After choosing, use the arrow keys to navigate. A menu of the materials at the bottom of the screen will allow you to return to the menu or choose another type of treasure. Highlighted links will take you to images and resources on each topic. Click on the images to learn more about how to save that type of item from water damage. Safety VideosPhotos Books Find HelpProtect site map restart

It may be possible to save water damaged or stuck together photos but you must act swiftly. Before you do anything, see if you can locate undamaged negatives. If so, you will be able to have new prints made. Prints should be salvaged first. Air-dry or freeze as soon as possible, since photographs can be damaged very quickly. If possible, put wax paper between each photograph to prevent image transfer and stop photographs from sticking together. Rinse dirt with gentle stream of water or immersion with gentle agitation. Do not touch with bare hands, as this can damage the surface. Separate from enclosures or frames and each other. If stuck together or adhered to glass, soak and separate, or set aside for freezing and consultation with a conservator. Do not try to separate photographs while they are dry. General guidelines for stabilizing and drying wet photographs

Allow excess water to drain. Spread photos out, face up, laying them flat on an absorbent material such as blotters, unprinted newsprint, paper towels, or a clean cloth. Don't use newspapers or printed paper towels, as the ink may transfer to your wet photos. Change the paper every hour or two until the photos dry. Hanging photographs on a clothesline using non- abrasive clothespins is also an option for air-drying photographs. You will reduce the growth of mold and mildew by reducing humidity. Increase airflow with fans, open windows, air conditioners, and dehumidifiers. Avoid drying the photos in direct sunlight. Dry negatives vertically. Hang on a line with plastic clips placed at the edges. If space and time permit, photos should be air-dried

Only freeze photographs if air-drying is not possible or if they are stuck together; the formation of ice crystals might leave marks on the film. Interleave or wrap individual photographs or groups of photographs before freezing with a non-woven polyester material or waxed paper. You can also place groups of stuck-together photos in plastic bags. This will make them easier to separate when they are eventually treated.Frozen photographs are best dried by thawing, followed by air drying. As a stack of photographs thaws, individual photographs can be carefully peeled from the group and placed face up on a clean, absorbent surface to air dry. Freezing Photographs buys time for conservation

Paper will begin to distort immediately; mold can develop within 48 hours. Damp books in warm humid areas are most subject to rapid mold growth. Mold is detrimental to books, as the mold feeds on the paper itself. Properly stored and undisturbed archival files will be less quickly affected. Very wet materials, or those still under water, will not develop mold. Tightly shelved books will develop mold only on the outer edges; do not separate or open these items until the environment is stabilized.If books or loose records printed on coated stock are allowed to air-dry, their leaves will be permanently fused together.Do not open or attempt to close wet books, separate single sheets, or remove covers when materials are water soaked. Do not attempt to wash dirt from wet materials. General guidelines

If necessary, use plastic sheeting or tarps to protect against further water damage and move unaffected materials to higher locations to protect from flooding. When cleaning up after a flood or water leak, remember that books and papers don't have to be directly in the water to suffer damage. The extra humidity from all of the water in the vicinity is enough to trigger the growth of mold. It is important to remove these books and papers from the wet location as soon as possible, moving them to a location with fans to speed air circulation and lower humidity. General Tips: Stabilize the Environment

Books may take anywhere from several days to several weeks to fully dry, depending on how water-saturated the books were. Air drying is the best method for drying books at home if time and space allow. To start, set up books by standing them upright on the head (top) end. Do not fan pages; simply open the covers slightly and let stand while drying. Stand books on several sheets of absorbent paper or blank newsprint. Replace the paper as it absorbs water. Interleave blank newsprint between some pages. Change the interleaving frequently and take care not to distort the book by too much interleaving. Standing the book in front of a fan is safe, as long as the air current is not very strong. As the book dries open it flat and add more interleaving. When books are almost dry, remove the interleaving, close the book gently, and continue drying it under a light weight to minimize distortion. Air Drying

If materials cannot be dried within 48 hours, freeze them until they can be dried, as freezing will not dry materials or kill mold spores (it will prevent their growth) but buys time. Freezing increases the thickness of bound volumes, but will do no more damage. Once frozen, items should be stored at about 0ºF. Freezing

After your papers and books are completely dry, they may still suffer from a residual musty smell. To combat this, place the papers in a cool, dry place for a couple of days. If the musty smell still lingers, put the books or papers in an open box and put that inside a larger, closed container with an open box of baking soda to absorb odors. Be careful not to let the baking soda touch the books, and check the box daily for mold. After the books are dry

Do not attempt to play back wet tapes. Do not freeze. Do not touch tape with bare hands. Immediately and gently rinse tapes soaked by dirty water using only distilled water, as the chemicals in even tap water will damage the tape. Short-term exposure to water does not destroy most magnetic tapes. Do not unwind tapes or remove from reels or spools. Air-drying is preferable. Expose tapes to an environment of cool, dry air. Remove paper inserts and wet cardboard to reduce the possibility of mold growth. General Tips

Dry within 48 hours. Otherwise, tapes can stay submerged for several days. Delay in recovery is likely to destroy some tapes. Never use heat. Heat can cause distortion and can accelerate damaging chemical reactions. In-house drying is best done by exposing the tapes to an environment of cool, dry air. Air-dry by supporting cassettes or reels vertically or lying on sheets of clean blotter paper. Air movement around the tapes during drying is important to remove evaporating moisture but do not direct a strong air current directly on the tapes. Too strong an air current can cause tape to vibrate inside cassette shells and cause tape damage. Allow tapes to dry fully before storing, as the inside of tape cases can support mold growth which will destroy the video. Air Drying

Rinse photographs gently to remove dirt. Do not scrub, as this will grind the dirt into the image.

Wrap books in freezer, butcher, or wax paper before freezing. After the book is fully frozen, ice crystals can be brushed off and the book can be allowed to thaw. Freezing does not stop damage or prevent mold, but buys time for conservation.

Book pages act as sponges for the water and make the book expand. Trying to force the book into its “regular” size will damage the book.

Dirt and debris on the outside of cases can make its way inside and settle on the tape reel. Soaking the tapes in distilled water helps remove the sediment. If you open the cases, a conservator may have to reassemble them. Do not unwind the tapes!

Plastic sheeting protects dry surfaces. Replace absorbent paper when it becomes saturated.

Photographs that have become stuck together can be carefully separated after soaking or freezing. Photographs in frames can be gently pulled away from the glass while soaking. Allowing the photo to dry in the frame will result in the image being fused to the glass.

If you choose to hang photographs on a clothesline to dry, be sure not to pin over the image!

If mold begins to grow on a book, it’s best to consult a conservator, since the mold might be toxic. Do not spray the books with Lysol or bleach, since it will not prevent mold growth and it can be harmful to the book’s paper.

If you have enough space, lay out images on a flat surface covered with absorbent materials. The edges may curl, so you can weight the corners, or wait until the photographs are dry to press them flat under the weight of a stack of books.

Interleaving just means to place something between the pages. In this case, you’ll want to use blank newsprint as the interleaving material. Don’t worry about placing interleaving between every page, and replace it as it gets saturated.

After interleaving the books, they can be placed in front of a fan to speed drying. Leave the fan on a low speed so that the pages of the book won’t become damaged.

Simple plastic bags can help keep photographs (or groups of stuck together photographs) separated.

Even after the flood, materials can be damaged by their surroundings. Covering dry materials with plastic sheeting or tarps will help to keep them protected.

When photographs are allowed to dry before they are separated, the image surface is damaged.

The light grey shows mold growth- as the whole tape should be black.

Remember that your life is more important than any family treasure. Make sure that the building is safe before you try to salvage anything. Wear protective face gear or masks, latex gloves and long sleeves. Wear boots if there is standing contaminated water. If mold and/or contamination is present, wear a respirator. Some mold species and/or contaminants are toxic; if any health effects are observed, contact a doctor and/or mycologist (mold expert). When cleaning items with dry mold, make sure the mold spores are drawn away from you, i.e. by the use of a vacuum cleaner. Wash your hands with anti-bacterial soap after handling materials with mold or contamination. Wash any clothes that touched the contaminated water in hot water or bleach. General guidelines

1. Procedures: A conservator will want to examine the object before suggesting a treatment. Prior to beginning a treatment, the conservator should provide for your review and approval a written preliminary examination report with a description of the proposed treatment, expected results, and estimated cost. 2. Cost and Schedule: The conservator should be willing to discuss the basis for all charges. Determine if there are separate rates for preliminary examination and evaluation and if these preliminary charges are separate or deductible from the final contact. Ask questions about insurance, payment terms, shipping, and additional charges. 3. Documentation: The conservator should provide a treatment report when treatment is completed. Such reports may vary in length and form but should list materials and procedures used. The final report may, if appropriate, include photographic records documenting condition before and after treatment. Recommendations for continued care and maintenance may also be provided. All records should be retained for reference in case the object requires treatment in the future. What to Expect

The American Institute of Conservators (AIC) maintains a database of professional conservators throughout the United States. Finding a conservator in your area is convenient, but keep in mind that you may have to send materials to another state or area in order to receive the best quality work. Poor restoration not only costs you money, but it also can ruin the item you were trying to save. The next page will include questions to ask a conservator before hiring them. How to find a Conservator

Ask each potential conservator for the following information: training, length of professional experience, scope of practice (whether conservation is primary activity), experience in working with the kind of object for which you seek help, involvement in conservation, availability, and references from previous clients. You are making a very important decision. Contact references and previous clients. The quality of conservation work is most accurately evaluated based on the technical and structural aspects of the treatment in addition to the cosmetic appearance; another conservation professional may be able to help you make this evaluation. Questions to Ask

Ask each potential conservator for the following information: training, length of professional experience, scope of practice (whether conservation is primary activity), experience in working with the kind of object for which you seek help, involvement in conservation, availability, and references from previous clients. You are making a very important decision. Contact references and previous clients. The quality of conservation work is most accurately evaluated based on the technical and structural aspects of the treatment in addition to the cosmetic appearance; another conservation professional may be able to help you make this evaluation. Questions to Ask