How to Restore Water Damaged Documents

Salvaging water damaged documents

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Home freezer
• 99% Isopropl alcohol
• Gloves
• Wax paper/Freezer paper
• Paper towels

1. 
    
   water

   While documents are wet spray with 97-99% isopropel alcohol which can be purchased from the drug store. Use this solution if the document has mold on it. Wrap in freezer paper and store in a deep freezer. If you have access to a commercial freezer this will give the best results. This will preserve the documents once the documents is frozen you can remove it.

2. 
    
   Papers

   Please when dealing with the documents wear gloves to protect hands. Place paper towel behind documents and sit in the sun for 1-2 hours as the papers thaw change the paper towels each time they become soiled.

3. Unprinted newsprint paper can also be used to soak up water as the papers thaw out. In order to help the papers dry a fan or humidifier can be used. Do not place the fan directly on papers allow the fan just to naturally circulate in the air where documents have been placed.

Tips & Warnings

• If papers are bound use wax paper between every page
• Soiled documents gently brush off debris
• Do not brush papers that have images that are already blurred
• Please do not place documents in freezer with food
• If isopropel alcohol sprayed please wrap documents in freezer paper
• Contact American Institute for Conservation for additional assistance

[bmi57]

on 12/5/2007 Will the alcohol remove the mold, like on books?