Preserving Treasures After the Disaster

Water - Contamination - Mold - Smoke & Soot - Locating a Conservator - Additional Links

Safety Precautions

Wear protective face gear or masks, latex gloves and long sleeves.

If mold and/or contamination is present, wear a respirator. Some mold species and/or contaminants are toxic; if any health effects are observed, contact a doctor and/or mycologist. When cleaning items with dry mold, make sure the mold spores are drawn away from you, i.e. by the use of a vacuum cleaner.

Wash your hands with anti-bacterial soap after handling materials with mold or contamination.

Water

(Click on photographs to enlarge)

Paper Documents, Maps, Posters, etc:	Paper is very fragile when wet and must be handled with care, provide adequate support. Blot excess water off the documents. Do not attempt to separate individual items while very wet. You may leave them in stacks no higher than 1/4" to dry. If pages can be separated safely they can be interleaved using absorbent paper towels or separating materials, such as waxed paper. Change interleaving materials until item is dry. Clean, rusted-free window screens stacked with bricks or wood blocks between them will provide a drying surface with maximum air circulation. Video demonstration on how to air dry paper using a screen If drying items on a hard surface, cover area with absorbent materials and change when wet. When items are almost dry, place them between protective sheets such as blank newsprint and put a lightweight on them to flatten. Note: If the item is too wet when placed under weights, you may create an environment for mold. Check frequently.
Books	Books that are more than half wet should be allowed to drain. Place the book on its top edge on a sheet or towel. Place small pieces of sponge under the fore-edge of the book to allow water to drain. Do not fan open the pages. Continue until water is no longer draining. The book can now be frozen. Freezing does not dry the book but it prevents further damage from water absorption. A book may safely remain frozen for weeks, even months. Wrap the book in plain waxed paper and place in the freezer. Frost-free freezers can dry out wet books by the same process that produces “Freezer burn” in food. The process however can take weeks to months depending on the moisture in the book. Video demonstration on how to wrap a book for freezing After the books have frozen, the ice can be brushed off and the books can be thawed slowly. During the thawing process blot all excess water and then air-dry as described below. Bbooks that are half wet have the best result when be air-dried. Fan books open and stand on top or bottom edge; never stand them on the front edge. Stand books on driest edge first as it is the strongest. As the book dries turn it upside-down to the opposite edge every few hours. Video demonstration of how to set up a book for air drying Place a sheet of white paper towels larger than the pages between the front and back cover and adjacent page before standing on edges. Replace the interleaving as it becomes saturated. Video demonstration of interleaving When the book is no longer wet, but still cool to the touch, close and place on a solid surface with a slight weight such as a brick to keep distortion to a minimum. Check frequently to ensure that no mold is growing.
Photographic Materials	Some historical photographs are very sensitive to water damage and may not be recoverable. Most prints, negatives and color slides can be air-dried. The emulsion (picture or image) side should be face up. Avoid touching the front surface of wet or damp photographic prints or negatives. Note: The emulsion side often appears less glossy on negatives and color slides. If photographic materials are covered with mud or dirt and are still wet, they may be gently rinsed in a bucket of cold, clean water, or a light stream of cold water, and then dried.
	To speed drying time, dry items on a clothesline using wooden or non-abrasive plastic clothespins. Do not pin over image! Video demonstration on how to air dry photographs using a screen
	Air-drying Framed Photographs: Place the frame glass-side down and remove the backing materials.
	Carefully remove object and air-dry. If the object is stuck to the glass, do not remove; instead dry frame with object inside, glass side down on a flat surface.
Textiles	Do not unfold delicate wet fabrics. Do not stack wet textiles. Rinse, drain and blot items with clean towels or sheets to remove excess water. Block and shape each damp textile to its original shape. If possible air dry indoors using air conditioning or fans, if not possible air dry outside away from direct sunlight. Clean, rusted-free window screens stacked with bricks or wood blocks between them will provide a drying surface with maximum air circulation.
Wood Furniture	Rinse/sponge surfaces gently to clean. Blot. Air dry slowly. Hold veneer in place while drying using weights or clamps. Protect surface with waxed paper.
Upholstered Furniture	Rinse off mud. Remove cushions and other separate pieces. Wrap in sheets or towels to air dry, replace sheet or towel when damp. Blot wood sections and air-dry slowly.
Paintings	Remove from frames. Do not separate paintings from their stretchers. Keep wet paintings horizontal and paint-side up with nothing touching the surface. Avoid drying in direct sunlight.
COMPACT Discs and CD-ROMs	Rinse off mud and dirt with cool clean water. If dirt persists soak in a dilute detergent solution. Do not rub the disc. Video demonstration on how to wash CDs Dry vertically, in a rack if possible. If not place printed side down on clean sheet on wax paper. Air-dry the accompanying paper insert as described in the air-drying of paper section.
Computer diskettes	Remove diskette from casing and bathe in clean water. Air dry on paper towels or lint-free microfiber towels such as glass cleaning cloths. Place diskette into new casing and copy. Discard original after copying.
Video, computer and recording tape	If the tape is wet, disassemble case and remove tape. Leaving tape on reel, rinse in clean water. Video demonstration of how to wash audio cassettes Video demonstration of how to wash video cassettes Support vertically on clean sheet or towel to dry. Reassemble dried tape and case and copy. Discard original after copying.
Recording discs such as 45s, 78’s and LPs	Dry loose labels and sleeves as described in air-drying paper section. Rinse discs in clean water if mud or dirt is present. Air dry on a support or screen to permit good air circulation.
Computer hard drives	Computer hard drives cannot be allowed to dry out and be expected to be able to power up again. Do not blow dry the hard drive. Remove from the computer, do not shake out the water, simply place in a plastic bag, seal and send to a computer recovery company. Back-up discs or tapes are much easier and cheaper to recover than hard drives.

Contamination

During an emergency, family treasures can often become contaminated with sewage, fertilizer, gasoline, oils or other chemicals that have been released during a flooding. These materials can be recovered, however, it can be more difficult to do and the contamination can be harmful to those doing the recovery. Think very carefully if the items that are contaminated need to be saved. It might just be easier and safer to throw them away if they are not replaceable.
If the pieces need to be saved and are irreplaceable, caution must be taken to protect the person doing the recovery. Rubber gloves must be worn. A respirator would be recommended, but if not available, only recover contaminated items outside in open space. Safety goggles or something with a face shield should be worn to help protect the eyes, nose and mouth from splashing water. Ideally the person doing the recovery should wear disposable white non-woven polyester suits, available from most hardware stores and used by painters and other building contractors. If these are not available, then the person doing recovery should wear long sleeves and pants that can be disposed of after each cleaning shift.
The actual removal of the contamination is relatively simple. Wash the items repeatedly in clean water until it is evident that the contaminant has been removed. Please follow the directions for washing in the above sections.

Mold

Check for active or dormant mold. Active mold looks fuzzy or slimy. Dormant mold is dry and powdery.
Remove the materials to a drier (but still cool) environment, and make sure that plenty of air is circulating around them. These conditions should render the possible biological growth dormant. If the mildewed materials are stored for an extended time under such conditions, the smell will eventually disappear of its own accord. The same technique can be applied to dry materials affected with active mold.
If you see mold growth, DO NOT attempt to clean it off until the materials are thoroughly dry. Premature cleaning attempts will grind the mold into the items and cause stains that are often impossible to remove.
A short exposure to sunlight and circulating air outdoors also may help to rid the books of the mildew smell. Remember, though, that light damages many materials. Placing items in the sunlight may result in some darkening or fading of materials, so select this approach only with items for which such damage is considered acceptable.

smoke and Soot

Carefully wipe off items with a soft cosmetic brush to remove any dirt/soot particles etc. Dirt/soot holds the smell to the paper or other media. Place items flat on a table. If a book, place on the table as it would be positioned on a bookshelf. Fan the pages open and run a dehumidifier close to the table. Removing the moisture will also remove the smell. No dehumidifier? a small fan will also work well.
Try placing the items in a plastic garbage bag with an open box of baking soda. Tie the bag closed and let sit for a day or two. Remove the item and try again if the smell seems to have lessened. Caution: Doing this in high humidity area or in a damp part of your house such a as a basement could lead to mold growth.
A short exposure to sunlight and circulating air outdoors also may help to rid the books of the smell. Remember, though, that light damages many materials. Placing items in the sunlight may result in some darkening or fading of materials, so select this approach only with items for which such damage is considered acceptable.

Air-drying – General Principals:

Use fans to provide maximum air circulation but do not aim fans directly at the drying materials.
Absorb excess moisture using a clean sponge, paper, such as children’s drawing pads or blank newsprint pads or bath towels, sheets etc.
Do not blot on hand-written ink or fragile surfaces. Do not use printed newsprint for blotting; ink can transfer.

Locating a Conservator

The American Institute for Conservation (AIC) provides a free conservator referral service. On their website is a form in which you can select the type of conservation service you need, identify your geographical area, etc. As soon as you hit enter, a list of conservators closest to you is produced.
If you decide to contact a conservator, we recommend that you go to the AIC home page and read all of their information under the topic "Selecting a Conservator."

Additional Links

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