Lysol

Sondra P. Stanway <sondra_stanway [at] eed__state__ak__us> writes

>I was recently told that spraying lysol above (not on) books gets
>rid of any musty smell.

When I first started in business, I was asked to assist with
salvaging books from a fire. The books were surface cleaned, but
retained the smoke odor. Our approach was to spray Lysol into the
air above the books. The books were then placed near a window fan
for about two weeks. After that time the books seemed much better.
About three years later, I called the client to inquire about any
return of the odor. He had not noticed anything.

Additionally, I was concerned about any possible staining or
embrittlement from the spray. Therefore. I saturated some paper in
spots with the Lysol and placed the paper inside/near my florescent
lights. Some years later, I did not see any stains in the sprayed
areas, and there did not seem to be any other problem. My conclusion
(although very unscientific): the Lysol should not be a problem,
especially in the small amounts that landed on the books. Good Luck,

Bill Minter
William Minter Bookbinding and Conservation, Inc.
4364 Woodbury Pike
Woodbury, PA   16695
814-793-4020
Fax: 814-793-4045


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 15:7
                   Distributed: Friday, June 29, 2001
                        Message Id: cdl-15-7-005
                                  ***