Washing the Photographs

It is a basic conservation technique intended to provide chemical and physical stability of the photograph by removing soluble deterioration products and soluble adhesive.

You need: 

• plastic tray

• filtered water

• Hollytex -two pieces

• Felts – two pieces

How to do

1. Put the photograph between two pieces of Hollytex which should be bigger than the photograph.
2. Lay down them altogether in the plastic tray.
3. Spray it with the filtered water in order to make the photograph wet.
4. Pour filtered cold water over them and let them wash for 20 minutes.
5. Pour the water out and repeat the same procedure once more.
6. Place them on plexi-glass that is slanted, so the excess water will run off.
7. Put them between two pieces of Hollytex and felts over the night to dry.   

 Note: Before washing the photograph should be surface cleaned because during the washing the dirt can be embedded in the photograph.