Kerosene odor in storage boxes

Our archivist received a collection of documents that had been
stored near a kerosene stove.  She was unaware that they had either
absorbed an odor through proximity or that there had been actual
contamination due to a spill; but when they had been stored in
buffered board document boxes for a time, there was a strong
kerosene odor whenever the boxes were opened.  The documents have
gone on to another life and she would like to reuse the boxes, but
the smell still lingers.  Any suggestions for removing the smell, or
do we just have to trash a bunch of expensive boxes?

Anne T. Lane
Curatorial Assistant
Museum of York County
4621 Mount Gallant Road
Rock Hill, SC 29715
803-329-2121, ext 104

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 12:49
                Distributed: Wednesday, December 2, 1998
                       Message Id: cdl-12-49-019
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