Dust cloths

Carol Fink <cfink2 [at] michigan__gov> writes

>A few weeks ago, I absent-mindedly left a Chix Stretch 'n Dust cloth
>between two clamshell boxes. The next morning, they had the pattern
>of the cloth imprinted on them in an oily residue. I contacted the
>company who sent me the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for these
>cloths.  By weight they are 10-15% mineral oil.
> ...
>Can anyone put my concerns to rest about exposing books (and their
>shelves) to mineral oil?

I would not use cloths for cleaning books, as any damaged areas are
likely to be further abraded by them. Museum vacs or Conservacs with
variable suction and small brushes are fine, as are pony hair or hog
bristle brushes.The latter may be used to brush dirt into a box or
an ordinary vacuum cleaner with gauze over its nozzle. Care should
be taken when brushing along board edges, joints or spines, as these
will be the most fragile areas.

Caroline Bendix
Freelance Library Conservator


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 17:54
               Distributed: Wednesday, February 18, 2004
                       Message Id: cdl-17-54-007
                                  ***