Hi Neylan,
Oh no thats unfortunate! would you be able to share an image? My biggest questions are how big is the infestation and if the mold is active?
Active = wet and slimy , Dormant = dry and powdery.
Please consider consulting a conservator before any treatment. Even after deactivating, allergens and toxins will remain on the object, and there's also a possibility of spores reactivating if there are temperature or relative humidity changes. I'm attaching a guide on mold. Use PPE ALWAYS!
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Grisel Marquez-Razon
Assistant Registrar for Collections
Mingei International Museum
San Diego CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-29-2026 12:29 PM
From: Neylan Wheat
Subject: Help! Mold in recently acquired accession
We have a collection that was recently acquired that contains items of great value but... it has mold! Our biggest worry is the mold on the leather items. We are looking into a hepa vacuum and I am wondering if anyone has a recommendation on a good but affordable vacuum? Also, Does anyone have tips on how to best stop the growth and make these items safe to go into storage or on display? I'm worried even if we take all the precautions we may not do it correctly and then infect our larger collection. Any solutions are welcome! Thank you.