EFFECTIVE WAYS TO DESTROY OLD PHOTOGRAPHS

Tearing up photos of friends and loved ones can be a painful experience. That’s why most people hang on to albums and allow them to clutter up homes for decades.

Here are some alternatives you can try:

1. Cast Them Into The Fire

Burning photos is customary in many cultures, and for good reason. It doesn’t take much work and it destroys the photo completely. To save time and energy, it’s best to burn old photographs in batches. Gather all the pics you wish to dispose of before starting a fire.

It’s best to burn photos in a large, open space. Alternatively, you can use a furnace that’s used for burning waste. Most office buildings and factories have a furnace specifically for this purpose. Don’t use your home oven since the old photographs may emit toxic chemicals.

When burning pics, it’s advisable to wear a gas mask. Burning pictures emit toxic fumes that should not be inhaled.

2. Boil The Old Photos

This method allows you to destroy old photographs in the softest and kindest way. Soak the photos in a pot of boiling water and extra-strong bleach until the image begins to fade. This process may take three to five minutes to complete.

One issue with this method, however, is that you’re going to be left with toxic water containing silver and mercury. You’ll need to contact your local hazardous waste disposal company to learn how you should get rid of the water.

As with burning the photos, you will need to use a gas mask. The boiling water may emit fumes that are not safe to inhale.

3. Run Them Through A Shredder

Using your paper shredder is similar to tearing up your print, but you don’t have to physically do the act of tearing up photos yourself. This makes it a lot easier for people who have painful memories associated with the picture.

Make sure your shredder meets standard security levels – DIN 66399 F-2 (for the film) or P-5 (for paper). This standard shows that the machine can handle sturdy types of films and papers, respectively.

Since this method only tears up the paper, you still need to contact your local recycling center to see if they can accept the shredded pieces. Tell them that you hope to get rid of materials considered as solid industrial waste.

4. Try Abrasives

Abrasives are good for helping you deface old pictures, especially if you need to do so for privacy reasons. Glue the photo on a flat surface then use 80-grit sandpaper to destroy the image completely.

If this method doesn’t work for you, try putting the picture inside a sturdy container together with sharp gravel or aluminum oxide. Close the lid then shake the container until the pic is ruined.

5. Cover Them In Paint

Using black paint or epoxy resin is your best bet if you want to destroy large numbers of old photographs quickly. Dump the photos in a bucket together with the paint and let the paint adhere to the paper – they will become completely unrecognizable after.

Final Thoughts

Destroying photos of people dear to us is not easy, but that doesn’t mean that we should let the images clutter up our space forever. Once you’re ready to let the pictures go, you should do it as soon as possible.

Since there are many methods to destroy pictures, you should think carefully about which method is best for you. As a rule of thumb, you should go with the most environmentally friendly option, even though it might not be the simplest. Try any of the methods above to learn how to safely and effectively destroy a photo print.

In case there are pics you want to keep and restore, don’t fret. Just send a digital copy to PenX Studio, and we’ll bring them back to their former glory. We can recreate memories-From faded photographs into timeless art for you. Photo Restoration digital painting would be a great way to decorate your home without having to destroy memorable photos.