Managing dust

Removing dust from cultural heritage collections is an essential factor in their long-term preservation. Dust can be physically damaging and disfiguring, it can catalyse chemical reactions and abrade surfaces, even during cleaning, and it can also serve as a food source for pests and mold. In 2013 the Conservation Research team at The National Archives (TNA) initiated a project designed to inform a review of current commercial cleaning contracts in the context of how the collection is used, accessed and stored. The outcomes of our study provided recommendations for delivery of a more efficient and cost-effective cleaning regime. [Publication Abstract]