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How to Remove Mildew From Stamps

Stamps have a tendency to collect mildew, especially if they are kept in a high-humidity environment without the protection of being mounted and protected in a stamp collection book. To avoid mildew, you should ideally mount your stamps quickly. If you do have stamps with mildew, you must handle the stamp delicately to avoid ruining the collectible.

Things You'll Need

Bowl filled with water
1/2 tsp. bleach
1 drop dish detergent
Gloves
Stamp tongs
White paper towels

Instructions

- 1
  Fill a bowl with 1 gallon of tepid water, 1/2 tsp. bleach and a drop of dish detergent. Make sure that the water is not too hot or it may cause permanent damage to the collectible stamps. Wearing gloves is a good idea since you will be handling stamps covered with mildew. Put the stamps with mildew into the bath.
- 2
  Let the stamp soak for 30 minutes before removing it from the bath with clean hands. Prior to removal, you should swirl the water to remove any leftover mildew residue. Have another bowl filled with tepid water ready to rinse the stamps. Rinse the stamps for a minute, then move to clean white paper towels.
- 3
  Place the stamp face down on the paper towel. Once the stamp mildew is removed, place another paper towel on top of it to ensure that the ends do not curl up during the drying process. Allow the stamps to sit overnight to allow adequate drying time.
- 4
  Move the dried stamps with a pair of tongs to avoid transferring skin oils. If you do not plan to mount the stamps right away, place the stamps in a box with a packet of silica. This will keep moisture out of the box and prevent mildew from forming once again on the stamps.

Stamp Collecting