| PROBLEMS |
SOLUTIONS |
| Damage caused by handling |
Minimize handling, wear cotton gloves |
| Damage caused by abrasive cleaning |
Clean only when necessary; use softest abrasive for the job (e.g. paste of precipitated calcium carbonate and water) |
| New corrosion of metal under plating |
Isolate object in a dry environment |
| Loss of plating layer |
Leave alone to save information about history of use |
| Condensation inside sealed plastic bag |
(a) Break seal by cutting small holes in bag to promote ventilation; or
(b) add a drying agent (e.g. dry silica gel) to the bag and then reseal |
| Blue-green corrosion on copper alloys inside wood case |
Add ventilation to case; consider painting case |
| Tarnish on silver |
Store inside a sealed plastic bag; better yet seal inside a plastic bag containing dry silica gel and activated charcoal |
| White or gray corrosion on lead |
Provide better ventilation to dilute source of problem (volatile organic acids) and consult a conservator about safe corrosion removal and disposal |
| Difficulty finding conservation resources |
See reference section below. See CCI Notes (9 series) available on the CCI Web site. See also the Preserving my Heritage Web site. |
| Difficulty finding conservation advice |
When in doubt, consult a conservator. For more information, see the Canadian Association of Professional Conservators (CAPC) website. |
