Cleaning Media

Slides and Film Negatives

Film, slides and negatives must be completely dry before cleaning or digitizing. Working with damp or wet film will cause additional damage. Analog media stored in damp areas are at risk for spot swelling and/or streaking. Mold, fungus and water damage can be partially fixed by professionals with access to film cleaning solutions.

Use a hand-held air pump, a soft brush or soft lint free cloth to remove dust, dirt and smudges. Compressed air may leave an oily film that will require a solution to remove; incorrectly applied film cleaning solutions can cause irreversible damage to slides, negatives and photos.

Photographs

Soft 100% Cotton cloths gently remove fingerprints, smudges and surface dust. Damage caused by water, UV light exposure (drying), or embedded debris should be handled by a professional to prevent further photo damage.

Scratches, tears and embedded dirt can be partially or completely removed with photo editing software such as Adobe Photoshop.

VHS, 8mm and Audio Cassette Tapes

Cleaning VHS/8mm/audio cassette tapes can be difficult and time consuming. Professionals with equipment for cleaning film and cassette tapes can do this quickly and safely.

DO NOT put wet, damp or visibly dirty (dirt, dust and grime) cassette tapes into a player to test play or re-wind. This can damage the cassette tape and also damage the machine.

Manually cleaning tape is time consuming and the removal of the cassette casing is required. 'Welded' together (no screws) cassette cases will be difficult, sometimes impossible to put back together. Take care when deciding to take apart the cassette casing and perform the following steps:

1. Allow damp or wet tape to dry completely.
2. Once totally dry – if not too dirty, grimy or mouldy – rewind the tape or fast-forward (which ever end will be reached first).
3. Get at least 2 lint-free anti-static cloths.
4. Carefully open the cassette tape casing with a small screwdriver.
5. Use the lint-free cloths to clean the entire length of the tape on BOTH sides
6. Clean tape in small sections to ensure that it doesn’t get tangled or become cumbersome to keep wrapped.
7. Re-insert and close the tape reels into the case (if not damaged or too dirty or temporarily use a clean cassette case for digitization).