Perhaps a good old-fashioned remedy wiill do. *APPLE CIDER VINEGAR* is a
highly effective deoderant, if you use the "live" vinegar. Unpasteurized
vinegar contains odor-eating enzymes. Leaving an open container, like a
bowl, of fully concentrated vinegar in the vault for about 24 hours just
might do it.

The very best brand I know of is Bragg's. The bottle must say "With the
Mother" on it; that's the live, enzymatic stuff that will cure all that
ails you. : )

Another remedy is leaving an open container of *ammonia* overnight for
the very same effect -- to absorb or neutralize organic odors--but I'm
not sure if ammonia and fragile documents mix, are you? The vinegar is
your best bet.

Good luck.

Kim Steffgen

Ellen Carrlee wrote:

> Hi Folks,
>
> Please forgive cross-postings.
>
> Sort of Halloween-themed! Our Juneau City Hall has a stinky old vault
> where old city documents are kept. Old leather-bound journals of tax
> rolls, city meeting notes in plastic binders, audiotapes, etc. The
> 10'X 15' room is all concrete with thick walls, a big heavy
> door...typical old bank vault. Probably dates from the late 1950s or
> early 60s. No carpet, just bare concrete walls and floor, some wooden
> shelves and some metal filing cabinets. No obvious moisture. Employees
> and their union complain of a strong musty "old book" smell, and
> attribute respiratory and eye problems to the smell in the vault. The
> vault is opened only briefly every day, since there are three people
> who work near it and complain of the odor. Attempts to air it out or
> find a source of obvious mold or moisture have failed, as has an
> attempt to put an ozone generator in the vault for a couple of
> weekends. They are now asking my museum for ideas. I'm checking to see
> if my colleagues have suggestions or had similar experiences.
>
> Thanks very much!
>
> Ellen Carrlee
>
> Curator of Collections and Exhibits
>
> Juneau-Douglas City Museum
>
> Private Objects Conservator
>
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