Material
Card
Thick, often laminated paper that absorbs heavily, warps as it dries and delaminates where the layers separate.
- SurfacePorous
- WashingNo water
- Colour run riskHigh
- Reviewed7 September 2026
What card can and cannot take
- Heat Avoid
- Water and soaking Avoid
- Acids, including vinegar Avoid
- Strong alkalis Avoid
- Solvents Avoid
- Chlorine bleach Avoid
- Abrasives Avoid
Always test on a hidden area first and let it dry before you treat the visible mark.
General rules for card
Blot without pressing, then dry it flat between absorbent sheets with a light weight on top once the worst of the moisture has gone.
The weight is the difference between card and paper. Card warps strongly as it dries, and a light even weight applied after the initial drying keeps it flat where a single sheet of paper would not need it.
Coated and printed card is more vulnerable than plain, because the coating goes tacky when wet and lifts if anything is laid against it.
Check the label
Card is thick paper, often laminated from several layers or with a coated printed face. It absorbs a lot, dries slowly, delaminates where the layers separate and warps as it dries. None of that is reversible by cleaning.
Stains on card
- Baby sick Lay the card flat on clean absorbent paper and let it draw the moisture out rather than pressing anything ont...
- Blood Blot fresh blood with a dry white cloth and stop before adding water or cleaner. Card can be permanently mark...
- Body oil Blot loose surface oil from card only if the surface is stable and it can be touched without damage. An absor...
- Breast milk Touch a clean absorbent corner to free liquid only where this does not press on flaking paint, gilding, ink o...
- Bronzer Lift loose bronzer from card before it is rubbed in. Blot cream bronzer, follow the material or care label, u...
- Coffee Remove only free surface coffee from card without rubbing or adding liquid. A dried or absorbed mark needs sp...
- Concealer Lift loose concealer from Card while dry and absorb fresh oil without rubbing. Do not add water or make-up re...
- Cooking grease Lift and absorb cooking grease from Card without adding liquid. Water or solvent can enlarge the damage, so r...
- Hair dye Blot Card dry without rubbing or adding household cleaner. Keep the dye box and ask the appropriate leather,...
- Lipstick Lift lipstick from Card while dry and absorb fresh oil without rubbing. Do not add water or make-up remover;...
- Motor oil Blot and absorb motor oil from Card without adding liquid. Water, solvent or pressure can enlarge the damage,...
- Nail polish Keep the sheet or board dry. Do not rub, scrape or apply solvent to bonded polish. Preserve a valuable origin...
- Period blood Blot fresh period blood with a dry white cloth and stop before adding water or cleaner. Card can be permanent...
- Pet urine Blot fresh urine with plain white towel and stop before adding water or cleaner. Card can be permanently mark...
- Sweat Blot sweat from Card without adding liquid. Let it dry, remove only loose salt gently and refer a visible rin...
- Tomato sauce Lift dry and wet tomato residue from Card without rubbing or adding liquid. Blot gently, then refer any visib...
Card is paper made thick, either by weight or by gluing layers together.
It holds a lot of liquid
And releases it slowly, so drying takes far longer than for a sheet of paper and the risk of mould is correspondingly higher.
Laminated card delaminates
Corrugated and mount board are layers glued together. Water reaches the glue and the layers separate and blister, which cannot be re-bonded.
It warps
More strongly than paper, because the two faces dry at different rates. A light even weight applied once the card is nearly dry controls that.
Coated faces go tacky
A printed greetings card or a glossy packaging card has a coating that softens when wet and will stick to whatever is laid against it.
Similar materials
Sources
What we checked and when. Where a manufacturer instruction disagrees with anything here, follow the manufacturer.
-
Emergency salvage of flood damaged family papers, US National Archives
authority
National archive guidance that paper is very fragile when wet and must be handled carefully, that wet material is air dried on absorbent blotting material with fans circulating air but not blowing directly onto it, that books are stood open on edge with interleaving replaced as it absorbs moisture, that material which cannot be dried within two days should be frozen to stop mould, and that photographic print surfaces must not be touched.
Checked 7 September 2026
-
Surface cleaning of paper, Northeast Document Conservation Center
authority
Conservation centre guidance on dry surface cleaning of paper, establishing that surface cleaning is a mechanical dry process using soft brushes and erasers rather than liquids, that it is carried out with the object supported and worked from the centre outwards, and that it can abrade or skin weak paper and media, so friable, coated and damaged surfaces are left to a conservator.
Checked 7 September 2026
-
How to clean lampshades, Prudent Reviews
specialist
Cleaning guidance that fabric lampshades can be washed in cold water with a mild soap but glued ones need gentler treatment because the adhesive weakens when soaked, that silk shades are dipped only at the fabric sides rather than submerged, that paper shades must stay completely dry because water damages the paper and breaks down the adhesive, that metal frames rust if left submerged, and that bleach and strong vacuum suction are both avoided.
Checked 7 September 2026