This presentation box was unknowingly left wet after a water emergency in the storage area. Mold began to grow and the steward of this object thought it may be unsalvageable. Luckily, with a little patience and a lot of work this piece was safely conserved.
Before: notice the large area of mold.
After: mold has been removed using both dry and wet methods.
Treatment process: First the item was tested and it was determined that object was fully dry and conservation work could begin (with gloves and a high filtration mask). Using an adjustable, conservation vacuum, the mold was gently vacuumed off the surface. This only removed the "fuzzy" mold; the mold stuck between the fibers was still very prominent. After fabric testing to ensure the dye would not bleed, a cotton swab dipped in isopropyl alcohol was used to gently remove the mold particles in between the fibers. This was a painstaking process that involved removing a small, inconspicuous area of mold and waiting to see the reaction on the fabric. Once that was determined to be a safe and viable option for cleaning the real work began! All the mold was then carefully removed using this process. Once the mold was removed, the object was left to dry. A final vacuum cleaning was down to ensure all particles were removed. This was roughly a 5 hour hands-on process.
No one wants to see a beloved item damaged, but things happen! Intervention is key to ensuring the object can be safely stored and preserved for many years to come.
Before
After
If you have an object you'd like to preserve for future generations, contact Nickole here or send her an email at NickoleSwensen@gmail.com