First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Pick off large wet or dry pieces by hand, and don't rub wet dough into the paper.
- Chill putty with ice cubes so it hardens, then scrape with a dull knife or spoon.
- Keep water and solvents away from the paper.
- Pull dried putty slowly; it often comes off in one piece.
Putty on paper is soft and sticky, so the first risk is smearing it across the surface while you try to clean it. Dried putty can usually be lifted away without much force, but paper can't take water or solvents, so every step has to stay dry. Valuable or heavily marked items, and anything with embedded marks, may be better left to a conservator than cleaned at home.
If you're trying to remove blu tack stains from paper, test any lifting method on a hidden corner first. Rubbing pushes the sticky residue into the fibers, so lift gently and keep the sheet flat. If the mark won't come up after a few gentle tries, don't reach for anything damp.
Before you start
What paper, books & photos can take
Use with care1
- Scrubbing and abrasives
Avoid5
- Water
- Hot water
- Soaking
- Solvents (alcohol, spot removers)
- Heat, once the stain is out
6 items
What you'll need
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- Clean hands or clean nitrile glovesKeeps oil and grime off the paper and lets you hold it by the edges. (opens Amazon)
- Ice cubesChill putty so it hardens and lifts off in pieces.
- Dull knife or spoonScrapes hardened putty without cutting the paper.
- Soft natural-bristle brushSweeps loose debris away from the surface. (opens Amazon)
- Grated, non-colored vinyl eraserIts crumbs lift the last traces when used in short strokes. (opens Amazon)
- Air-bulb blowerRemoves loose dust from photographs without touching them. (opens Amazon)
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7 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 7
Decide whether to treat it
If the item is valuable, has progressing damage or gets handled often, send it to a paper conservator instead of working on it yourself. For anything else, work through the steps in order and stop if the paper starts to change. If the stain is mold, don't try to remove active mold; for mold stains only, keep humidity between 40-65% so mold does not regrow.
Step 2 of 7
Handle the paper with clean hands
Hold the paper by its edges, or wear clean nitrile gloves, and keep your fingers off the image. Lay it on a clean, flat surface so it doesn't shift while you work.
Step 3 of 7
Dry out any wet material
If the dough or putty is wet, spread the item out to air dry right away, away from radiators and vents. If it can't air dry within two days, freeze it.
Careful. Never freeze old photographs or negatives.
Step 4 of 7
Chill and lift the putty
Chill putty or modeling clay with ice cubes so it hardens, keeping the ice off the paper itself. Once it's firm, pick off the bigger pieces by hand and scrape the rest gently with a dull knife or spoon, working at a shallow angle so you lift the putty rather than the paper.
Step 5 of 7
Brush away loose debris
Use a clean, soft natural-bristle brush, working from the inside toward the edges. Brush off the loose debris only, not the putty that is still stuck.
Step 6 of 7
Test the eraser on a hidden spot
Before going further, try grated, non-colored vinyl eraser crumbs on a small, unobtrusive spot. Watch for smearing or lifting of ink or graphite, and only continue if nothing moves.
Step 7 of 7
Lightly erase the last traces
Use the grated, non-colored vinyl eraser crumbs in short, random strokes across the stain. Stop there: surface cleaning won't remove heavy soiling or staining that has become embedded, such as tide lines, mold stains or mat burn.
Finished the steps? How does it look?
Nice work. Let it dry completely and check it again in good light. Here is what done looks like:
How to tell it's really gone →A faint mark usually needs one more round, not a stronger product.
If the stain was already dried or set, the method changes.
Old, dried or set-in stains →When to call a professional →How to tell it's working
The paper is finished when the eraser crumbs stop picking up any putty and the surface looks even. If ink or graphite starts to smear or lift at any point, stop at once and bring the item to a paper conservator.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your paper, books & photos
Photographs
Photographs get only loose dust removed, using an air-bulb blower. Hold them by the edges, and don't try to lift putty off the image yourself.
Surface cleaning isn't safe on photographs, so putty on a print or negative belongs with a photograph conservator. If the item is wet, let it air dry right away, away from radiators and vents.
Books and bound pages
Putty in a book calls for the same dry, gentle approach, with the pages opened only as far as the spot requires. Brush loose debris from the inside toward the edges before anything else.
Eraser granules get trapped in the gutter, so don't use eraser crumbs inside a book. Lift what you can by hand, and send anything left to a paper conservator.
Loose pastel, pencil or charcoal
Loose pastel, pencil or charcoal should not be surface-cleaned at all. Brushing or erasing can move the medium across the sheet.
If putty has landed on a drawing like this, ask a paper conservator to handle it before you touch the surface. Keep the item flat and dry while you wait.
Hand-colored items or flaking ink
Hand-colored items and flaking ink can't take surface cleaning. The brush and eraser steps can take color or ink with them.
Pick off only what comes away freely by hand, and leave the rest for a paper conservator. Stop as soon as anything resists.
Old, dried or set-in stains
Old putty that has sunk into the paper can't be lifted by the steps above, and home treatment has limits here. Stains that have gone into the paper, such as tide lines, mold stains or mat burn, are not removed by surface cleaning. Don't reach for solvents or water to finish the job, because the paper can't take either.
If the putty has dried, chill it again and lift it slowly, since dried putty often pulls off in one piece. Work slowly and stop as soon as anything begins to move on the paper.
If the stain is still there after the dry steps, stop. Embedded stains and tape residue belong with a conservator. For items of collector's value, the best choice may be to leave the stain as it is and improve how the item is stored.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on slime and putty on paper, books & photos?
Most household remedies depend on water or solvent, and paper can't take either. Water and solvents can ruin paper, so skip every remedy that depends on them. Salt is the only dry option, and it still won't lift putty or dough from paper.
Avoid7
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't use tape or sticky notes to lift putty
Self-stick tape can be extremely difficult to remove from paper, even when it's sold as archival. Sticky notes, glue and adhesives cause the same trouble, so keep them away from the item.
Don't use canned air on photographs
Canned air is too forceful for photographs. Use an air-bulb blower for loose dust instead.
Don't reach for a block or commercial eraser
Block, putty, electric and commercial abrasive erasers can damage paper. Stick to grated, non-colored vinyl eraser crumbs in short strokes.
Don't rub wet dough into the paper
Pressing wet dough into the fibers spreads the stain and makes it harder to lift. Pick it off by hand first and let the rest air dry.
When to call a professional
A paper conservator is the right choice when an item is valuable, has progressing damage, is handled often, or has embedded stains, tape residue, insect or rust deposits. For photographs, look for a photograph conservator, and ask before you start if you're unsure.
Questions
Can putty come off paper once it's dry?
Often, yes. Dried putty stays fairly pliable, so it can usually be pulled off slowly by hand.
Pull gently and check the surface after each pull. Stop if the paper starts to lift or the ink begins to move.
Can I wash the stain off with water?
No. Paper can't take water or any wet cleaning at home, so leave the stain dry and work with lifting and brushing. The water-based remedies listed above are off-limits for the same reason.
Is rubbing alcohol safe on paper?
No. Alcohol is a solvent, and surface cleaning of paper has to stay non-solvent, so it stays off the list even as a small test. Rely on the dry steps instead, and let a paper conservator handle anything that still won't lift.
Should I put the paper in the freezer?
Only as a fallback for wet material that can't air dry within two days. Air drying comes first, and photographs are the exception. If you're unsure whether an item is a photograph, treat it as one and skip the freezer.
What eraser should I use on paper?
A grated, non-colored vinyl eraser is the one to use, applied as crumbs in short, random strokes after brushing and a test on a hidden spot. Work gently and check the paper as you go, since the goal is to lift only the last traces.
What if I can't tell whether the item is valuable?
Treat it as valuable until you know more, and hold off on any treatment. A paper conservator can assess the item before anything touches the surface. That is the safer route when the owner, age or history of the piece is unclear.
Slime and Putty on other materials
Other stains on paper, books & photos
Start from the bigger picture
How we know this
Every method, amount and warning here comes from university extension services, industry bodies and product makers. We read them, check every step for unsafe combinations and changed amounts, and write it up so you can follow it.