Hi Allison,
If it's possible for you to have a professional conservator look at the cap, I suggest doing that before trying to clean it yourself. After examining it, they'll be able to better advise on what's safe and appropriate based on the material, its condition, and the state and extent of the mold, than I can without having seen it.
If you're planning to address the mold on your own, I recommend reading the Canadian Conservation Institute's Mould Growth on Textiles to learn about the steps involved. It's a detailed resource and well worth reading through carefully before taking action. If after reading you find that you have questions about how to adapt the advice to your particular situation, please let me know here and I'll see if I can clarify.
And before addressing the cap cleaning, please
- protect yourself (N95 mask or respirator, nitrile gloves, goggles) while handling it
- separate it from other collections (a box sealed inside a ziplock-type bag or wrapped in plastic sheeting could work) and make sure you're storing it in an area under 65% RH
- try to find out if the mold growth is present in any other nearby artifacts, and if it was caused by a larger problem (leak, HVAC issue, high humidity, etc) and address that first to prevent further damage
Thank you,
Rebecca
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Rebecca Smyrl
Connecting to Collections Care Monitor
Library & Archives Conservator
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-21-2025 10:43
From: Allison Valdivia
Subject: Mold on GI Cap
Hello everyone,
Going through my collection and prepping for an exhibit. I found about an inch of mold on a GI Cap we have. I have isopropyl alcohol, 90 percent, and distilled water. I have a nilfisk and netting.
Does anyone have any experience with this or advice?
Thank you,
Allison
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Allison Valdivia
Collections Manager
UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures
San Antonio
United States
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