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Mold: The Unseen Culprit
Books are something we all cherish, and certain books
we cherish more than others. I would say most of us have our own private
collections that we want to prevent from deteriorating. However, there
are things in the environment that can cause damage without us even knowing
damage has occurred. One particular problem that creeps and eats its way
onto our books is mold.
Mold is a fungus found everywhere in the air
and on objects. And from time to time poor environmental conditions will activate
it. Usually, the first place one will notice mold on
books is the binding. This is because the adhesive used in the
binding is a very good
medium or food for mold to grow on. Also, mold loves the cellulose in the paper
of books. Because mold is a fungus, its color depends on what it is
growing on, and be assured at some point it is always icky and sticky. So,
what can be done to prevent mold from growing on your books, and what do you
do if mold is already present?
There are preventive measures you can take affecting
the environment your books are placed in. The first is to keep your books at
room temperature, about 70 degrees, and in low humidity, about 50%. This
will help to keep mold dormant because moisture in the air will be low and
temperature not too hot. However, if the temperature fluctuates between 70
and 75 degrees with high humidity mold will begin to grow.
Another step to take is to keep the air circulating.
Most homes that have an HVAC (heating/ventilation/air conditioning) system
installed should not have much problem with circulation. If there is
poor circulation though, you can use a small fan put on the floor to keep
the air moving where your books are located. By controlling
temperature, humidity, and air circulation, these preventive measures will
help prevent mold from
becoming active.
If mold is already present, there are five steps you
can take to clean the books. As a general rule, it is always good to wear
gloves, goggles, and a mask with a HEPA filter or an N-95 respirator when cleaning any mold.
An N-95 respirator can be purchased at a local hardware store. This
rule is very important because mold itself is a potential danger and some
molds are deadly to everyone.
1.
Determine the cause: Where and why is mold growing on your books?
2.
Isolate the books: Seal the books up in plastic bags until
you are ready to
clean them, but do not leave them sealed up too long. This will cause more
damage.
3.
Modify the environment: Is the temperature and humidity at the
right levels or is air circulation poor?
4.
Clean: If a small amount of books are affected, put them in the sun
for 30 minutes to deactivate the mold. Then vacuum with a HEPA vacuum and
wipe the books clean with a dry cloth or soft brush. Using other
solvents may not only damage your books, but may be dangerous to your
health as well. Clean the shelf with Lysol or a similar product.
5.
Monitor: This last step will help you determine if the problem was
isolated. This can be done by periodically checking the area that
was affected to ensure that the mold was
deactivated or killed.
Implementing the preventive measures above, or if
you currently have a mold problem following these guidelines, will help
you prolong the life of the books you cherish most.
by Eric Waggoner
For more about mold see these websites:
A Brief Guide to
Mold, Moisture, and Your Home from
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Mold
from the
Chicora Foundation
Invasion of the
Giant Mold Spore from the
Southeastern Library Network (Solinet)
Emergency Salvage
of Moldy Books and Paper from
Northeast Document and Conservation Center (NEDCC)
Mold
from Conservation Online (CoOL)
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Dixon Pentecostal Research Center |
