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I've been killing time at work today reading through a few threads on the boards today (anything beats work ) and I've noticed a few people refer to washing stamps. I didn't know this was possible, so please find questions below

1. Why and when do you need to wash stamps?
2. What do you use to wash stamps?
3. Does it damage the stamps in any way?
4. Does washing stamps add value to the stamp or devalue the stamp?
5. How would you know which stamps are safe to wash or not?
6. Can you wash both the back and front of stamps?

Thanks
John

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In search of the Kingdom of the Schwaneberger Albums....

1. when they are grubby or with paper adhesion
2. cold or luke warm water, NO detergent.
3. depends on the stamp, if it is old with fugitive ink then it effectively destroys the stamp, others get surface damage.
4. depends on the stamp, its state and see 3 above.
5. complex, be careful. if it has value - then if in doubt, don't. if no value and too grubby to keep , there's nothing to lose.
6. those which are washable, the answer is yes.

careful drying between blotting paper, or in one of Glen's Drying books, is required to keep them flat. Some curl in damp air never mind water.

beats working, which reminds me of where I should be

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Hatter

The usual (sensible) rule of thumb is do nothing.

In over 30 years of dealing I've seen more stamps ruined by folks messing about who have no idea what they are doing, than stamps they have improved.

A bit like poker machine players or horse betters never admitting how much they they lose, most folks who wash stamps proudly claim they have 'never' wrecked a stamp. Hmmmm.

Soaking older stamps can VERY often reveal hidden thins, tears and repairs, so you may regret ever doing it.

And LOTS of older stamps have fugitive type inks that will not tolerate even water.

These 3 GB below were in a lot I bought today.

The 1/- on the left is ruined and a pale shadow of what it once was, as someone soaked it. (SG 211 cat £60)

The central stamp was peeled off a cover. The green in the centre of that was what the 1/- looked like originally, pretty much.



A genius client once bought a used £1 Brown and blue Roo for $500 at auction with a nice cancel but "with toning". (A FU copy was $1000 back then.) He decided to "clean it up" as of course he was an "expert" in such things, and 'save' $500.

I saw it 2 days later, when the blue was near faded out entirely and he offered it to me for $50 as a spacefiller for someone. Expensive lesson!

Glen

Thanks for the answers guys, I don't think I have any stamps that are worth too much anyhow, I'm more for the collecting side of things, that said I don't think I'd wash them anyway (It's more work for me and my luck isn't the best in the world) so I'll probably leave well enough alone.

I was just surprised that it was possible to actually wash stamps that's all.... I am in no doubt however that if I ever decided to partake in giving a stamp a bath I'd post an image of the stamp up here first to get an opinion on whether it needed one or not and whether it would damage the stamp.

Yes that means I haven't got the faintest idea what fugitive type inks are

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In search of the Kingdom of the Schwaneberger Albums....

Special security ink used a lot by the UK for instance.

The 1/- Green above is one. The one below is another good example, that a new member posted today and is very common

The idea was if you soaked this off to hope the ink signed cancel also washed off so you could re-use it, the "fugitive" ink would run, and the stamp faded to near white paper!

Cool bananas thanks!

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In search of the Kingdom of the Schwaneberger Albums....

One more word of warning, which has been given on other soaking threads, but not on this one. If you start soaking stamps off envelopes, and get the urge to include envelopes with coloured paper in the same water as stamps on plain envelopes - resist the urge.

The ink in many coloured envelopes "runs", and can ruin every stamp in the batch that you are soaking. you finish up with red water, blue water, goldy brown water, and stamps to match.

Such stamps can be soaked in two ways (the second way takes a lot of practice and timing)

1. Ice cold water, and leave them into the water until they actually soak off)
2. Boiling water straight from the kettle. leaving the stamp on for no longer than 5 seconds, then removing it (ouch!) and very, very carefully peeling it from the envelope. If it does not come away, repeat. For masochists only.

..and don't start on modern self adhesives. Just cut away the excess paper, and mount them as best you can.

Norm

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Geelong, VFA Premiers 1878, 1879, 1800, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1886, AFL Premiers 1925, 1931, 1937, 1951, 1952, 1963, 2007, 2009, 2011, .

Thanks Norm

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In search of the Kingdom of the Schwaneberger Albums....

So those catolugue listings that say ' a good clean will do wonders ', should be avoided ? Is a stamp better showing a the odd tone mark than the risk of doing some restoration work in ones back room ?
Has anyone had any sucess in cleaning up old toned stamps or even covers ...

cheers Mark

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for more information on NZ 1935 pictorials visit http://www.newzealandstamps.net

Most older used stamps will benefit from washing. Hinge remnants will gradually (or suddenly!) curl a stamp, and multiple hinges multiply the problem. Also, it's not hard to find photos of old-time dealers with cigars, cigarettes, or pipes in hand, and the residue from that smoke is pretty easy to find on the stamps. Older stamps have gone through wars, fires and other desolation, and all that trauma can leave its traces.

Any postally used stamp has been washed at least once anyway, so most damage has already been done. I avoid the known fugitive inks, but washing most G.B. Victorian stamps quickly in cold water doesn't seem to harm them.

It can reveal the sins and failures of the stamp as well, but that's part of gaining knowledge.

I do prefer to use a drop or two of fairly neutral detergent in the first rinse, but only for a couple minutes, then I rinse again. The initial rinse-water is usually yellow or tan from nicotine and dirt, and hinge pieces are everywhere. I rinse a few times, then air-dry on old newspaper and stick into the desert magic overnight. The improvement can be quite startling.

sorry for the thread necromancy, but this quote was the most apt for this photo. This is from only 140 stamps cut close that only smelled faintly of stale American cigarettes. They've been waiting decades to get soaked. Kettle water and dish soap, then (relatively) cool rinse (hot tap). Look at the difference in the water colours. (This is not from coloured envelopes by the way...)

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Always looking for modern Canada on paper!
Topical Interests: Disney, Boats/Sailing Ships/Lighthouses, Horses/Horsedrawn, Butterflies/Insects, and Trains - E-mail me with descriptions or scans if you have some!

Hello Everyone.

A very informative post.

I have been thinking about giving a washing/cleaning to some of the stamps that I have acquired.



But, I was not too sure how to go about it. I have soaked stamps off of paper before but, all of it was modern material.

I know that I need to look for stamps with fugitive ink or chalk paper.

However, I think I will hold of on washing/cleaning stamps until I gain more experience.

As Glen has stated that the most sensible rule is to do nothing.

Cheers!

Of course there is also the possibility that by soaking an old common stamp may be removing it from an intact and collectible cancellation that may be worth something to someone.

When you see those ebay sellers saying "a quick clean will do wonders" you have to ask yourself why haven't they cleaned them to get a more valuable stamp...its all part of their sales pitch to sell off worthless stamps.

Don:

Just to let you know that the Desert Magic II Drying Books are back in stock again. We'll be at the LONPEX show in London, Ontario on April 2 if you want to pick one up.

As NoLimit says, "....stick into the desert magic overnight. The improvement can be quite startling.".

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Armstrong'sStamps**http://www.armstrongsstamps.ca
Knowledge is Key.....Libraries work!

Definitely hoping to be there.

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Always looking for modern Canada on paper!
Topical Interests: Disney, Boats/Sailing Ships/Lighthouses, Horses/Horsedrawn, Butterflies/Insects, and Trains - E-mail me with descriptions or scans if you have some!

I'm a little surprised at Glen's responses to this thread. I thought on other threads he had advocated placing used stamps (other than those with non-fast colours) in boiling water to remove light toning or rust.

I was planning on at least trying this.

Anyway, I definitely HAVE to do something!

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mobbor

Hot water CAN be better than cold, but on some issues like chalky paper, or non water fast inks, it is a disaster.

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Click HERE to see superb, RARE and unusual stamps, at FIXED low nett prices, high rez photos, and NO buyer fees etc!

After reading Admins sugestion about washing the stamps in hot or even boiling water, I desided to give it a try, used some fairly commen KGV heads and a single state swan to try it on - nice outcome.

For anyone wanting to try it, start with some commens stamps that seems "dirty". After a few attempts it's easy to do.

Kloster

Hi Jacob here .

I have a question about toning on stamps.

Will a good wash fix them and then let them dry work

Thanks jacob.

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You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

If the toning is caused by oxidative stress, as do wrinkles and grey hair on stamp collectors, a good wash is sadly no cure

If they are dirty by muddy water, perhaps.

If they are brown and crispy, no, that's the paper slowly dissolving. Even the stamps' own gum will do that (which is why MNH/MUH is an unlikely long term investment ).

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Mail a kid a hobby -- use stamps!

Hi Jacob,

If the stamps are really old, then you need to be careful as some of the ink can also wash off.

If they are as old as your Dad then a short soak in very hot water for about 2 or 3 minutes will help a lot.

Then you'll need to dry them nice and flat.

If you don't have a proper drying book this is what I do:

Sit them on a clean tea towel and let them get nearly dry, you won't see any water on them and they are still lying flat. They will feel nearly dry and they will feel cold!.

If you wait too long they will go curly.

Then put them onto clean paper with another piece of paper on top and stick them under the telephone book overnight to finish drying and they will then stay flat ready for your album.

If they were badly toned, foxed, rusted etc, then most of the red/brown colour will have gone. But there is usually still a little bit left.

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Greg - Looking for Goulburn Australia Cancels and Grangemouth Scotland Cancels and Covers
Member of the S.T.A.M.P Club for Slightly Twisted And Mad Philatelists - Motto: "Bring back the lick!"

Jacob here.
Thanks for the advice.

I shall try washing some .

Bye.
Jacob.

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You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.

I'm reporting back on my 1st attempt to use boiling water to remove toning/rust.

1st I used it on inexpensive 1 1/2d Aust. KG V stamps & the colour didn't run. The stamps came out a little better, but not cured. One could hope it had the effect of killing the organism that causes this, so it won't spread- does anyone know?

I'll continue to experiment with very minor e.g's only.

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mobbor

Tried washing some of my used (India - 1980's and after) stamps today. Used hot water to soak for 5 mins and then removed some hot water and added fresh water to reduce water temp. The hot water that i removed was not a pretty sight. Helped me to sort out some tear and thin ones.

Took them off water, placed them on towel initially and then between white sheets. They are not the special ones that Glen has, but normal scrap book that my 2y/o use for scribbling. Placed a bunch of books on them (around 3-4 kg i guess).

Will report in a few days. Hope not to lose any stamps.

Hi all,

Just discovered this thread :


Giving you the proof that soaking in hot water Portugal & colonies issues, years 1880 destroys stamps :

Great value from Acores 1882-1887.

Had to buy it again :


So please beware from hot water and long time soaking.

Regards.

Billys.

Hot or cold water -- many highly surfaced papers will simply be ruined if immersed in H2O.

When in doubt - DO NOT mess with them.

It is obvious -- chalk or faced papers have a fine layer of chalk rolled onto normal paper.

Lovely smooth paper result, and then are printed on. Crisp detail. And often used as anti revenue loss security feature paper BECASE any soaking or fiddling ruins the stamp.

SOAK those babies, and the chalk coating often lifts off the paper - so does the printing ink. See above.

It is not rocket science to understand.

And soaking ANY stamp, for a long time is just dumb, as the "sizing" in the paper is lost.

As always common sense must prevail - try it first on a damaged copy or a lower value if you are not sure.

Result : The stamps are good. But not very clean post water wash.

Going to try now on some early 1900's - India KG series.

Warm to hot water quick wash works best for most things if you do not want to ruin them.

If the post wash water is murky - good - that is gunk and dust and some mould coming off the stamps.

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Click HERE to see superb, RARE and unusual stamps, at FIXED low nett prices, high rez photos, and NO buyer fees etc!

If the post-wash water is gunky, do a quick rinse in clean water.

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Stamps on eBay: USA & worldwide. Lots of Dr. Who, Star Trek & Star Wars comics, too. Do Advanced search for Seller ddaannv and Keyword the country you collect (or leave Keyword blank).

Did not lose any stamp. But when i removed them from the blotting paper they were a bit damp.

Is it got to do with the cold weather. Its almost 8 degrees celsius at my home.

Should i soak when the weather is better?

Am I inviting moulds if i soak in winter?

I'd suggest moving the damp stamps to dry blotting paper.

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Stamps on eBay: USA & worldwide. Lots of Dr. Who, Star Trek & Star Wars comics, too. Do Advanced search for Seller ddaannv and Keyword the country you collect (or leave Keyword blank).

The previous time when i washed and used normal paper to dry - had some mould on them

Tried washing them again with hot water.

Some of the used low value definitives were lost in the process as well as lot of thins, tear were exposed.

Funny thing is most of the Indian blocks (commems) separated during the hot water process, whereas nothing of that sort happened to the Canadian or GB or european ones (which i have been getting on my ebay purchases)

Have placed them on my old Desert Magic last night. Will take them out in a few days to report.

What would you do to a PNG monogrammed block of four mint with gum but was light to medium toned?

Would hot water be suitable?

Cheers AL

Alex immersing any BLOCK in water leaves a very good chance it will separate into singles. Not wise.

The paper gets sodden and mushy, and READILY separates with a touch.

WHAT PNG value? You have asked "how long is a piece of string?"

A 1952 £1 Fisherman is about $A100 MUH a single and $10 used.

Therefore a lightly toned imprint block is always going to be worth a lot more than a clean no gum block.

Glen

Thanks Glen..will do!

It's a Lakatoi 2½d ultramarine JBC .( haven't got it yet..so no pic.)

Cheers AL

That 2½d ink used on Lakatois is VERY fadeable so I personally would not add it to ANY kind of water.

What a Great Site!!

Priceless Information..

Cheers AL

Yes, all very interesting. I have some older stamps, that have hinges on. It makes it impossible to see the watermark. I haven't attempted to soak them as instinct told me not to. A soak in cold water do you think?
Regards
Glyn