I am a wooden objects conservator who specializes in conservation of horse-drawn vehicles. In addition, I was the managing conservator recently for a mold remediation project at the Mark Twain House & Museum in Hartford, CT. We removed mold from over 5,000 objects varying from books to ceramics to metals to glass to leather to finished and unfinished wood to textiles to paintings. Our general procedure was to examine the object for stability, and if safe, vacuum with a HEPA variable-suction vacuum (many ordinary shop vacuums can be converted to HEPA variable suction very inexpensively, often for less than $50). For many objects, this was sufficient. If additional removal was necessary and the object was non-absorbent, we used a soft cotton pad or cloth or swab SLIGHTLY dampened with distilled water. Of course, we tested to make sure it was safe before moving forward. With literally only a handful of exceptions, this is all we used for mold removal on the 5,000+ objects.
Vinegar contains a relatively impure acetic acid. Acids are not healthy for leather. Have you ever seen red "rot" in leather - it turns red and tears and powders? It is caused by acid generally not sufficiently removed in the original processing of the leather when it was made beginning in the mid-19th century and later. Always use distilled water first if the surface is safe for "wet" cleaning (this refers to any liquid, not just water).
I fully concur with others that saddle soap and other commercial products should not be used on historic objects, including horse-drawn vehicles. If you are trying to maintain your own leather object for a few years, these products may be useful. However, over hundreds of years, the goal of preservation after all, they do not age well and can cause more damage than had they not been applied. In general, I recommend not applying anything to leather of horse-drawn vehicles. If the leather appears to need some treatment other than that described above, it should be referred to a conservator for advice.
I hate to say this for the umpteenth time, please get advice from a fully trained and qualified conservator, not some local restorer or refurbisher or u-tuber. Conservators spend much of their treatment time trying to undo harmful processes or materials (sometimes unsuccessfully) that such individuals recommended or have done to objects There is a reason that conservators spend 4 years getting an undergraduate degree in chemistry, art history and studio art, then 3 years in graduate conservation studies, plus in many cases, post-graduate fellowships and internships. There is a LOT to learn!
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Marc Williams
President
American Conservation Consortium, Ltd.
acc@conservator.com------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 06-01-2019 10:18
From: Keara Teeter
Subject: Mildew on leather
I would like to direct everyone's attention to a series of guides the AIC has prepared to help you. The Caring for your Treasures handouts are available for download here.
On page two of Caring for Books, that handout mentions:
"In the past, leather books were often oiled to improve their feel and appearance. Unfortunately this can also cause stains, make the leather sticky, and degrade paper. Recent tests have shown that dressings are only cosmetic and do nothing to prolong the life of the leather. Consult a conservator before using dressings . . . "
I understand that remedies like vinegar or saddle soap are sought with the best intentions for preserving collections. That being said, these products can cause additional, long-term harm and are not recommended.
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Keara Teeter
Graduate Fellow, Class of 2019
Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation
Original Message:
Sent: 05-31-2019 15:57
From: Julie Thompson
Subject: Mildew on leather
Hi Kathleen,
At our museum we have saddles and an 1890's old buggy One day a visitor came in that refurbishes buggies. She was very
excited to see the original leather on part of our buggy. She told me to use white vinegar to clean the leather.
I tried it on a hidden area first(as per her instructions) to make sure it wasn't going to make matters worse. It
didn't. So I cleaned the leather panel with white vinegar. I used a q-tip to spread the vinegar and let it air dry.
For the saddles, I purchased saddle soap and cleaner from a Farm supply store. I put it on the saddles with a
soft cloth. I followed the instructions on the cleaner.
I also google this and received four or five solutions for removing mildew and mold off leather products.
There are youtube videos showing exactly how to take care of leather products-baseball gloves with mildew. Check them out for instructions.
Hope this helps.
Julie Thompson,
Guardians of the Eagle Point Museum