Preserving Newspaper Clippings

August 19, 2008 at 7:53 pm • No Comments 

Ever keep newspaper clippings for Family History, only to find out that over time the paper becomes brittle and turns dark yellow? That is part of the “aging” process of newspaper. To slow (or almost stop) this aging process, use the following solution:

Dissolve a milk of magnesia tablet in one quart of club soda and leave overnight. Pour solution in a large shallow pan and soak the clippings for one hour. Carefully remove the clippings and pat dry (or hang up to air dry). This process will stretch the life expectancy of the clippings up to 200 years (supposedly). Note that this process is only for printed matter or papers written in permanent ink. Colored inks may fade. Test a small portion first before submerging entire sheet.

Personally, I just either make a copy of the newspaper or scan it into a PDF document. The above formula works if you MUST keep the original.

Categories: Self-Sufficiency
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