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Mold removal on something sentimental

  • 05-07-2020 8:22pm
    #1
    Sheepdish1
    Registered Users Posts: 618 ✭✭✭


    Ugh, I have just discovered the lovely white clay prints I did with my kid 14 years ago when she was a baby are covered in mold :(:

    I left them i a wardrobe and just happened to check them while looking for something else and there is cream and green fuzzy mold all over them :(

    They were made on a kit with white clay / dough. Is there any specialists that i can contact to help remove it without destroying the imprints? The lines from the hands and feet are quite fine and they obviously can't be washed.

    Help :(


Comments

  • #2
    Spocker
    Moderators Posts: 6,871 ✭✭✭Spocker


    Try these folks, they may be able to guide you https://www.babyrice.co.uk/


  • #3
    twirlagig
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,374 ✭✭✭twirlagig


    Is there mould on the back of them too? If so, maybe try a mould spray on a small test area there and see how it reacts...

    Edit... sorry, you asked for specialist help - read it too quick and didn’t see that at first :)


  • #4
    Sheepdish1
    Registered Users Posts: 618 ✭✭✭Sheepdish1


    twirlagig wrote: »
    Is there mould on the back of them too? If so, maybe try a mould spray on a small test area there and see how it reacts...

    Edit... sorry, you asked for specialist help - read it too quick and didn’t see that at first :)

    Thank you, any advice is welcome! I wonder is there anyone that restores artwork in museums etc, I wonder if they could help me. Yes there’s mold on the back too but not as much :( some of it is really green, I’m gutted :(


  • #5
    listermint
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 34,106 ✭✭✭✭listermint


    If they're clay would a steamer not work to kill the mould off them.


  • #6
    Sheepdish1
    Registered Users Posts: 618 ✭✭✭Sheepdish1


    listermint wrote: »
    If they're clay would a steamer not work to kill the mould off them.

    It wasn't fired clay. It is similar to a white dough. They are little kits that are bought in shops that the hand and foot is pressed into


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  • #7
    Sheepdish1
    Registered Users Posts: 618 ✭✭✭Sheepdish1


    https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/15032533779

    They were made using this type of soft clay so it can't be steamed as it will make them lose their shape. I'm so disappointed, they are very special to me and thet are completely ruined


  • #8
    cruizer101
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,205 ✭✭✭cruizer101


    If the mold is actually in the clay it could be very hard to remove the discolouration from it.
    Could you leave the somewhere where the mold will dry out and the try brush it off.


  • #9
    Sheepdish1
    Registered Users Posts: 618 ✭✭✭Sheepdish1


    cruizer101 wrote: »
    If the mold is actually in the clay it could be very hard to remove the discolouration from it.
    Could you leave the somewhere where the mold will dry out and the try brush it off.

    Yes I’ll do this. Thank you for the suggestion. There are parts that are green and they are mostly covered in a light brown mold. I’m absolutely gutted as the hand prints were impressed on a white clay. They are destroyed :( I wonder if I a museum could help me. I just can’t believe this has happened to them


  • #10
    GreeBo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,253 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    You could try to recast them...you buy some silicone, pour it over your imprints (in a plastic box or something) once it goes off you can peel it off the imprints and you have a negative copy, then you pour plaster of paris or something similar into the silicone mold and once it hardens you are back to a brand new perfect copy. You can even repeat it several times to get copies until you perfect your plaster technique.

    Now you may see some imperfections from the mould so I would try to clean as much of that off as possible, but at least your new copies will be white. I'd recommend glazing them when you are happy to protect them.


  • #11
    Sheepdish1
    Registered Users Posts: 618 ✭✭✭Sheepdish1


    GreeBo wrote: »
    You could try to recast them...you buy some silicone, pour it over your imprints (in a plastic box or something) once it goes off you can peel it off the imprints and you have a negative copy, then you pour plaster of paris or something similar into the silicone mold and once it hardens you are back to a brand new perfect copy. You can even repeat it several times to get copies until you perfect your plaster technique.

    Now you may see some imperfections from the mould so I would try to clean as much of that off as possible, but at least your new copies will be white. I'd recommend glazing them when you are happy to protect them.

    That’s a good idea, it’s so disheartening that this has happened to them as I kept them safe for so long. Would the silicon stick to the hand prints and ruin them further.

    I’m trying to figure out a way that the mold can be removed possibly using UV light. I’m also wondering is it better to try dry them or leave the mold as wet before trying to remove it.


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  • #12
    Vetch
    Closed Accounts Posts: 422 ✭✭Vetch


    You could try leaving them outside as the UV in strong sunlight kills mould. Not sure what effect the sunlight would otherwise have on the clay though.


  • #13
    GreeBo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,253 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    Sheepdish1 wrote: »
    That’s a good idea, it’s so disheartening that this has happened to them as I kept them safe for so long. Would the silicon stick to the hand prints and ruin them further.

    I’m trying to figure out a way that the mold can be removed possibly using UV light. I’m also wondering is it better to try dry them or leave the mold as wet before trying to remove it.

    If the mould is "Fluffy" then I'd use a soft paint brush or similar to remove as much as possible (especially if you are going to try to recast) Even if you kill the mold you will need to manually remove it somehow.
    The silicone shouldnt stick if you have the original prints as clean and dry as possible, if it does stick it kinda means the prints were ruined anyway as the silicone wont stick to clean, dry, smooth surfaces.
    Vetch wrote: »
    You could try leaving them outside as the UV in strong sunlight kills mould. Not sure what effect the sunlight would otherwise have on the clay though.

    I would worry about the mold drying out and cracking in this scenario.


  • #14
    Alun
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,487 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    Another possibility might be to find somewhere that specializes in 3D printing. They could do a 3D scan of it and print it in plastic.


  • #15
    GreeBo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,253 ✭✭✭✭GreeBo


    Alun wrote: »
    Another possibility might be to find somewhere that specializes in 3D printing. They could do a 3D scan of it and print it in plastic.

    While that would deffo be safer for the imprint, wouldnt you have the same problem of having to clean the mould first (to avoid scanning it?)


  • #16
    Alun
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 21,487 ✭✭✭✭Alun


    GreeBo wrote: »
    While that would deffo be safer for the imprint, wouldnt you have the same problem of having to clean the mould first (to avoid scanning it?)
    True. I'd have thought though that you could remove the surface mould reasonably easily with a soft brush or something similar and be left with just some discolouration which wouldn't affect the scanning. A lot will depend on exactly what the thing is made of and how fragile it is if you try too hard to remove the surface mould.


  • #17
    Sheepdish1
    Registered Users Posts: 618 ✭✭✭Sheepdish1


    Alun wrote: »
    True. I'd have thought though that you could remove the surface mould reasonably easily with a soft brush or something similar and be left with just some discolouration which wouldn't affect the scanning. A lot will depend on exactly what the thing is made of and how fragile it is if you try too hard to remove the surface mould.

    It’s very fragile for example I can see the lines of my baby’s finger and toe prints, the clay is air drying clay so I can’t use water on it to remove it. I’ve opened the wardrobe and am using the dehumidifier in the hope it will start to stop the mold growing further.

    I’ve opened the little box I have it in to try and get some air into it.

    I really want to get it restored back to how it originally was, I’ve had it safe for so long and can’t believe that this has happened to it. Some of the mold is green.


    Would anyone have any suggestions of someone that may able to help me with this? Would there be anyone that specialises in art restoration that may be able to help? Hopefully they’d help if I explained what has happened. If I could give it to someone to restore I’d be happy to pay them. Maybe there is some way of using light to remove the stains?

    Thank you for all the helpful suggestions but I’d be too nervous pouring silicone. I just want the originals to how they were.

    Would me dehumidifying the room and opening the box make it worse or better does anyone know? There is a room that is dry I can put them into.


  • #18
    Sheepdish1
    Registered Users Posts: 618 ✭✭✭Sheepdish1


    GreeBo wrote: »
    If the mould is "Fluffy" then I'd use a soft paint brush or similar to remove as much as possible (especially if you are going to try to recast) Even if you kill the mold you will need to manually remove it somehow.
    The silicone shouldnt stick if you have the original prints as clean and dry as possible, if it does stick it kinda means the prints were ruined anyway as the silicone wont stick to clean, dry, smooth surfaces.



    I would worry about the mold drying out and cracking in this scenario.

    I’ve opened the box they are in and am using a dehumidifier in the room in the hope of drying the mold out. I really want them to be restored to how they were.

    Is there anyone you might know of that you could recommend for art or artefact restoration? I’m sure this is a problem that museums have come across.

    If I could speak to someone that does this they may be able to help in some way. Thank you for advice but I don’t want to risk damaging them further, they are precious to me. My heart sinks when I think about what’s happened to them


  • #19
    Vetch
    Closed Accounts Posts: 422 ✭✭Vetch


    The people on this list are qualified conservators https://www.icriconservation.ie/find-a-conservator/.


  • #20
    Sheepdish1
    Registered Users Posts: 618 ✭✭✭Sheepdish1


    Vetch wrote: »
    The people on this list are qualified conservators https://www.icriconservation.ie/find-a-conservator/.

    thank you for being so helpful and taking the time to post this!


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