Humidifying Documents

So you have discovered that even after rescuing your documents from the blows of misfortune, or maybe just the lazy sideswipe of ill-luck, that several important documents have been crumpled by rough floodwater, or perhaps curled by the desiccating heat of a fire. Fortunately, it is very possible to flatten the documents using a humidity chamber. By using moist air to rehydrate the paper fibers, it is possible to make the documents pliable enough to once more lie flat and smooth. The procedure, as outlined below, is simple and does not require any special materials.

Humidification Procedure:

1. Line the bottom of a large tray with a wet towel or wet blotter paper.
2. Place a rack on top of the wet material which will keep the documents from making direct content with it while simultaneously allowing the damp air to circulate. A diffuser, commonly used for fluorescent ceiling lights, works well for this purpose.
3. Cover the top of the rack with cheesecloth or other loose weave cotton material. This will support the paper while it gains moisture and prevent impressions from the rack. Cheesecloth will also continue to allow the humid air to permeate the paper.
4. Seal the top of the tray with a heavy lid, or plastic wrap in order to keep the humidity levels within the container up.
5. The length of time to leave the documents in the container will depend on several factors including type of paper and severity of damage. Check the flexibility of the papers frequently at first, then every 2-3 hours. It is not recommended to leave them in the humidifying chamber for longer than 24 hours.
6. Once humidification is complete, the papers can be pressed to flatten them. To do this, place them between two sheets of blotter paper, and then two boards or heavy books topped with weights.  Whatever is used for press boards must be flat and larger than the paper being flattened.

Keep the following in mind when humidifying documents:

• Any non-permeable container large enough to hold the necessary materials can be used for humidification.
• Water can poured into the bottom of the container for humidification rather than using a towel or blotters, but there is a greater risk of the documents becoming wet. Remember, it is the HUMID AIR doing the work, not the water directly, as that will further damage the documents, so always keep the documents being humidified away from the wet materials or water.

Record sleeves being humidified