Can You Clean Paper That Has Yellowed?

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NEDCC Staff
NEDCC
Andover, MA

introduction

Surface cleaning is a technique that can be considered both maintenance and active conservation. Deciding what to remove and whether removal is necessary is the offset step; agreement what is involved can help make the decision more than straightforward.

Although it is non always necessary or desirable to remove all surface deposits from old papers, surface cleaning can meliorate the appearance of an artifact. Surface cleaning can also remove substances that might eventually crusade damage through abrasion, transfer, acerbity, or recurring mold growth.

Surface cleaning is a non-h2o or not-solvent based technique for reducing or removing surface deposits on paper-based materials. Surface cleaning tin can be an independent treatment or a technique done prior to further treatments (for case, mending) to prevent any deposits from becoming embedded in the newspaper fibers. Surface cleaning will not remove heavy soiling or staining that has become embedded in the newspaper such equally tide lines, mold staining, or mat burn.

Surface cleaning can be suitable for removing:

clay
dust
soot
mold
accretions (sticky or waxy deposits that accept built upward on the surface)
insect debris

When and how to Clean

The first stride whenever surface cleaning is under consideration is to ask the question: Should the particular exist cleaned?

Asking this question involves considering a number of other questions:

Will whatever historic evidence be removed in surface cleaning such equally fingerprints or smudges on artwork?
Is the item breakable, photographic, or a piece of fine art that can exist damaged with even low-cal cleaning?
Practise jump volumes need to be supported during surface cleaning with a cradle or cream book wedges to avoid stressing the bounden?

If the respond to any of these questions is yes, cleaning should not keep without aid and/or consultation.

Even so, if the paper items are stable, strong, and no evidential material will be removed or damaged during cleaning, the next step is to assess what sort of material you will exist cleaning off and how best to remove information technology. To determine if any harm will result from cleaning, perform a low-impact test. Choose and clean a modest, unobtrusive expanse to see if there are any negative reactions: removal—or smearing—of inks or graphite, damage to the paper surface, or tears in the paper.

In addition, earlier you lot attempt the following procedures, practice them on expendable objects to test your condolement level with undertaking this handling footstep and eventually working on an original artifact. If y'all are unsure of any of these techniques, be cautious. With any object of value to your collection, a "First, do no harm" approach is all-time.

One time you've decided to begin, clear a large work surface and comprehend the majority of that infinite with a canvass of blank newsprint or other un-inked paper that tin be inverse often as it becomes soiled. To help contain the clay, the paper can exist folded at the edges and stapled at the corners to grade a 3-walled space for like shooting fish in a barrel clean-up, equally shown in the photograph below.

Begin cleaning by gently brushing the surface of an object with a soft brush to remove loose dirt and dust. If soiling is heavy, brush droppings into a HEPA vacuum with cheesecloth over the nozzle to grab any bits of paper that may come loose accidentally. Practise not apply the vacuum hose directly onto the object. Castor both sides of the sheet. If the item is soiled with soot or mold, do not use a brush just go along to the methods described below in "Suggested Applications."

Brushing the surface. Image from
Flickr user fenchurch. CC.

NOTE: If your object contains powdery media such as pastel or charcoal, or flaking paint or ink, a castor isn't appropriate.

To avoid enlarging tears, brush carefully in the direction of the tear from the inside out and not perpendicularly across it. Finally, any cleaning over stamps, seals, labels, and whatever other adhered pieces (similar collage) should exist undertaken with an especially light touch on and extra care.

Cleaning Materials
Considering several erasing compounds commonly found in library supply and archival catalogs are primarily intended for employ by graphic designers and architects, they are non suited to historic documents and works of art. Many of these products come up in cloth bags that release modest amounts of granules as they are rubbed across the surface of the paper, in containers of granules to be sprinkled on the surface of the paper and rubbed with the hand, or putty-like blocks that selection up clay. These granules are abrasive and tin damage the newspaper fibers. In addition, the putty tin selection up ink, graphite, pastels, gouache, or other colorants if they are non firmly attached to the paper. All are also chemically unstable and tin can lead to harm if they go embedded in the newspaper fibers during surface cleaning (granules) or leave behind residue (putty). The electric erasers found in many institutions are also unsuitable for your historic collections.

Suitable tools have specific qualities that make them safe:

Brushes : For all surface cleaning procedures, a clean, soft, natural bristled castor is needed. A good rule is that a surface cleaning brush should be soft enough to utilize on your face or the dorsum of your mitt. Brushes intended for surface cleaning should not be used for wet work, and any brushes used on moldy materials should be thoroughly cleaned after use and non used for any other purpose.
HEPA Vacuum: When soiling is heavy or might include mold, a castor tin can be used in combination with a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtered vacuum. HEPA vacuums with variable speed air control are preferred to forbid high suction from dissentious collection materials.
Surface cleaning (or soot) sponges: These vulcanized rubber sponges were originally developed for soot removal following a burn and have been institute to be very effective tools for surface cleaning paper. These sponges are for surface utilize but and are not the same as those sold equally chemical sponges.
Vinyl erasers: Grated vinyl eraser "crumbs," such as from the non-colored Staedtler Mars Plastic Eraser, can be used for surface cleaning and are available from conservation suppliers in footing form. Grated vinyl erasers volition not leave backside deposits when properly removed from the surface of the paper. Erasers should not be used in their block form due to their abrasiveness and the potential for over-cleaning.

Suggested Applications

One time the showtime step of brushing off any loose dirt or debris is complete (mold is not included in this step), consider the type of cloth yous are trying to remove and select the all-time cleaner for that awarding. Well-nigh dirt-blazon coatings volition only need surface cleaning sponges or erasers; soot, for instance, will require a surface cleaning sponge. (For other types of surface material, see the department on "Cleaning Specific Substances.")

FLAT PAPER

Small, localized deposits of clay may exist reduced by gentle rubbing with a surface cleaning sponge or a piece of a vinyl block eraser. When using the latter, cut the eraser into a wedge, pencil-point, or whatever will result in the all-time cleaning shape for this piece. Rub in short, random strokes to avoid creating a design of direct erased lines and be certain to check the surface of the paper periodically to exist sure information technology is non being abraded.

Cleaning should always exist done from the interior toward the outside to forestall communicable the edge of the newspaper and vehement it, equally well as to encourage detritus to move off the surface. When the sponge or eraser becomes dirty, trim off the soiled portion before you continue. If no soil comes off onto the sponge or eraser, exercise not continue: overworking one surface area can upshot in damage to the paper fibers and even trigger-happy. When surface cleaning locally, be careful not to over-make clean and cause the rest of the object to look dirtier in dissimilarity. Effort to avoid rubbing over media, whether printed or drawn, as this can remove original material and can potentially smudge some lower-quality press inks. To help avoid these areas, barriers of polyester moving-picture show (Melinex) or newspaper can exist used. When cleaning around a tear for mending, a polyester guard can be put over ane side of the tear to forestall whatsoever more damage to the already fragile fibers.

Grated vinyl eraser crumbs before and after
surface cleaning.Credit: Jackie Divis Doyle,
Bounden Obsession 01-23-2012

Equally noted in the "Cleaning Materials" section higher up, block erasers are non appropriate for cleaning larger expanses of newspaper, but grated vinyl erasers are. These eraser "crumbs" tin exist used on most printed surfaces; still, eraser granules should non be used in books as they get trapped in the gutter. To exam the efficacy of the granules, pour a small amount on a small-scale, unobtrusive spot and gently roll the granules in a circular motion with the fingertips (while wearing nitrile or vinyl gloves). If the cleaning is effective, the granules will rapidly go gray in color. Once you're sure the granules are really removing clay, make clean the residual of the surface in the same style, brushing abroad the crumbs when they reach a nighttime gray color. When brushing crumbs, be certain to get any crumbs that may be below the item every bit well equally those on the surface.

Soot can be deceptive and may initially appear to be clay. If the surface dirt appears to smear or smudge rather than exist picked up during cleaning, information technology is likely that the soiling is soot. Soot should be removed with a surface cleaning sponge using a straight up-and-downwards motion (no horizontal, side-to-side rubbing) working across a document. The sponge is designed to option upwards the soot and agree onto it and thus prevent smearing. Just every bit when you're removing clay, trim off the soiled portion of the sponge as it becomes dirty and keep with the cleaning procedure until the sponge does not choice up whatever more soot.

Jump VOLUMES

Closed books on the shelf normally require only cleaning on the exterior. However, under certain circumstances, pages in bound volumes may require your attention:

If the pages are cockled
If the books were shelved without sufficient back up
If the books have been stored in a library with a fireplace
If the books arrive already dirty as part of a donation.

Clay, dust, and soot will normally accumulate most heavily at the height of the book and along the edges of the pages. Coarser clay and mold may accumulate in the gutter and down the interior of the spine of case-bound books. Care should exist taken when cleaning books with deckled edges, fore edge painting, and those with brittle paper or fragile bindings.

At that place are a number of important differences betwixt cleaning apartment paper and newspaper as part of a volume. Closed books are all-time cleaned with an untreated grit cloth or a variable speed vacuum on a low setting. Using the castor attachment and a slice of cheesecloth betwixt the attachment and the nozzle, gently brush the peak of the volume from the spine towards the fore border, being conscientious not to grab the endband. A separate, soft-bristled brush may be used to directly dirt toward the nozzle if the binding or paper is very fragile. (For more than information on cleaning bindings, see NEDCC Leaflet 4.three, Cleaning Books and Shelves.)

When cleaning the textblock of a bound volume, the book should be supported with foam cradles or some other soft back up. Surface cleaning sponges are the all-time pick for the textblock, and piece of work should e'er progress from the gutter outward in a sunburst design. This helps not only to forbid detritus from accumulating in the gutter but also to prevent tearing on the edge of the paper. Material that has accumulated in the gutter over fourth dimension (or accidentally during surface cleaning) can exist hands removed with a soft castor.

Cleaning Specific Substances

MOLD

Moldy materials are obvious candidates for surface cleaning, just information technology is of import to note that only inactive mold should be surface-cleaned. To deactivate mold, firm the materials in an environment of low relative humidity (below l percent) or wrap in waxed paper and freeze for 48 hours. Mold removal requires special precautions to avoid spreading spores to other materials and to prevent allergic reactions. Be sure to work in an isolated location with the proper protective equipment. (Ideally, this work is best left to a professional conservator or brought to a vendor that offers disaster-recovery services. For more details on mold removal, meet NEDCC Leaflet 3.eight Emergency Relieve of Moldy Books and Papers.)

STICKY DEPOSITS/ACCRETIONS

Surface removal of sticky deposits (often called "accretions" when the source is not known) tin exist considered a type of surface cleaning. The nearly mutual of these glutinous deposits are the adhesives from pressure-sensitive tapes. Other accretions can include wax aerosol, food deposits, dead insects, and other unknown materials.

Adhesives from pressure-sensitive tapes damage paper and can cause pages to stick together or to enclosures, as in the case of common cold period of agglutinative from under the record carrier. Gently rub sticky adhesive residues with numerous extremely short strokes of a rubber cement choice-up. This tin be time-consuming, simply numerous gentle strokes eventually ball-up the adhesive without damaging the paper. And then, pick the adhesive off the eraser with the fingers. If the paper is too fragile to withstand this sort of treatment, interleave pages with silicon release newspaper or use cellulose pulverisation on the residue.

Equally they age, some pressure level-sensitive record carriers autumn abroad and leave thick, hardened adhesive residues. These residues, although unsightly, are not an immediate gamble. Tape removal, as a general rule, is complicated and a professional conservator should be consulted before attempting any removal in-house.

Viscid deposits from other sources may be encouraged to release from the paper with the signal of a needle or a microspatula. Regardless of the implement used, be very careful to remove merely the accretion and non the underlying paper fibers. For crusty accretions, it may exist enough to starting time utilise a light downward pressure in order to fracture the accretion, which tin and so simply be removed with a brush.

Special Considerations

INSECT Debris AND OTHER DEPOSITS

Insect excretions and rust deposits, such equally those left by rusted paper clips, are not but disfiguring just also the source of ongoing damage to the paper. These materials are very difficult to remove and advice or training should be sought from a conservator earlier attempting removal in-house.

MATERIALS SUSCEPTIBLE TO DAMAGE FROM SURFACE CLEANING

Brittle newspapers, photographs, and art might be harmed by inexpert attempts at surface cleaning. Breakable newspapers are frequently so fragile that whatsoever pressure on the surface will cause them to fracture into many small pieces that are almost impossible to repair. Photographic surfaces tin can be very fragile and easily abraded by the removal of dust, dirt, soot, etc.

Works of art in any media that are not firmly bound to paper (pastel, pencil, or charcoal) might be smeared past cleaning, or the media removed. Often, these friable materials cannot withstand surface cleaning at all. Examination of paints and thicker inks under magnification may reveal minute flaking not obvious to the naked middle which could exist accidentally removed by an eraser or sponge. Artifacts with hand-applied coloring are especially vulnerable to changes in how the light reflects off them and to transfer, smudging, or change of color. Cleaning of all such delicate objects should be left to a professional conservator.

Determination

Surface cleaning tin can do good books, documents, and works of art by improving their appearance and preventing the damage that dirt, grit, soot, adhesives, and accretions tin can go along to cause. As with any new skill, practice and repetition will improve results. It is best to practise on non-collection items to become comfortable with the techniques prior to surface cleaning any items in the drove. Equally with anything that involves the actual treatment of an object, consult with a professional conservator if you have any questions.

RESOURCES

American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Creative Works (AIC)

Find a Conservator
http://world wide web.conservation-u.s.a..org/membership/notice-a-conservator#

Newspaper Conservation Catalog: Surface Cleaning
http://www.conservation-wiki.com/wiki/Surface_Cleaning

Balloffet, North., J. Hille, and J. A. Reed. (2005).
Preservation and conservation for libraries and archives.
Chicago: American Library Association. 84-5.

The British Library Preservation Advisory Committee
Cleaning books and documents (online booklet)
http://www.bl.uk/aboutus/stratpolprog/collectioncare/publications/booklets/cleaning_books_and_documents.pdf

NEDCC Preservation Leaflets

3.eight Emergency Salvage of Moldy Books and Papers
https://world wide web.nedcc.org/gratis-resources/preservation-leaflets/iii.-emergency-direction/3.viii-emergency-salvage-of-moldy-books-and-paper

4.3 Cleaning Books and Shelves
https://www.nedcc.org/gratis-resources/preservation-leaflets/four.-storage-and-handling/4.3-cleaning-books-and-shelves

Ritzenthaler, Mary Lynn. (2010).
Preserving archives & manuscripts.
Chicago: Social club of American Archivists. 425-29.