It’s easy to forget about important or valuable documents scattered around your home. They might not be necessary for something urgent or are just memories that you believe will be found right where they are, collecting dust or stuffed in boxes. But essential papers and documents that you may need in the future require great care, and if you don’t take up this task, who will?

It’s not too late to take care of them, keep on reading to learn more.

Before you get started, here are a few reminders to consider when storing photographs and important documents:

• Don’t forget to clean your hands first. Avoid putting on lotion or sanitizer that may contain chemicals that harm photographs and papers.

• While working, you must keep your foods and drinks away from your photos and papers.

• To store them without the fear of damaging, don’t use staples, rubber bands, sticky notes, and paper clips. They can cause tears and stains on your photos and letters.

• Work on a flat and clean surface.

• Take extra care for folded or rolled documents. If you always fold and unfold your documents, the paper’s fibers will weaken and can lead to tears.

Here’s how you can properly store your letters, photographs, and documents:

Go digital to save time, money and space.

By using special records management software, your documents can be easily digitized and organized which allows easy file access.

If you want to save the environment around you, opt to go digital. This method can help you go paperless, which results in better record management practices and it can even help you save tons of money. To prevent unauthorized access or worse, theft, these digital documents should be filed in high-security environments protected by passwords and other multi-layer security measures.

Use Acid-free paper.

Using acidic products can permanently damage and decay your photos or papers. It is imperative to use good quality, acid-free and archival materials to help preserve your treasured memories.

It will slow the aging process and add years of life to the items you value. It’s better to prevent any damage and deterioration than try to repair or fix it.

Group your documents on the same sheet of paper, but remember that the main goal is to guarantee that copies are on an acid-free paper.

Avoid storing old photographs in the light.

If you expose your vintage photographs in the light, it can cause severe damage. There are types of color film that fade within hours if they are exposed to direct sunlight. Keep your pictures in excellent condition by protecting them from light as much as possible. Interior fluorescent lighting can cause damage and must be avoided at all costs.

The best way to collect your old pictures is in a letter file box, archival storage materials or a document storage box if it’s unframed. It may be worth it may be worth it for high-value pictures to spend your money in plexiglass or high-grade UV acrylic glazing for highest protection. Don’t forget that your photos and other documents should not be exposed in direct sunlight.

Consider using document safes.

Depending on the number of documents, document safes provide excellent protection. These are proven to have a fire rating of about 30 minutes or more, which prevents both moisture and sunlight intrusion that causes damage.

When it comes to cost-effectiveness, it depends on how many documents or photos need to be stored. For more essential items, you can use safe and less expensive alternatives for the rest. Here’s the best part: the insides are almost exclusively acid-free, so it would cause no damage to your documents.

Family photos represent years of memories. It would be devastating to waste those memories to wear and tear from being improperly stored and organized. Follow these tips to save them correctly. To keep things more organized and clean, you can always seek help and hire a professional house cleaning service to handle it for you.