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Conservation guide · Updated September 29, 2026

How to deal with mold on an old photo

Before you restore the image, the paper has to stop getting worse. Here is what the US National Archives recommends for mold, and what digital restoration does for the image.

Short answer

Cut off the source of moisture, handle the photo as little as possible (mold can be a health risk) and store it somewhere dry, away from leaks. To treat the paper, find a conservator: mold on an original photo is among the cases the National Archives sends to a professional. You recover the image separately: photograph or scan it once and restore the copy.

Avoid

  • Handling the moldy photo more than necessary
  • Storing it in a damp basement, a garage or a hot attic
  • White glue, aged adhesive tape, ordinary paper clips and PVC plastic
Already have the scanned photo? See the restoration preview
In this guide
  1. What to do right now, in order
  2. Materials that make it worse, materials that protect
  3. And the image? Restore the digital copy
  4. Frequently asked questions
  5. References

What to do right now, in order

  1. Cut off the source of moisture

    The National Archives says to remove the source of water or high humidity so the mold stops growing. Leaking pipes, windows and roofs are the sources the guide names.

  2. Limit handling

    According to the National Archives, mold can be a health risk. So touch the photo only as much as you must.

  3. Store it somewhere dry and cool

    Away from damp basements, garages and hot attics, away from leaks, and on a shelf so it cannot get wet. The guide's reference is a temperature below 75 °F (24 °C) and relative humidity below 65%, which helps prevent mold. Don't overdo it: relative humidity below 15% can make paper brittle.

  4. If the photo is valuable, call a conservator

    Consider the photo's value and whether it can be replaced. Mold on an original document is on the National Archives' list of cases to send to a conservator, and it advises consulting a professional to treat items that are valuable or have sentimental value. This matters most for the family photo with no other copy.

Materials that make it worse, materials that protect

While the photo waits, what touches it matters too. The list below follows the National Archives storage guide.

Avoid

  • White glue, hot glue or any unknown glue
  • Adhesive tape that has already degraded
  • Paper clips and staples that are not stainless steel
  • Unknown plastics and PVC
  • "Magnetic" albums, with adhesive pages and a clear plastic cover

Prefer

  • Lignin-free, acid-free (or buffered) boxes and folders
  • Acid-free envelopes and sheets
  • Polyester, polypropylene or polyethylene sleeves
  • Boxes that passed the PAT (Photographic Activity Test), for storing photographs

And the image? Restore the digital copy

Photograph or scan the photo just once, to handle the paper as little as possible, and upload the file. The restoration works on that copy.

The AI estimates the areas covered by stains from what remains around them. Where mold has erased a face or a detail, the result is interpretation, not recovery: check the preview carefully. The restoration is set up to keep people's features.

The output is always in color. On a color photo hit by mold, colors are recovered from what remains in the photo; on a black-and-white photo, you get natural colors that fit the era.

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

Can I clean the mold off the photo at home?

The National Archives page on mold has no cleaning walkthrough: it says to limit handling, cut off the source of moisture and consult a conservator for valuable or sentimental items; for treatment, it points to a salvage guide from a US conservation center (NEDCC). That is why this guide recommends against improvising a cleaning.

Is mold bad for your health?

According to the National Archives, mold can be a health risk, which is why handling should be limited. To assess the risk in your case, talk to a professional.

What if the photo is wet or stuck to another one?

The National Archives says wet material needs quick action to prevent further damage and that an original document stuck to another is a case for a conservator. Don't force them apart.

Does digital restoration remove the mold from the image?

It reduces the stains on the scanned image and estimates what was covered from what remains in the photo. Where the mold erased a part, the result for that part is interpretation. See the preview before you pay.

How much does it cost to restore a moldy photo?

The first preview is free, with a watermark. To download without it, the entry pack costs US$2.99. Processing time varies.

References

The facts cited in this guide come from the pages below. Pages read directly on Sep 29, 2026. The institution gives Fahrenheit; the Celsius figure is our conversion (75 °F ≈ 24 °C).

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