.

When the flood water is replaced with clean water, slowly, gently separate the layers of paper. You may find that next all you need to do is re-rinse the photos and dry them by placing then between sheets of photo blotter paper. Paper towels will also work. Do not use news print. Place the layers of photos and blotter paper under a weighted object so the stack drys as flat as possible. RC based papers may now be re-filed or placed in albums. Fiber based paper may dry in a wavy condition. If this is of concern, find a photo lab that still has a drum dryer and they may be able to re-wet and re-dry the photos to a flatter condition.

Cleaned After Freezing

Remove the photos from the freezer. Wear rubber gloves, a respirator and protect yourself from contact with disease organisms present in floodwaters. Practice safety first. Fema Guidelines Allow the mass to thaw. This will take from 4 to 8 hours. Do not delay the restoration process. Mold and mildew damage begins as soon as the go from wet to damp. Rinse away the flood silt with lots of slow flowing clean water. Now try, slowly, gently separating the layers of paper. Inspect the first few to watch for surface damage and emulsion separation. Try to save any small identifiable pieces of image. Dry the photos and pieces by placing then between sheets of photo blotter paper. Paper towels will also work. Do not use news print. Place the layers of photos and blotter paper under a weighted object so the stack drys as flat as possible.

Prints with surface damage can be restored by a competent restoration service. Keep the torn or surface emulsion pieces together with the individual photo source. When completely dried the parts can be placed in a clean dry storage bag.

Images Found In A Dried Mass

Wear rubber gloves, a respirator and protect yourself from contact with disease organisms present in floodwaters. Practice safety first. Fema Guidelines DO NOT TRY TO PRY APART DRY PHOTOS. Place the mass into clean water. Add a photo wetting agent to the water. Allow the mass to soak for about 24 hours. Ideally the photos will separate by themselves. Those that do are removed to be further gently cleaned in fresh clean cool water. Warning! The surface of the photograph is very fragile, never place in warm water. Placing photos in water above 90° F can lead to the emulsion disintegrating.

Smaller clumps of stuck photos should be placed in a new bath of clean water with a greater concentration of photo wetting agent. After 8 additional hours try to gently separate the paper while under water. Stop a the least resistance and wait with the area wedged apart. Try again to gently peel the paper layers apart. Each time the paper is still stuck you may be at an area that has yet to be reached by fresh water and wetting agent. Be patient and allow the water and wetting agent to work.

Generally some emulsion damage and separation may occur. Gently clean the separated images in fresh water. Try to save any small identifiable pieces of image. Dry the photos and pieces by placing then between sheets of photo blotter paper. Paper towels will also work. Do not use news print. Place the layers of photos and blotter paper under a weighted object so the stack drys as flat as possible.

Prints with surface damage can be restored by a competent restoration service. Keep the torn or surface emulsion pieces together with the individual photo source. When completely dried the parts can be placed in a clean dry storage bag.

Some photos bond so completely that they never can be separated. After several more days of soaking you have nothing more to lose - try to separate the images as gently as possible. If still stuck place those photos in a bath of a mixture of water, photo wetting agent, a strong surfactant and a ultrasonic vibration. You may reduce the paper to a gel at this point and all is lost. But then it was anyway. In some cases this may allow the last stubborn sheets to separate. Generally emulsion damage and separation will also occur. Collect and sort the fragments as best you can and decide if restoration of these images is worth it.

Mold and Mildew Damage

Once photographs have stuck together and/or become moldy, saving them may not be possible. Wear rubber gloves, a respirator and protect yourself from contact with disease organisms present in floodwaters. Practice safety first. Fema Guidelines The mold or mildew is generally seen in dark patches growing on the surface and may be accompanied by a moldy smell. Mold and mildew are common terms for fungus, that attacks organic materials such as paper, books, cloth, photographs, and leather. Mold grows from spores, which are everywhere in our environment. Usually these spores are inactive, but they will germinate when the relative humidity exceeds 70 percent. Temperatures above 65 degrees increase the likelihood of mold growth. Active mold growth is slimy or fuzzy and is usually green, black, orange or purple. Inactive mold is dry and powdery and may be white. In early stages, the mold may look like a fine web; in full bloom it looks bushy. Mold spores spread easily; they are carried by air currents, pets and people. Active mold "digests" organic materials such as cloth book covers or the cellulose that composes paper. It can also make permanent stains.

Saving Moldy Photos

1. Wear rubber gloves, eye protection, an appropriate respirator (NOT a painters mask) and clothing you can wash in very hot water and bleach or discard. The best choice for clothing is special coveralls made from DuPont Tyvek and discard after each wearing. Mold can be hazardous to people with respiratory problems. Many can cause allergic reactions or irritate skin. Some species (Black Mold; Stachybotrys chartarum (atra) is one) of mold/fungus are toxic, and in some cases exposure can lead to serious illness or even death. Consult an expert in industrial contamination if you are unsure of what you are dealing with.
2. Air dry them away from other objects. Spread out the photos. Use photo blotting materials, clean towels or paper towels between the layers of photo paper. Increase air circulation with a fan, but don't aim the fan directly at the photos.
3. Although ultraviolet light can be damaging, and causing fading, brief exposure to sunlight can stop mold growth and aid drying. Exposure should not exceed 60 minutes. The trade off is image fading from exposure to the sun and killing the mold.
4. Clean the mold only after it is dry and inactive. Very gently wipe or brush away the mold residue. Always work outdoors if possible and always wear the protective clothing, gloves and a respirator and provide proper ventilation.
5. While harsh cleaning products and bleach; will kill the contaminants they can ruin photos. Never vacuum fragile or deteriorating photo surfaces. Use a household vacuum cleaner outdoors, since the exhaust will spread mold spores.
6. Be sure display and storage areas are free of mold before you return any clean object to its proper place. Re-inspect the photos from time to time for any new mold growth.
7. Valuable artifacts and photographs should be handled by a professional restorer. Copying and replacing may be the only sure way to stop mold growth on photographic paper.

Domestic Or Fire Control Water

This type of water damage may also have a heat damage component. Soot may be found on the photo surfaces. Photos are usually found damp or wet rather than submerged. Place them in clean water and slowly, gently separate the layers of paper. You may find that next all you need to do is re-rinse the photos and dry them by placing then between sheets of photo blotter paper. Paper towels will also work. Do not use news print. Place the layers of photos and blotter paper under a weighted object so the stack drys as flat as possible. RC based papers may now be re-filed or placed in albums. Fiber based paper may dry in a wavy condition. If this is of concern, find a photo lab that still has a drum dryer and they may be able to re-wet and re-dry the photos to a flatter condition.

If the photos are melted together from heat damage, they may be beyond saving. Try the water submersion and a short soak and attempt to peel them apart. The soot damage is a sticky black residue that can be difficult to clean away. Try soaking the photos for, 8 hours, in a water bath with a photo wetting agent. Very gently wipe the soot from the surface. Dried soot may permanently bond with the emulsion surface.

Transparency, Slide or Negative Damage

Negatives and slides are more fragile than photographic prints. Heat and water damge is more devastating due to the thin emulsion and substrate that make up the film. While you can try to clean flood damaged negs and slide like you do a collection of prints the outcome is seldom as good.

Wear rubber gloves, a respirator and protect yourself from contact with disease organisms present in floodwaters. Practice safety first. Fema Guidelines For film that is found still submerged in water. Most flood waters are very muddy. Rinse away the flood silt with lots of slow flowing clean water.

Warning! The surface of slides and negatives is very fragile, never place in warm water. Placing negs or slides in water above 90° F can lead to the emulsion disintegrating.

When the flood water is replaced with clean cool water, slowly, gently separate the layers of film. You may find that next all you need to do is re-rinse the film in a water bath containing a negative wetting agent and dry it by hanging it by clothes pins. Grip the film on an edge rather than the film face. Re-rinse and re-dry as necessary. If you no longer see an improvement they are as restored as possible.

For film that is found as a dried mass stuck to itself, paper or plastic the challenge is much greater. Allow the film to soak overnight in clean water and a film wetting agent. Slowly, gently try to separate the layers of film from themselves or the paper. Each section of film needs to be handeled by it self and what it is stuck to. Plastic may release quite easily while paper may stick almost as tightly as the film to other film. When seperated place in a water bath containing a negative wetting agent for a short time and dry it by hanging it by clothes pins. Grip the film on an edge rather than the film face. Re-rinse and re-dry as necessary. If you no longer see an improvement they are as restored as possible.

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Water & Flood Damage Links
FEMA Guidelines For Water Damaged Photos
University Of Iowa Guidelines For Water Damaged Photos

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