1. Don't let the photos dry out! As the photographs dry, they will stick to each other and any other materials they may come into contact with. You'll find it impossible to pull them apart without causing potentially irreparable damage.
  2. Photographs shouldn't stay wet for more than two-or-three days. This is the recommended time frame to scan the images before you try pulling anything apart or doing anything that will further damage them.
  3. While 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 daily. The chlorine in tap water is enough to prevent the growth of fungi and other biological threats.
  4. Rinse photos in a container of cold, clear running water. Don't run the water directly over the photos because that could damage the chemical emulsion and potentially cause permanent damage. Keep rinsing them until the run-off water is clear.
  5. Carefully remove the photographs (or negatives) from the water, taking the smallest quantity possible. Pull them out of their wrappers and gently separate them. DO NOT FORCE THEM APART. Separate as many as possible before returning them to the cold water and starting on another batch. Repeat the separate-soak cycle as many times as necessary. If you cannot separate materials without forcing the issue, you'll have to accept the corresponding damage.
  6. Once materials are separated, store them in water until you can wash them individually using cold, clean running water. Use cotton balls, a soft cotton cloth or soft foam rubber brush to remove foreign objects. Rinse photographs or negatives one more time after cleaning is complete.
  7. Hang-dry prints or negatives from a clothesline. Make sure they will not be exposed to dust.

If all else fails, or the recovered photos have been damaged, bring them in for Photo Restoration.

And remember, if you use our Shoebox Scanning services, you'll never have to worry about losing those images. You may lose the print, but you'll never lose the memory.