Detect, Avoid Mildew in Antique, Vintage Paper Ephemera and Books

As a dealer in antiquarian books and old paper items, I cannot tell you how often I see dealers at auctions pay out huge sums of money for vintage and antique paper and books that are virtually worthless because they are infected by mildew. Many people wrongly consider a mildew odor to be normal for older paper items. This is an untrue and unfortunate assumption.

There are many supposed home remedies and quack cures for mildewed paper and books. They do not work. For highly valuable paper items infected with mildew, one would best consult a paper conservator. These specialists can, in some cases, depending on the item and the damage already done, apply specialized and highly costly treatments to kill the mildew spores. For everything else, the best way to deal with mildew is to avoid it! Whether you are a collector or buying for resale, adopt an absolutely no mildew policy for your collection or stock. Do not buy mildewed items and do not infect your other items by bringing it into your home or shop.

A mildewed item will only get more mildewed over time. Mildew is also contagious: it can spread to your otherwise healthy books! But aside from its negative effects on paper, it is also a health hazard to human beings. Mildew, which is a mold, can cause allergies and allergic reactions; can aggravate asthma and can trigger other dangerous chronic health conditions

Why is mildew so rampant when it comes to old books and paper items? The answer has to do with storage. So many of us store books and paper items in the dark moist basement-- the most hospitable possible environment for growing mold.

How can you tell if your items are mildewed? Here are some handy tips to keep you from unknowingly buying mildewed antique and vintage paper items.

First, mildew can be both visible or virtually invisible so always sniff before you buy. What does mildew smell like? Have you ever washed a load of laundry only to forget and leave it in the washing machine for more than a day, especially in the hot summer? The moldy smell in your washer was from mildew.

In a neutral, non-odorous environment, your nose will usually tell you right away that mildew is present. However, many of the most common places to find vintage paper items already have a musty or mildewed odor in the air. In environments such as local auction houses, neighborhood antiques shops, consignment and second hand shops, mildew odor can already be in the air and thus a particular item's odor can be hard to detect. Try to remove the item from its immediate surroundings and sniff it again. If you still can't tell ask permission to step outside with your item and sniff it in the open air. Be honest with the proprietor as to why you are doing this! Reputable book and paper sellers are already aware of this issue. Other sellers and dealers should be made more aware of this problem.

If you are buying on line on such sites as EBay, feel free to write and ask a dealer if the item has a musty or mildew odor. There is nothing more disappointing than purchasing a lovely paper item online, only to find, when it arrives that it has a terrible mildew odor.

If you are unsure in terms of odor, hold the item to the light and view its surface from different angles. Mildew can appear as a thin white haze, a scattering of white, gray or black spots or a thick white, gray or black powdery layer. If any of these are present-- you will certainly also notice the odor. Pass the item by. If you own the item, throw it out.

Paper dealers desperate to save a wonderful piece of ephemera will assert that the following home remedies will solve the mildew problem. These treatments do not work because they do not kill the mildew mold spores. Some of these faulty methods include: surrounding the item with kitty litter or baking soda in a closed bag or box to supposedly absorb the odor. Enclosing the item with dryer sheets: This only adds a new allergenic perfume odor to the mold. It does not kill the mold. In our experience, of all the home-based methods, the age-old recommendation of leaving the item out the dry sunlight may, if the mildew is very light, be effective.

In general, however, the only way to deal with mildew on old books and paper is to throw out infected items and protect your healthy collection by keeping it in a dry place.