Drying wet papers and books after a leak

Once papers and books get wet, mold can start growing in as little as 48 hours. Most can be saved by drying them with moving air and absorbent paper, though they may stay warped or cockled. Wet paper is very fragile, so handle it gently. Floodwater can be contaminated, so wear waterproof gloves, and if the water came from a flood, make sure the room is safe to enter before you go in.

What you need

• Waterproof gloves
• Plain paper towels or unprinted newsprint, with no dye or ink that can bleed
• Clean towels and a flat, clean table
• Fans
• Wax paper and a freezer, for anything you can't dry in time

Steps

1. 1

   Stop the water first

   Find the leak and shut it off or block it, so no more gets wet. Cover anything under a drip with plastic sheeting. Move the papers and books that are still dry to another room.

   15 min

2. 2

   Cool and dry the room

   Keep the room cool, below 65°F if you can, and run the air conditioning or a dehumidifier to bring the humidity below 60%. Set fans to move the air, aimed near the drying items but not straight at them.

   10 min

3. 3

   Sort what's wet

   Work on the things that matter most to you first. Glossy paper, such as magazines, art books and paperback covers, sticks together as it dries, so handle any you want to keep early.

   10 min

4. 4

   Lay out loose papers

   Dry documents flat on paper towels or towels, one at a time or in piles no thicker than half an inch. Replace the paper underneath as it soaks through. Spread glossy pages out in a single layer.

   20 min

5. 5

   Stand damp books fanned open

   A book that's only damp on the outside can stand upright, fanned open, without anything between the pages. Lay large, heavy, soft-cover or fragile books flat instead.

   15 min

6. 6

   Put sheets between the pages of wetter books

   Tuck a sheet of paper towel or newsprint, larger than the pages, inside each cover, and more every quarter to half inch through the book if you have time. Too many sheets strain the spine. For glossy books, use wax paper between every page.

   30 min

7. 7

   Change the sheets and check for mold

   Replace the wet sheets often, and turn each book over when you do so it dries evenly. Look between the pages and in the gutter for mold each time.

   15 min

8. 8

   Freeze what you can't dry in 2 days

   Gently press out excess water, wrap every other book in wax paper, and pack them spine down, or flat but not stacked on top of each other. Freeze them at the coldest setting. Freezing stops mold until you have time to thaw and dry them.

   15 min

If mold shows up

Active mold looks fuzzy or slimy. Don't try to wipe it off, because that spreads it. Dry the item first, outdoors or with a fan blowing out a window, then seal it in a plastic bag. Once mold is dry and powdery, it can be brushed off outdoors with a soft, clean brush. Many people are sensitive to mold, so limit handling, and for anything valuable, ask a conservator.

What not to freeze

Videotapes, audio tapes and discs, old cased photographs such as daguerreotypes, framed paintings and old glass plate negatives shouldn't go in the freezer. Neither should old photographs or negatives, unless a conservator says so.