Heather is Forever Studios Lead Historical Researcher, and our main Staff Writer. She has an extensive background in media, the arts, and publishing. Enjoy her fresh takes on all sorts of photo, video & art subjects.

Heather F.

Before & After Restored Photos: Old Photo Restoration.

Before and After photo restoration service

How to Save and Restore Water Damaged Photos: Guide

how to save water damaged photos

Can I Still Restore Old Photos at Walgreens?

walgreens-photo-restoration-service

Photographs are irreplaceable, physical pieces of the past that allow us to revisit fond memories. Sometimes, they are the only surviving visual links to a person long gone. As depressing as that particular concept is, it's reality. So, it's important to maintain the integrity of photos, and the only way to do that is by cleaning and properly storing them.
&nbsp;
<img src="https://memoya-production.s3.amazonaws.com/images-blog/310a20a4-fc47-4eef-b0c8-8f1ef97f5216.jpg">
An old, but important photo of a family member.
&nbsp;
<h2 style="text-align: left;">How Do I Clean Photos?</h2>
Cleaning photos is not difficult at all, but the process requires patience. And! You will need expensive equipment! Just kidding&hellip; Seriously, the stuff required to clean photos you either already own or you can pick up at a local store for cheap.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h3 style="text-align: left;">WORD OF WARNING:</h3>
Cleaning an old photograph without knowing the process can lead to permanent damage that only <a href="https://foreverstudios.com/">photo restoration</a> services can fix!&nbsp; If that sounds like a pain or a legitimate concern, my advice would be to go to the professionals at Forever Studios before you try cleaning photos on your own!
&nbsp;
<a href="https://foreverstudios.com/old-photo-restoration/"><img src="https://memoya-production.s3.amazonaws.com/images-blog/b018b03a-17da-4954-b6ef-732f86bbb01c.jpg"></a>
&nbsp;
<h3 style="text-align: left;">TOOLS</h3>
First and foremost, like any good project, the task requires certain tools.
&nbsp;
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>
A clean and soft towel (time to shop the linen closet)
</li>
<li>
A pair of white, lint-free cotton gloves (please get new ones; don't wear an old pair from Halloween)
</li>
<li>
A soft brush with the most delicate, soft bristles or a white microfiber cloth
</li>
<li>
A photo-cleaning spray
</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;
<img src="https://memoya-production.s3.amazonaws.com/images-blog/1120730b-129d-49c9-b325-1998f788c44b.jpg">
Get ready to clean your photo with the proper tools.
&nbsp;
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Follow the Instructions, PLEASE!</h2>
The photo cleaning process, when done correctly, is safe. That being said, don't go crazy scrubbing your photos. Even the softest brush can cause scratches, and no one wants that. Goodness, can you imagine, you're just scrubbing away, and all of a sudden, your aunt's face is gone.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h3 style="text-align: left;">TIME TO CLEAN!</h3>
Before you work on your photos, lay the towel on a flat surface and place the negatives on top. Then, put on the gloves. White gloves let you see when they become too dirty with dust that may transfer to the photos. Hold the photograph by the edges and use the brush or cloth to gently remove the dirt particles from the pictures. Start from the middle of the image and keep brushing outwards. If you have a compressed air can, blow away any fine dust particles from the surface.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<img src="https://memoya-production.s3.amazonaws.com/images-blog/b7e520a7-b691-44a1-b3a1-136d59bf7769.jpg">
Once you get down the process, its time to clean the collection!&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h3 style="text-align: left;">ADHESIVE RESIDUE</h3>
After brushing off the dust, check the photo for any adhesive residue. Be extra gentle to get it off! I speak from personal experience. Depending on how much is stuck on the photo's surface, you will be tempted to scrub harder. Learn from my mistakes! I lost a baby photo of myself doing that, and my father was not happy.
&nbsp;
<h3 style="text-align: left;">STAINS&nbsp;</h3>
To remove stains, use a photo-cleaning solution. Read the instructions and make sure the solution is meant for photos. Do not use a lot of the solution; otherwise, it might damage the photo. Let the photo air dry, and voil&agrave;, your old photo cleaning process is done.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h3 style="text-align: left;">WHAT TO DO WHEN THINGS DON&rsquo;T GO PERFECTLY&nbsp;</h3>
If there are stains or ingrained dust that won't go away, don't try to force the situation! If you went through the rather tedious process of cleaning your photos and some stuff didn&rsquo;t come off, it&rsquo;s ok! One of our professional graphic designers at <a href="https://foreverstudios.com/old-photo-restoration/">Forever Studios</a> can touch up a digital version of your photo to make it look brand new.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Detaching Photo From Glass.</h2>
Old framed photos often get stuck to the glass, especially in frames with cheap, unmatted glass exposed to air moisture. It's annoying, but there are ways to unstick them. Whatever you do, don't rip them off like a bandaid! That's a good way to rip a photo or have a portion of an image adhered to the glass.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<img src="https://memoya-production.s3.amazonaws.com/images-blog/078fd9fb-1d4d-4e4c-bfe9-b96f354c4231.jpg">
Ancestral photo behind glass.&nbsp; Be careful!
&nbsp;
<h3 style="text-align: left;">STEP 1:</h3>
Use deionized water (it has a low mineral level, so there is less chance of the image getting stained) to remove the photos. If you are dealing with an heirloom or something equally irreplaceable, dip a Q-tip in the water and rub it on a small corner of the photo. If the paper remains intact, slowly submerge the picture and roll it back and forth.
&nbsp;
<h3 style="text-align: left;">STEP 2:&nbsp;</h3>
After about half an hour, flip the photo over. You should notice air bubbles between the glass and the picture. Gently rub your fingers on the back of the paper to push out the air bubbles. Submerge it for another hour, and then use a little force to see if the glass releases on its own. If it doesn't, do not try to push harder or it might damage the photo even further!
&nbsp;
<img src="https://memoya-production.s3.amazonaws.com/images-blog/302946f7-c140-42cf-8f84-48c1909ef50b.jpg">
Enjoy your family photo memories like never before.
&nbsp;
<h3 style="text-align: left;">STEP 3 (IF NEEDED):</h3>
Should parts of the image remain stuck to the glass, put the photograph back in the water and wait for another half an hour. You can use a razor blade to carefully push the photo away from the glass, but if there is any resistance, don't apply force. I feel a little bit like a broken record here, but I can't stress it enough, be bloody careful!
&nbsp;
Now, this should be common sense, but just in case, here's another warning: do not use the razor near the image. I repeat: do not use the SHARP razor near the&nbsp;
image.
&nbsp;
<h3 style="text-align: left;">STEP 4:</h3>
Once the photo has been removed from the glass, hang it to dry. To get it properly flat, apply pressure for at least 3 days or iron the photo over several layers of cloth.
&nbsp;
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Proper Photo Care.</h2>
To prevent old photographs from suffering this unfortunate fate, my advice is to use mats the next time you frame them. It'll help. You can also use frames with glass that have no ripple effect on the surface, which can block UV rays. Also, dust your photo frames at least once every month! I hate dusting (seriously, it's the worst chore ever), but it does help keep photos in good, undamaged condition.
&nbsp;
<img src="https://memoya-production.s3.amazonaws.com/images-blog/b26980a7-fb8c-464b-826b-9fc5a679709f.jpg">
Master the smaller photos? Time to start removing frames from your wall!
&nbsp;
<h3 style="text-align: left;">ONE RATHER EMBARRASSING STORY</h3>
One more thing: keep kids away from precious photos or at least monitor them. Please don't laugh at me. When I was 8 years old, I wanted to make the frame of a pretty photo of my mom and myself smell nice. I sprayed perfume on it, and the photo turned black and white! Like I said, learn from my mistakes, folks.
&nbsp;
<h2 style="text-align: left;">Digitize Precious Photos.</h2>
Before you start cleaning your photos, or if you don't want to deal with the task at all, may I suggest taking them to a <a href="https://foreverstudios.com/old-photo-restoration/">photo restoration</a> specialist at Forever Studios? They know how to safely restore your valuable mementos.
&nbsp;
<a href="https://foreverstudios.com/old-photo-restoration/"><img style="float: left;" src="https://memoya-production.s3.amazonaws.com/images-blog/ae1832be-f7da-4d4f-942f-4f4088c5edfc.jpg"></a>

How to clean and restore old photos.

Learn how to clean old photographs without damaging them. Then restore your damaged photos to keep your family photo history saved for generations to come.

how-to-clean-restore-old-photos

Our amazing team of pro technicians regularly capture all sorts of incredible media from years gone by. Read about some of these awesome stories, check out the work we did on them, and hear directly from the team about their challenges and accomplishments.

Analogue to Digital Stories - Capture the Past

Analog to Digital

Analogue to Digital Stories - Capture the Past | Forever Studios

Explore the world of photo restoration and enhancement with the Forever Studios Art Team. Our group of world-class artists are always developing amazing new ways to give new life to old photos. And some of the things they get to work on are amazing pieces of history.

Photo Miracles - Making Magic Happen

Photo Miracles

Photo Miracles - Making Magic Happen | Forever Studios

Forever Studios Insider

FS Insider

Forever Studios Insider | Forever Studios

Enjoy a look into the latest major developments here at Forever Studios, America’s choice for making the memories last forever. Come along with us as we strive to become the nation’s number one provider of analogue to digital services.

Reviews, News & Announcements - Always & Forever

News & Updates

Enjoy a look into the latest major developments here at Forever Studios, America’s choice for making the memories last forever. Come along with us as we strive to become the nation’s number one provider of analogue to digital services. You’ll find all of our major announcements right here.

Reviews, News & Announcements - Always & Forever | Forever Studios

Enjoy a look into the latest major developments here at Forever Studios

Join the Creative Team in their endeavors to develop and create the finest gifts, keepsakes & photo art in the business. Get design tips and see how Forever Studios art can spice up your interior decorating. Get a closer look at some of the great projects we’ve made for people all over the country.

Unique Art & Gifts - Forever Keepsakes

Art & Gifts

Unique Art & Gifts - Forever Keepsakes | Forever Studios

Forever Studios is a proud member of the South Florida business community, and our roots here go all the way back to 2007. We love getting involved in local flavor, and helping our local neighbors. Being a part of preserving South Florida’s history is something we take very seriously, and here is where you can take a look at some of the highlights of those stories.  

Florida Memories

Florida VHS to DVD + Photo Scanning | Forever Studios

A list of areas near South Florida that we service directly, with interesting tidbits of info for each location.

Forever Studios Local Service Locations

Locations

Every town in South Florida within Miami, Broward & Palm Beach counties that is served by Forever Studios | South Florida's Best Media Digitizing Service

South Florida Media Digitizing

The locations served by Forever Studios local to the South Florida area.

We Make America’s Memories Last Forever.

We Make America’s Favorite Memories Last Forever.