How to Soak Stamps - Getting Stamps off Paper

Soak

Stamps Soaking

Image courtesy Michael Breen

1. Use a shallow bowl, pie pan or similar container
   
   
2. Fill with water.
   
   • Use hot water for self-adhesive stamps
   • Use cool water for stamps on colored paper/manila or colorful cancellations
   • Use lukewarm water for regular stamps on plain envelopes
3. Put a few stamps in the bowl. 5-15 are suggested depending on the size of the bowl. There should be enough room for the stamps to float. Don’t let them clump together.
   
   For the colored paper and colorful cancellation stamps, put in fewer stamps and make sure they don’t go together at all.
   
   
4. Soak the stamps until they are free of the paper. You will probably need to change the water a few times to make sure it is clean, especially after you have finished a batch.
   • Discard the envelop backing as soon as it breaks free.
   • Watch the color batches carefully, if the cancellation or paper seems to be bleeding color, then immediately change the water.
5. Self-adhesive stamps may take 20 minutes or longer to soak. Some self-adhesives, such as the very first ones the USPS issued, will not come off. If you don’t want to soak them, then you can trim them as close as possible and put them in stamp mounts to display in your album.
   
   
6. When the stamps have separated, rinse them in clean water to make sure any residual glue or paper is gone.

• Soaking Stamps
• Sorting
• Trim
• Soak
• Drying
• Flattening