Document Recovery: Air Drying Method

One method of document drying is air drying. This is a popular method that has been used for many years. This can be easily done at home since no special equipment is needed to carry it out. The most important thing needed for this method is the space to be used. Air drying requires the use of a large amount of space, especially when many documents need to be dried.

The first thing that needs to be done when doing the air drying method is to ensure that a safe space with the right environmental conditions is available. The temperature at the area used should be constantly kept below 70�°F and the humidity should be constantly kept below 50%. This is done to prevent mould growing all over the books and documents. The next thing to do is to place fans in the drying area. The fans serve the purpose of keeping the air continuously moving, thus making the drying process faster. However, take note of where you point the fans. Remember to keep the fan from blowing the documents away.

After you have done the first two things, think about whether you are drying unbound documents or cooks. The next procedures depend on which of these you are drying. For drying unbound documents, continue by following these steps:

1. The documents are laid on a flat surface one sheet at a time. Paper towels, wax paper or unprinted paper can be put on top of the documents to serve as protection. Remember to keep the documents lying away from direct sun exposure because this can make them age faster.

2. A special procedure is done for documents using coated paper. A polyester film needs to be used to peel off the top sheet of the document. This is done by rubbing the polyester sheet to the document and carefully taking it off. The peel is then hung on a clothesline until the top sheet separates from the polyester film. When this happens, the top sheet can then be laid on a flat surface.

3. The documents are left to dry. When the documents have completely dried, they can then be stored.

For drying books, continue by following these steps:

1. Interleave book pages using paper towels, wax paper or unprinted paper. Do this after a number of pages and not after each page. This will serve as paper blotters. Make sure to turn the pages lightly as wet book pages can easily get torn. Also place blotters on the front and back cover of the book. After this, close the book and place it on top of another blotter. Remember to change the paper blotters once in a while to prevent them from getting soaked.

2. When the books look dry, feel them to see if they are still damp. In cases when they still are, place light weights on top of the books, keeping them in place. Remember never to stack these books nor immediately place them in shelves.

3. Monitor the books for growth of molds when completing the process of drying.

4. Books with only their paper edges wet can be opened a little and fanned. Place a light weight on top of these books to keep them from bulking up. These books can also be dried by being placed in a room with a temperature of 50 to 65�°F and a humidity of 25 to 35%.

By using the air drying method of document drying, you will be doing a large amount of work. Also, do not expect for the documents and books to return to their previous state. When using this method, the documents and books are going to occupy more space when dried completely. An approximately 20 to 30% additional storage space is needed for these documents. They will also need to be flattened out because this method can cause the sheets to get deformed. Books will also need to have a new binding.