Many of our most prized possessions are photograph albums.If your photo album gets wet, what can you do?There are some things to try.
Step 1: The photos should be removed from the album.
Take the photographs out of the mountings or sleeves.Don't take the picture if it threatens to tear.Keep the leaves of the album open by drying the photographs in place.
Step 2: The photos need to be dry.
After getting them out of the album, the first thing to do is to dry them.The preferred method is to hang them on a line.The water runs down the page to the point where the top part of the paper can dry first, keeping downward pressure on the drying paper.If you can't hang them, they will dry on an absorbent material such as a kitchen or paper towel.It could cause damage to the surface.
Step 3: Take any photos that are stuck together.
Exposure to water is part of the chemical development process for conventional photographs.Take the photographs for at least an hour in water.Carefully peel apart.
Step 4: Take photos with sticky or other liquid in them.
If the album was wet, you can clean it off by soaking it and drying it.Coffee, tea, grape juice, wine, and the like may not come off very easily.
Step 5: You should consult a professional.
Nothing worked?Is the photographs damaged?It is possible that a professional photography restoration is needed.Professional photographers, antique restoration professionals, and sometimes colleges and universities are where you can find these services.