How Do I Remove Water Stains from a Poster Print?

Written by

Gregory Han
Gregory Han
A Los Angeles native, Gregory’s interests fall upon the relationship between design, nature, and technology. His resume includes art director, toy designer, and design writer. Co-author of Poketo's "Creative Spaces: People, Homes, and Studios to Inspire", you can find him…read more
published Mar 4, 2010
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Q: Maybe someone can help me with this tragedy? This is my beloved Superflat exhibit print poster. Eight years ago I got it mounted, but when I moved to NY I didn’t ship it out and stored it in my parents’ basement. Now I’ve moved back and discovered they had a flood one year and this poor print got some water damage. Is there any way I can remove the stains without damaging the print? I was thinking of a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser just on the white areas of the print, but I’m scared….

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

Sent by Sonia

Editor – Sonia, we don’t think Magic Sponge is going to work in this case because the stain has set into the material and Magic Sponge works by removing surface layer staining. Poster and print archivist mention using bleaching solutions carefully to remove discoloration, but this can be a tricky process, requiring the proper amount of solution and liquid. This website notes the process is best left to the hands of a professional restorer since the cleaning process requires dampening the poster.

Has anyone had success removing water stains with a DIY technique?

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