Listserve: Mildew and Mold

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Seymour, Janet I - WHS (Janet.Seymour@wisconsinhistory.org)
Wed, 3 Jun 2009 10:52:44 -0500



From: "Seymour, Janet I - WHS" <Janet.Seymour@wisconsinhistory.org>
Date: Wed, 3 Jun 2009 10:52:44 -0500
Subject: Listserve: Mildew and Mold 
Message-ID: <488E289A5C909049B0E55F6B651B5B3501421A1404DB@MEWMAD0PC01G02.accounts.wistate.us>

Marci,

Here are two resources that you may find helpful. The first is a link to a technical leaflet that outlines the appropriate steps to treat damaged pape r artifacts.

The second article is pasted below, and is from the National Archives.

Northeast Document Conservation Center technical leaflet information

http://www.nedcc.org/resources/leaflets/3Emergency_Management/08SalvageMold yBooks.php

Emergency Salvage of Flood Damaged Family

Papers

National Archives and Records Administration

August 1993

As the national repository of the records of the Federal government, the Na tional Archives & Records Administration

recognizes the importance of family records. During the mid-west floods of 1993, the staff of the National Archives

developed some technical tips to guide individuals in emergency stabilizati on and salvage of damaged documents,

photographs, books, and other personal papers. It is important to note that
 flood damage to some items may be irreversible.

The treatment of objects of high monetary, historic, or sentimental value s hould only be performed in consultation with a

conservator.

MOLD

Many people are sensitive to mold. Also, some mold species are toxic. If an y health effects are observed when treating

mold consult a doctor or mycologist (the local extension service may be abl e to help) before proceeding.

The best way to prevent or stop an outbreak of mold is to remove items from
 environmental conditions that encourage

mold growth: high temperature, high relative humidity, stagnant air, and da rkness. The first priority is to dry moldy items

(see instructions for drying below). If wet and moldy materials cannot be d ried immediately they may be stabilized by

freezing. Placing damaged items in a personal or commercial freezer will no t kill mold. It will, however, put the mold in a

dormant state until time and an appropriate treatment environment are avail able. Manageable quantities of frozen items

may then be defrosted and treated at leisure.

Active mold looks fuzzy or slimy. Dormant mold is dry and powdery. Do not a ttempt to remove active mold; it may only

spread or smear. Mold which remains active after freezing or after the host
 material appears dry may be treated with brief

(1-2 hours) exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun. Extreme caution
 must be exercised when treating materials

outdoors: too much radiation will accelerate deterioration and may cause fa ding; wind may cause physical damage if items

are blown about; and high relative humidity or condensation caused by quick
 temperature changes may actually exacerbate

mold growth.

Dormant mold spores will reactivate as soon as conditions are favorable. Th ey should, therefore, be removed from items

and may be brushed or vacuumed away. This treatment should be performed out doors where other materials and spaces

will not be "infected." When brushing mold use a soft, clean, light-colored
 brush and a gentle pushing motion. Change

soiled brushes often to prevent spreading mold from one object to another. When vacuuming, screening material placed

over the nozzle of a low suction vacuum will capture loose bits of the item
 which may inadvertently dislodge.

CLEANING AND DRYING

Paper is very fragile when it is wet. Handle it carefully. In some cases it
 may be desirable to remove caked on mud and

dirt. Dirt left by receding flood waters may be contaminated. Precautions s uch as the use of rubber gloves should be taken.

If items are still wet, agitating them in a bath of clear water will remove
 excess dirt. This treatment should never be

attempted for images which are blurred, feathered, or faded as a result of flood damage.

AIR DRYING

Wet books, documents, or photographs which cannot be air dried within two d ays should be frozen to inhibit mold growth.

Circulating air will effectively dry most items. Physical distortions may r esult, but document information will be saved. To

provide optimal air drying conditions, fans should be positioned for maximu m air circulation (do not aim air flow directly

at drying materials). Blotting material for air drying should be clean and absorbent. Options include: blotter paper,

unprinted newsprint paper, paper towels, rags, mattress pads, etc. Screenin g material (such as window screens) well

supported and stacked with space between them provide an excellent compact drying surface. The porous surface assists

air circulation and promotes drying.

Without intervention glossy materials such as paperback book covers, magazi nes, art books, etc. are likely to stick

together. If they are highly valued, these items should be the first priori ty for salvage. Loose glossy materials should be

spread out in one layer for air drying. Bound glossy materials must be inte rleaved between every page to prevent sticking.

Wax paper should be used as interleaving material. Volumes of glossy paper dried in this way may suffer considerable

physical distortion.

Books

Place interleaving material between the text block and the front and back c overs. If time and supplies allow interleaving

material should be placed intermittently throughout the text as well. Fan v olumes open and stand them on edge with the

interleaving paper extending beyond the edges of the book. Evaporation of w ater as it wicks into the interleaving paper

will enhance drying. Replace interleaving paper as it becomes soaked and in vert the volume each time to insure even

drying.

Documents

Air dry flat in small piles (1/2 inch) or individually if possible. Change blotting material beneath the materials as it

becomes soaked.

Photographs, Negatives, Motion Picture Film

Several classes of photographs are highly susceptible to water damage and t he recovery rate will be very low. Avoid

touching the surface of photographic prints and negatives. If an old photog raphic process cannot be identified, observe the

item carefully and contact a conservator for advice. Never freeze old photo graphs or negatives.

Most prints, negatives, and slides may successfully be individually air dri ed face up. Change blotting material beneath the

photographs as it becomes soaked. Contemporary photographic prints and nega tives which are still wet and have stuck

together may separate after soaking in cold water. However, this type of tr eatment could cause irreversible damage. Highly

valued items, especially prints for which there is no longer a negative, sh ould be referred to a conservator immediately.

Framed Items

Remove the backing material from the frame. If the item is not stuck to the
 glass, carefully remove it from the frame and

air dry. If the object appears to be stuck to the glass, do not attempt to remove it from the frame. Dry intact with the glass

side down.

Occasionally object damage is irreversible. The treatment of items of high monetary, historic, or sentimental value should

only be performed in consultation with a conservator. Decisions about the t reatment of materials belonging to an

institution should only be made by appropriate personnel. The American Inst itute for Conservation (202-452-9545)

maintains a referral list of conservators who will be able to provide guida nce for treating private collections.

This publication was produced as a public service. It may be reproduced and
 distributed freely in part or in its entirety.

When duplicating individual articles please copy them exactly as they appea r so that proper credit will be given to the

originating institution.

The editors of this publication will be collaborating on additional project s. If there are issues which you would like to see

addressed in the future please send your ideas to:

preserve@nara.gov or write to:

Preservation Programs

National Archives at College Park

8601 Adelphi Road

College Park, MD 20740-6001

Janet Seymour Field Services Representative - Northern Region Wisconsin Historical Society Voice: 715-836-2250

Collecting, Preserving, and Sharing Stories Since 1846

Review past messages at: http://listserve.uwec.edu/localhistory/



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