# Getting Mildew off of newspaper? Can it be done?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-mildew-off-of-newspaper-can-it-be-done/170719>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 24, 2003, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-mildew-off-of-newspaper-can-it-be-done/170719 "2003-04-24T00:16:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ubermensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bcef8e/32.png) [@ubermensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ubermensch)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-mildew-off-of-newspaper-can-it-be-done/170719/1 "2003-04-24T00:16:43Z")

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Long story short: found a newspaper in an antique store today that has an obituary of an ancestor. There’s mildew on it, but I definately want to keep it.

Is there any hope? I’ve read that vinegar will kill it (vinegar and sunlight). Should I dab a bit of vinegar on it and put it in the sun?

If it were on a corner of the page, I’d just trim it a bit, but unfortunately it’s smack dab in the middle of the obit. Should I put it in the freezer (that will slow the growth, so I hear)?

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**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-mildew-off-of-newspaper-can-it-be-done/170719/2 "2003-04-24T00:28:04Z")

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Bleach, mixed 1:10 with water will kill the mildew. Spray it on lightly and let dry - if you soak the paper, it will probably disintegrate. You may need to do a few spray and dry cycles.

Before doing anything to the paper, photocopy it in case restoration becomes ruination.

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-mildew-off-of-newspaper-can-it-be-done/170719/3 "2003-04-24T00:45:18Z")

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The sun would make matters worse by turning the paper brown and brittle.  
Searching on [newsprint restoration mildew](http://www.google.com/search?q=newsprint+restoration+mildew&hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&safe=off&as_qdr=all&start=10&sa=N) reveals that removing mildew from newsprint is at least vaguely _possible_, but a quick look through several of the links revealed no standard method. YMMV.

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**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\
**Post date:** [April 24, 2003, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-mildew-off-of-newspaper-can-it-be-done/170719/4 "2003-04-24T03:20:53Z")

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Two things I forgot to mention -

First is, as Squink said, don’t put the paper in sunlight unless you want to bake it.

Second is, once it’s been de-mildewed, preserve the paper with [“Bookkeeper.”](http://www.lightimpressionsdirect.com/servlet/OnlineShopping?DSP=50000&PCR=30000:120000:122000:122100:122110&IID=10081&R=1033) It’s an archival preservative that neutralizes the acid in paper and greatly retards, if not prevents further yellowing. It’s not cheap, but it does work. I’ve preserved some posters printed on high-acid paper with the stuff, and it works as advertised.

(That Bookkeeper link url has enough code in it to make me think it may be session-specific, so if it breaks, head to [http://www.lightimpressionsdirect.com/servlet](http://www.lightimpressionsdirect.com/servlet) and find the stuff there.)