Hi all,
I thought I would share some of the info I’ve found out
about Ziplock brand storage bags. I contacted the Ziplock
company to ask what their bags were made out of. I was told
that it was a polyethylene plastic resin. They don’t use
plasticizers, PVC, or latex in their products. The company
stance on whether to use the bags for a use other than for
food was negative. They don’t recommend it since they
didn’t test their products for anything but food.
I then contacted Newbie Richardson, an historic textile
conservator and consultant, to get her take on it. She told
me I could print her response for all of you,
“The only problem with Ziplock bags is the fact that they
do not breathe and
thus trap moisture. The material is just fine. Any "food
grade" material is
usually archival. However, that may not be a problem for you
all in your dry
climate, though (Wyoming.) I certainly would not recommend
it here in humid, muggy Virginia!
”When I visited the textile conservator at the Royal
Ontario Museum in
Toronto last spring, she was storing all kinds of smalls in
Ziplock bags:
jewelry, bits of lace, hair stuff, buttons, etc. It is a
great solution to
isolating the celluloid artifacts. I would, however, be sure
to only use the
Ziplock brand, to be sure that the material is the same.
Only Dow Chemical
Ethafoam is archival - the other foams are not, so I would
be afraid of the
off brands.
”Fur coats are another issue - I have a feeling that the
plastic would
encourage static electricity..? I think draping them with
old top sheets
would do just as well - and would not compress the fur. The
fur issue is a problem - because they dry out so easily -
and attract critters...too bad you can't just deaccession! I
don't think there is a really good solution, actually.
Furriers rely on climate control (very cold, almost frozen)
storage to solve the problem.....hmmm As there is not a
definitive solution, whatever is economical - and seems to
me that using whatever appears to be safe - can be
justified.”
I just thought I would share this with all of you in case I
was not the only one with questions on it. Thank you all for
your responses and suggestions!
Cathy Osterman
Curator of Collections
CFD Old West Museum
Cheyenne, WY
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