Emergency Response Tips for Wet or Damaged Objects

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Emergency Response Tips for Wet or Damaged Objects

Books

Remove mud or debris before drying. Rinse closed books in a bucket with cold running water. Carefully blot (do not rub) mud with a sponge.
Very wet volumes—freeze and then thaw and air dry in small groups, or contact a disaster recovery vendor to inquire about vacuum freeze drying.
Small quantities of damp and slightly wet volumes--air dry.
When air drying,

Air dry in a well-ventilated, low humidity area (RH less than 60%, if possible).
Fan the volume open and stand upright on volume's drier end. (Placing absorbent paper –paper towels, unprinted newsprint, or blotting paper-- beneath the volume will help absorb wetness that may be present on the drier end of the book.)
Interleave text every 20 or so pages with dry paper. Replace interleaving papers as they become wet. (Please note: Avoid excessive interleaving, as this can cause distortion to the volume's binding)
When book is nearly dry, place under weight to prevent warping.
Immediately contact a book conservator for more detailed information on salvaging vellum or other rare bindings.

Documents and Records

Large quantities of very wet documents should be frozen. Contact a disaster recovery vendor to inquire about vacuum freeze drying, or thaw small quantities of documents and air dry.

Air drying is suitable for small quantities of damp and slight wet documents.
When air drying;

Remove any colored enclosures or folders that may bleed.
Spread documents out on flat surfaces protected by absorbent paper such as unprinted newsprint, paper towels, or blotting paper. Replace the absorbent paper when it becomes wet.
Coated (glossy) sheets must be individually separated to prevent sticking. Uncoated papers can be dried in small stacks of about 25 sheets.
Use polyester film (Mylar, Mellinex) to separate wet sheets of paper. Press the sheet of polyester on top of a stack of wet papers, and gently lift up the paper with the polyester film.

Photographic Prints

If stuck together or dirty, submerge in a tray or bucket of cold water. (Maximum of 72 hours for black and white, 48 hours for color.)
When air drying;

Spread prints out on flat surfaces protected by unprinted newsprint, paper towels, or blotting paper. Print should lay emulsion (image) side up. If the prints have borders, they may hang from a clothesline.
When nearly dry, place prints under light weight to reduce curling.

Photographic Negatives / Slides / Films

If stuck together or dirty, submerge in a tray or bucket of cold water. (Maximum of 72 hours for black and white, 48 hours for color.)
Air dry on flat surfaces protected by unprinted newsprint, paper towels, or blotting paper. Negatives should be placed emulsion (image) side up, or hang from clothesline.
Remove slides from mounts, rinse, air dry and re-mount.

Ceramic, Glass, and Stone

Do not wash if the surface is fragile. Watch for cracking, peeling, or lifting off of surfaces. Immediately contact an objects conservator if this occurs.
If object does not appear to be fragile and is in good condition, rinse in fresh, clean tap water to remove dirt, salts, and debris.
Pat dry with soft cloth or paper toweling. Do NOT rub.
Cover lightly with clean cloth sheets or paper towels and allow to slowly air dry in a protected, ventilated area.

Organics (Leather, Wood, Bone, Ivory, Basketry)

Pat dry with paper towels. Do NOT rub surface to remove dirt or mold.
Cover lightly with cloth sheets or paper towels and place in a suitably sized partly covered box, allowing for some air circulation. Fill leather bags and baskets with dry paper to help them maintain their shape.
Allow to air dry very slowly in this container. Try to keep the relative humidity in the drying space below 65%.
Watch for mold growth, warping, splitting, or insect attack. Immediately contact an objects conservator if this begins to occur.

Metals

Pat dry with paper towels.
Allow to air dry uncovered in a well-ventilated, low humidity area (RH below 55%, if possible).
Watch for corrosion:
Copper and/or bronze: powdery, light green spots on the surface
Iron: red colored sweat spots
If these conditions occur, immediately contact an objects conservator.

Broken Objects (Ceramic, Glass and Stone, Leather, Wood, Bone, Ivory, Basketry, Metals)

Save all fragments, large and small.
After drying (as specified above), wrap all fragments individually in white tissue paper. This prevents the fragments from rubbing against one another and causing further damage.
Replace any filling paper with fresh paper.
Place all wrapped fragments flat on the bottom of a box. Pad large fragments with bubble wrap or paper.
Contact an objects conservator for assessment and possible repair.

Paintings

Remove painting from the wall. If the wall is wet to the touch, place de-humidifiers in room to remove excess moisture. Place fans in the room to keep air circulating. If there is no electricity, open windows to create some air flow.
If the canvas reverse is wet to the touch, absorb as much moisture as possible from canvas reverse by gently blotting any clean, dry, absorbent paper or material (e.g., paper towels, blotting paper) against canvas reverse. Lift painting as much as needed, but do not put face down. Allow absorbent material to rest against canvas reverse for several minutes. Repeat as often as necessary until moisture stops being absorbed from canvas.
Air dry paintings face up, placing blocks under stretchers to allow air to circulate behind the canvas. Two inch thick pieces of an inert foam, such as Ethafoam, are especially useful, but 2 x 4's will work.) Paintings can also be leaned against a table or chair to allow free air flow around the painting. This technique, however, places paintings in an insecure state and care must be taken in the placement of vulnerable items (away from constant foot traffic).
For more information, contact a paintings conservator.

5800 Jonesboro Road
Morrow, GA 30260
678.364.3710
www.GeorgiaArchives.org

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