How to preserve photos, paintings, textiles, furniture damaged in floodwaters

Historic Columbia’s Department of Cultural Resources staff is offering free consultation services for basic preservation of damaged items, such as paintings, family photos, furniture, and textiles.

Staff will come to affected areas as resources allow. Below is a checklist to help homeowners salvage items during the cleanup.

For more information, contact historiccolumbia.org

General points

Avoid drying wet things in direct sunlight.

Use paper towels to blot off excess water. Newspapers can rub ink onto other paper.

Un-frame works of art or photos behind glass if wet.

Many water-damaged items can be repaired or conserved – do not be too hasty in throwing them away.

If a stack of family photos is stuck together, put in paper towel and freeze. They can be slowly thawed out and separated later.

Take a digital photo of printed photos if they are heavily damaged. The digital image can later be printed and the damage retouched.

Framed objects/ works on paper/ photographs

Un-frame if wet.

Use paper towels to blot.

Dry flat out of the direct sun.

Furniture

Clean mud and dirt off with paper towel and clean water.

Avoid drying in direct sun. This will cause wood to crack, especially veneers.

Avoid using heavy cleaning agents, such as bleach wipes, as they can strip wood of its finish.

Metal objects

Clean off mud/dirt with clean water.

Dry with paper towel.

Do not apply solvents like WD40 on sculpture or other works of art in metal.

Ceramics/glass

Clean with soap and water.

Ceramics and glass normally do not “pick up” and hold mud and dirt. They can be cleaned.

Textiles

Delicate fabrics should be carefully hand washed using dye and perfume free detergent and cold, distilled water.

Wash only as a necessity, as some dyes can and will run.

Do not wring the fabric after washing-put it between layers of clean dry towels and gently squeeze out water. Hang to dry in indirect light.

Submitted by Historic Columbia

This story was originally published October 7, 2015 at 4:27 PM with the headline "How to preserve photos, paintings, textiles, furniture damaged in floodwaters."