As a quick recap from the last post, we are discussing preservation measures to counter issues in our home environment, including:
- Temperature, Humidity & Light
- Pollution, Dust & Clutter
- Pests & Mold
- Inherent Material Weaknesses
We covered the first bullet point in the last post, and today we are continuing on to pollution, dust, and clutter. Yep, we are talking about good, old fashioned housekeeping.
Pollution can have surprising effect indoors!
The typical air pollution in an urban setting contains chemicals like sulfur dioxide that react with organic materials (paper, cellulose, etc.) to degrade them or simply make surfaces dirty. Because it happens gradually and in conjunction with other forms of deterioration, it can be hard to tell that it’s happening until the change becomes very apparent.
Let me explain what you are seeing on the photo above – I think that it can be hard to see what’s going on until it’s pointed out. The portion below the balcony doors and windows has been cleaned, showing the original tan stone color, while the uncleaned, blackened portion above that line is the result of years and years of pollution. The difference is so striking that it almost looks like the blackened stone is an intentional design choice!
Pollution inside your home will not be this bad, but pay attention to potential polluters, such as cigarette smoke or open windows to a busy street. You want to avoid putting your important family collections in rooms with direct exposure to pollutants.
Alongside general air pollution, it is important to think about other dirt that can get onto and into our collections without a bit of housekeeping.
Basic housekeeping includes regular dusting, using our hands, a cloth, or a duster. While this is a good idea for maintaining the surfaces and things we use on a day-to-day basis, dusting can press dust particles into more fragile heirloom items, causing abrasion and smudging. By wiping the dust away, you might also wipe away loose materials (like the chalky surface of a pastel) or worsen tears (like a crease in a photo). The easiest way to avoid all of this is to place these types of items in protective enclosures like folders and boxes, and then dust the containers instead of the items themselves.
Clearing clutter – and keeping it clear – is one of the more difficult tasks of good housekeeping, but it is very important for the preservation of your collections. Even if you are diligent about keeping everything dust-free, clutter makes it difficult to see what’s going on with them – it can hide problems like a water leak or pest infestation.
As dust, debris, and clutter accumulate, a welcoming environment for pests and mold is being created – of course we want to discourage such visitors! We’ll talk more about them in the next post. Stay tuned!
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