Long Term Jacket Storage

[SteveN]

Does anyone have any good techniques for long-term jacket storage? I'm (still) living in a humid tropical climate and for the last six months have managed to keep the mould at bay by keeping my leather in my home office, with the air-conditioning running 24/7. After getting a few of the bills, I realised that the cost of keeping them in this environment will rapidly exceed the value of the jackets.

One thought is to keep them in a vacuum packed bag with some desiccant. My worry there is that the cheap retail vacuum bags don't look like they're really for long-term storage, more like for moving house. Should a leak or hole develop in the bag, things would be even worse as the humid air got in.

Anyone know how museums keep stuff? Likely they're not worried about things like the cost of climate control, but surely there are some techniques for keeping the humidity down or other ways to control destructive mould on perishable items.

Anyone got any ideas?

Cheers,
- SteveN

 

[unclegrumpy]

Over the years, I have seen some very tragic results from the use of plastic bags.

If you want to seal them up, footlockers that have an airtight seal work well. Leave some air space inside, and use and change out something for moister removal. A friend of mine who lives in Florida, uses something that looks like a bag lava rocks that he puts in his trunks. Every so often he pulls them out and puts them in the oven to refresh them....seems to work well.

 

[John Lever]

Can't remember where I learned this but I think adding rice to any bags should help. If an airtight seal is achieved in a vacuum bag and silica gel bags are added then there should be no mould issues. Remember to allow to air thoroughly after wear before storage. Fungicides are probably not a good idea.
I once bought a really superb ELC B-3 from Malaya(yes) it was very fragile and just fell apart,probably rotten from the climate.

 

[dujardin]

i'm not in the same codition as you but by precaution, i use permanently a dehumidifier in my museum (realised in my cellar).
this maintain less than 60% humidity in the room and constant ventilation.

it cost a little in energy

all my jackets are or on manniquin, or on buste, or stored vertically on a rack with wide hanger

 

[Andrew]

............
this maintain less than 60% humidity in the room and constant ventilation......

This is what Deeb did too.

It's high humidity here most of the year- maybe not as bad as SEAsia but I have to regularly check all my old leather for mould and clean off anything I find. I normally store jackets flat in nylon suit bags with reinforced sides (used to get them from ikea) and they're not airtight. Plus I use those airwick type containers with moisture absorbing crystals in them closeby. It seems to work.

 

[grommet]

I suggest moving to California.

 

[John Lever]

I suggest moving to California.

Can we all come ?

 

[TankBuster]

i'm not in the same codition as you but by precaution, i use permanently a dehumidifier in my museum (realised in my cellar).
this maintain less than 60% humidity in the room and constant ventilation.

it cost a little in energy

all my jackets are or on manniquin, or on buste, or stored vertically on a rack with wide hanger

I do the same as Marcel. I run a programmable dehumidifier. I keep the setting at 45% which I have found keeps the actual humidity in my storage/collection room in the 45-50% area. It cost me $250, but is a small price to pay to keep everything in good shape!

 

[hacker]

.....i use permanently a dehumidifier in my museum (realised in my cellar).
this maintain less than 60% humidity in the room and constant ventilation......

can I keep my cigars there?

 

[dujardin]

hello Hacker, YES you can :lol: :lol:

i already have some good Semois at home.............. waiting for you

 

[SteveN]

Hi Guys,

I want to say 'thanks' for all of the suggestions and report my findings for future reference. In short, I found nothing that would stem the mould in a warm tropical climate like Singapore.

I guess that's not entirely true: running the air conditioner 24/7 worked, but that was it. Desiccants, and even an electric dehumidifier in a small closet, while helpful, couldn't keep it at bay. I suspect that the dark, enclosed closet, despite having lower humidity, somehow encouraged the mould in other ways.

In the end, the only solution was constant maintenance, taking them out every month, wiping away the mould, putting them in the sun. Turned out to be quite a chore. Interestingly, my Real McCoy's jacket, hanging right next to all the vintage ones never got a speck of mould on it. Perhaps there is something in the leather that kept it away. The vintages ones were all hard work.

Moral of the story: don't keep vintage leather in a tropical climate.

Regards,
- Steve