Removing Mold and Smoke Odors From Books and Documents

For as long as there have been words printed on paper mold has been busily trying to undo what man has done. And until recently man or library scientists have been fighting the good fight and for the most part winning. And thought we may be winning the price has been very high.

Up until 2000, mold remediation consisted of lysol spray, vacuum cleaners with HEPA filters, respirators and hours and hours of manual labor. The results were marginal at very best. Using stronger chemicals to actually kill the mold and spores are liquid and when the solvent evaporated, the powder left was poison and spraying any liquid on paper documents cause damage of its own.

Using the old standard ozone has some very negative side effects like making leather book bindings brittle and crack, oxidizing the binding cord and bleaching everything in sight.

In the December of 2000, Pat L. Weaver-Meyers, Wilbur A. Stolt, and Barbara Kowaleski wrote a paper titled "Controlling Mold on Library Materials with Chlorine Dioxide: An Eight-Year Case Study" that was published in the " Abbey Newsletter". Their problem was apparently so sever that they were willing to wipe the books with chlorine dioxide dissolved in water to kill the mold and it worked.

They followed up with a product produced by Aseptrol Technology that produced very small amounts of ClO2 that was catalyzed by the humidity in the air. This product is now very hard to get and was not an efficient or cost effective way to produce ClO2 even in very small quantities.

In recent years, new materials and new thinking has been applied to the problem of producing chlorine dioxide. This effort has resulted in the product available on this web site called OdorXit ClO2. It is available in 4 packet weights ranging from 5 grams to 50 grams and 2 gas production rates. For the purpose of library uses, the slow release products are the appropriate products.

They produce ClO2 for 20 to 30 days depending on the humidity and when appropriately sized for the area being treated, there is no odor. If an over sized packet is used, a slight chlorine bleach smell can be detected. The remedy is to put the offending packet in a ZipLoc baggie for a day and then place it back in service.

The packets measure as little as 2.5 x 2.5 x .25 inches to 3 x 4 x .375 inches. The active ingredients are sealed in a Tyvek packet that has a blue border (the seal). The seal is very special in that it breaths small quantity's of air containing water vapor and breathing out the resulting ClO2 gas. This Tyvek packet is shipped in a water vapor proof sealed mylar packet which must be removed to activate the process. Additionally a clear peal and stick pouch is supplied with each packet to mount the packet is any convenient place. Since the packets outgas for only 20 to 30 days, it may be necessary to replace them occasionally. The spent packets can be removed and replaces indefinably.

Note: It is not necessary to replace the spent ClO2 packet just because it has expired. Because ClO2 is so effective a killing mold fungus and spores, re-growth and re-population is very slow and based on the ability of the air handling system to filter out new spores floating in the air outside the treated area.

In order to remove mold or smoke odor from hard bound books, you will need a plastic tub with a cover or a metal locker with a door that can be closed.

• Stand the book(s) to be treated on end so that the pages can be fluffed open.
• Place the books so that the covers are open between 45 and 90 degrees and about 1 inch apart.
• Stick the self adhering pouch on the side of the tub or near the top of the locker
• Tear open the Mylar outer package without tearing or puncturing the inner Tyvek packet of a 5 gram Extended Release packet for a tub or locker (bigger packets are available for treating larger open areas.)
• Place the Tyvek packet in the pouch
• Install the cover or close the locker door without knocking the books over.
• Remove the books in 24 to 48 hours. All the mold will be dead and needs only to be wiped away with a soft cloth.

The packet will continue to release small amounts of chlorine dioxide for 20 or 30 days during which time the books in the tub or locker can be replaced with new ones for treatment.

Note, when the blue border around the packet has turned white, the packet is finished or nearly finished producing gas and should be discarded in an outdoor garbage container.

If you have questions, call the experts at 1-877-636-7948.