First few minutes
Just happened? Do this first
- Wet paper: lay it flat and let it air dry right away.
- Loose dust on paper: brush from the inside toward the edges.
- Loose dust on a photo: use an air-bulb blower and nothing else.
- Stuck-on or embedded marks: stop and see a conservator.
Paper can't take water, solvent or heat, so at home you're limited to dry work on loose dust and surface dirt. Many marks on old paper, like foxing, tide lines and mold staining, sit inside the sheet, and home surface cleaning won't lift them. Valuable items are often best left as they are and better stored, while tape residue, insect deposits and rust need a conservator.
Brush away loose dust from book pages with a soft brush, working from the spine outward. Foxing stains on books sit inside the sheet, so a brush won't fix them. For stains on photos or posters, dry brushing is the most you should try at home.
Before you start
What this material can take
Use with care1
- Scrubbing and abrasives
Avoid5
- Water
- Hot water
- Soaking
- Solvents (alcohol, spot removers)
- Heat, once the stain is out
4 items
What you'll need
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- Clean, dry hands or clean nitrile glovesKeeps dirt and skin oils off the paper and the image. (opens Amazon)
- Air-bulb blowerRemoves loose dust from photographs without touching the surface. (opens Amazon)
- Soft natural-bristle brushLifts loose debris off paper without scratching it. (opens Amazon)
- Non-colored vinyl eraser, grated into crumbsLifts light surface dirt from loose sheets in short strokes. (opens Amazon)
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7 steps
Step by step
Step 1 of 7
Decide whether to treat it
Start by deciding whether the item is worth treating at home at all. If it's valuable or you're unsure, stop here and let a conservator look at it first. Photographs need a photograph conservator.
Step 2 of 7
Air dry any wet paper
If the item is wet, lay it flat so it can air dry right away. Freeze it only if it can't air dry within two days.
Tip. Keep the item out of direct heat while it dries.
Careful. Never freeze old photographs or negatives.
Step 3 of 7
Clean your hands or gloves
Wash your hands and dry them well, or put on clean nitrile gloves before you touch the item. Hold photographs by the edges and keep your fingers off the image.
Tip. Work on a clean, flat surface so the item stays put.
Step 4 of 7
Test a hidden spot first
On paper, choose a small, unobtrusive spot such as a margin away from the writing. Test the brush there and watch closely for smearing or lifting of ink or graphite; if you see either, stop.
Tip. Check the test spot in the same light you'll be working in.
Step 5 of 7
Brush or blow off loose debris
On paper, brush loose debris off with a clean, soft natural-bristle brush, working from the inside toward the edges. On a photograph, use an air-bulb blower to remove loose dust only, and leave everything else alone.
Careful. Don't use canned air on photographs.
Step 6 of 7
Lift light dirt with eraser crumbs
Grate a non-colored vinyl eraser and rub the crumbs over loose sheets in short, random strokes. Brush the crumbs away afterward, and skip this step for photographs.
Careful. Eraser crumbs get trapped in the gutter of a book, so keep them out of bound pages.
Step 7 of 7
Stop at embedded stains
Once the loose material is gone, stop: tide lines, mold stains and mat burn are embedded and won't lift with brushing or crumbs. If you're dealing with mold stains, keep the humidity between 40% and 65% so the mold doesn't regrow.
Careful. Don't try to remove active mold; it may only spread or smear.
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 →Know the stain? Use its own guide
Every stain on paper, books & photos
Ink, marker & crayon5
Paint, glue & adhesives7
Food & drink5
Oil & grease1
Water, rust & minerals3
Mold & outdoor1
Body fluids2
Wax, gum & sticky3
Discoloration & marks4
Smoke & burns2
No match. Try the main search for anything else.
How to tell it's working
You're done when the loose dust is gone and the page looks evenly clean in good light, with no new smudges. If ink or graphite starts to smear or lift at any point, stop right there. Whatever remains after that is embedded, and it belongs with a conservator.
What changes for yours
Adjust for your paper, books & photos
Photos, pictures, prints, and posters
Photos get the gentlest treatment of all. Use only an air-bulb blower for loose dust, and hold the print by its edges. Skip the brush and eraser crumbs, since the surface of a photo can't take them.
If the mark is on the image itself, or the print is stuck to another, stop and take it to a photograph conservator. Home cleaning won't lift those.
Book pages and edges
Bound pages get brushing only, with no eraser of any kind. Work with a soft natural-bristle brush from the inside of the page toward the edge, and keep the book open only as wide as it sits comfortably.
Test a hidden edge first, since ink can lift even when the brush looks gentle. If the discoloration is in the paper itself, such as foxing or tide lines, the book needs a conservator.
Passport or passport page
A passport page is a bound paper page, so the book rules apply: brushing only, with no eraser of any kind. Keep any cleaning light and away from the printed details, since those are the parts you can't replace.
If you can't tell what the page is made of, or the mark looks like ink that's already lifting, don't rub it at all. Take it to a conservator instead.
Money and dollar bills
A bill is still paper, so the dry approach applies: test a corner first, then brush off loose dirt with a soft natural-bristle brush. Hold the note by its edges so your fingers don't add marks.
If the mark doesn't brush off, leave it alone, since the paper steps have done all they can. A stained bill can't be fixed well at home, so don't try a household remedy on it.
Cardboard, documents, notebooks, and other paper items
Loose documents follow the full paper method, from the test spot to the crumbs. Bound notebooks follow the book rule instead, with brushing only and no eraser of any kind.
A label or sticker stuck to the paper is a conservator's job, not a brushing job. Anything that feels fragile, or that you can't identify, is best left to a conservator as well.
Old, dried or set-in stains
Old stains that have been sitting for years are usually part of the paper itself, such as foxing or a tide line. Surface cleaning won't touch them, so don't keep trying with the same tools.
A stain that has dried into the paper is the same problem: it's embedded, and nothing wet is safe to use on it at home. Once the surface is clean, the realistic goal is to stop it from getting worse.
If the mark is still there after it dries, be realistic: no home treatment will lift it. Improving how the item is stored and getting a paper conservator's opinion is the sensible next step, especially for an item of collector's value.
Vinegar, baking soda, peroxide and more
Do home remedies work on paper, books & photos?
Home remedies for stains often show up in lists online, and most of them are wet or solvent-based. Paper can't take either at home, so none of them appear in the steps above. Each one is a poor match for paper because it's wet or solvent-based.
Avoid7
What makes it worse
Mistakes to avoid
Don't stick tape or glue to it
Self-stick tape can be extremely difficult to remove, even when it's marketed as 'archival', so keep it away from paper. Tape, sticky notes, glue, adhesives and magnetic self-adhesive album pages should never touch a photograph.
Don't use a block or electric eraser
Block, putty, electric and commercial abrasive erasers are off-limits on paper. The grated vinyl crumbs in the steps are the only eraser to use.
Don't wet paper, even to test it
Paper can't take water, hot water, soaking or solvents at home, so don't test them on a corner either. Soaking stuck-together wet prints in cold water can cause irreversible damage.
Don't store paper near heat
Keep paper in a cool, relatively dry place, away from radiators and vents. A shelf near a heat source is a poor place to leave it while you work on it.
Don't clean brittle or flaking items
Brittle paper, flaking ink, loose pastel, pencil or charcoal, and hand-colored items shouldn't be surface-cleaned at all. Brushing or rubbing can take the loose material with it, so take these to a conservator.
When to call a professional
Take an item to a paper conservator when it's valuable, has damage that keeps getting worse, gets handled often, or has embedded stains, tape residue, insect or rust deposits. Photographs go to a photograph conservator. If you're unsure, ask before you try anything at home.
Questions
How long do wet stains take to clear, and should you use blotting paper?
Start drying right away rather than waiting: lay the wet paper flat to air dry. Skip blotting paper; air drying the item flat is the safe step. If it can't air dry within two days, freeze it, unless it's an old photo or negative.
Can I use vinegar, peroxide or dish soap on a paper stain?
No, these are wet remedies, and paper can't take water or solvent-based cleaners at home. Skip white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, dish soap and rubbing alcohol, since each is a wet or solvent-based treatment. A drink, fat or glue mark that doesn't brush or crumb off belongs with a conservator.
Can I freeze a wet photograph to save it?
No. Old photographs and negatives should never be frozen. Lay a wet print flat to air dry right away, and take it to a photograph conservator if it's valuable.
Can I remove a stain from a photo at home?
Only loose dust, with an air-bulb blower. Photographs can't take surface cleaning, so a mark on the image itself, or anything stuck to the print, needs a photograph conservator.
What is foxing, and can you remove it?
Foxing is the spotting that shows up on old paper and books. Home surface cleaning won't remove it, so the realistic goal is good storage and a conservator's opinion if the item matters to you.
Where should I keep old paper?
Keep it in a cool, relatively dry place, away from radiators and vents. If the item is valuable, a conservator can also tell you how to store it.
Can I clean a stained banknote or dollar bill?
Only dry: test a corner first, then brush off loose dirt with a soft natural-bristle brush. If the mark doesn't brush off, leave the bill alone, because wet cleaning isn't safe on paper.
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.