Crazy question regarding keeping my collection safe

[Knight_ridergta]

So I have what is a crazy question and I'm probably being a bit on the paranoid side.

I keep my items in my dresser which is nice and dry, and they are neatly arranged inside the drawers until I get a bigger place. My daughters crib sits about a foot away from the dresser.

A couple of days ago my wife took a couple of pairs of my jeans out of the wash and draped them over the crib to dry, this was only for the day and then she put them in the dryer to get the wrinkles out.

With them having dried in the master bedroom where my collection is will my stuff be fine?

I didn't know if any of my cloth or paper items in the drawers would have been hurt from my wife doing that.

Like I said crazy and sounds paranoid but I love my items almost as much as my family

[keifer kahn]

I think with the draw shut, absolutely zero damage would of occurred.

Potentially drying clothes items in a room would raise the humidity and consequently the risks associated with increased humidity would result.
However the situation you describe the amount would have no impact.

I would have no worries.

I have a display cabinet in a totally,uncontrolled environment that has highly fluctuating humidity, as long as the door remains shut no items are affected.


Buy a hygrometer( Humidity gauge) as a tool to tell you whats happening with your environment.

Basic rules= 30% humidity (low) leather dries out and cracks (Great for metal)
65% humidity (High) Rust starts (Great for leather)

Optimum= 50% (Museum recommended)

[Knight_ridergta]

Thanks for the advice!

I think with the draw shut, absolutely zero damage would of occurred.

Potentially drying clothes items in a room would raise the humidity and consequently the risks associated with increased humidity would result.
However the situation you describe the amount would have no impact.

I would have no worries.

I have a display cabinet in a totally,uncontrolled environment that has highly fluctuating humidity, as long as the door remains shut no items are affected.


Buy a hygrometer( Humidity gauge) as a tool to tell you whats happening with your environment.

Basic rules= 30% humidity (low) leather dries out and cracks (Great for metal)
65% humidity (High) Rust starts (Great for leather)

Optimum= 50% (Museum recommended)

[Hans Kristian]

"Buy a hygrometer( Humidity gauge) as a tool to tell you whats happening with your environment."


Very good advice, I have one and it gave me new info on the changes etc..very useful.

Hans Kristian

[o.r.k.]

The problematic thing about hygrometers is that every one has an own tolerance. I have three different digital ones, varying up to 7%. Then I have a standard one (fiber) that is also somehow inbetween- which one to trust more????

[keifer kahn]

The problematic thing about hygrometers is that every one has an own tolerance. I have three different digital ones, varying up to 7%. Then I have a standard one (fiber) that is also somehow inbetween- which one to trust more????

It is very hard in a normal house to get humidity at a constant level.
People open doors, weather changes(which does affect whats happneing internally at home),people open windows, etc, etc.


I use a digital hygrometer and dehumidifier.I strive to get 50% but this constantly fluctuates and of course it will as i dont live in a house that is hermettically sealed.

I have found that as long as the humidity sits btween 35 and 65%, items arent affected.I still strive for the 50% however.

As for your 7% fluctation,work out what is the average across your four gauges and that will tell you the average humidity in your room.As long as that average is between 35 and 65%, you will be fine, regardless of what each gauge is showing.

regards KK

[o.r.k.]

thanks for your input- well more or less I try to keep all of them below 55%, so the worst case scenario is bearable. Beside Prosorb pearls I use clay satchets to put down humidity. One satchet lowers the inner humidity by about 4-5%. The good thing is when you bake them at the right temperature they are re-usable.
My showcase is in the bedroom, therefore it is a bit painstaking but solvable.