Storage Techniques That Keep Dust Out

When it comes to storing family heirlooms and keepsakes in a dust free environment, the best advice comes from professional museum curators who work with valuable artifacts on a regular basis.

The curators at our local historical museum recently told me that storing family keepsakes in a dust free environment is as simple as tucking the cleaned items in an acid free storage box and stashing them in a dark, well sealed room. Ideally, the room should maintain a cool, even temperature that's well out of the traffic areas and the reach of mice or other pests. An elevated shelf in an unused bedroom closet or a garage storeroom are just a few locations where family keepsakes can be safely stored.

What the staff didn't recommend was the old standby of stashing our valuables in plastic totes or plastic bags. While this is OK for short term storage, plastics of all kinds releases chemical fumes that can damage or discolor the contents with time. Even more disturbing -- learning that plastic totes and sealed plastic bags can turn into tiny ecosystems, a sort of microclimate of dust mites and spores that can't escape the confines of the tote. Because there is no air circulation in a tote, these critters have no place to go and settle down instead on our heirlooms and keepsakes.

Whether it's electronics, pictures, textiles, or old toys, the best dust free storage solution is an acid free box in an out-of-the-way location. This method is how I store my own valuable family artifacts which have survived several decades of deep storage.

Here's a few additional storage tips the museum staff shared:

Clean before storing. Before storing family heirlooms or other keepsakes, clean and thoroughly dry them before packing them up for storage. Textiles should be laundered, toys washed with a disinfectant, and other items carefully vacuumed. (Remember to snap a nylon over the nozzle of your vacuum wand to prevent damage).

Use lint free muslin for wrapping. To separate items being stored, use clean, unbleached, and relatively lint-free fabrics such as muslin or white sheets. Do NOT use plastic bags (even dry cleaning bags) since they will discolor the items.

Store in a windowless room. Rooms with leaky windows or other drafts can also bring dust into your storage areas. To keep the dust in your storage room to a minimum, seal the drafts and replace weather stripping around the windows & door as needed. A portable air purifier can also help keep dust to a minimum.