storing leather products - mold, mildew?

[monicaj]

I feel stupid asking this because I'm probably being OCD... but I'm wondering how humidity can affect leather things you've made. I'm putting my stuff in bins in baggies, but wondered, could mold and mildew grow on the leather inside the bag?  Even though the bags aren't sealed it seems like they aren't getting a lot of air and with leather having moisture in it....

[Dwight]

My shop has a "vault" for the bigger pieces of leather, . . . I punch a hole in the edge of it, . . . hang it so it hangs straight down.  Box is 8 ft tall, 4 ft wide, 1 foot deep, . . . the door opens the full height & width.

Smaller pieces all go in one of several plastic totes I have, . . . depending on what it is, . . . how big it is, . . . determines which tote gets it.

No mold, no mildew, NO MICE, and no bugs.

Works good for me.

May God bless,

Dwight

[JLSleather]

I don't put items in plastic bags.  Those are frequently used to "sweat" or "case" leather... since teh moisture CAN'T ESCAPE ....

I keep finished goods to a minimum in my little "just in time" shop, and those which are done are in drawers to prevent spills / scratches / dust ... NOT sealed.

 

[monicaj]

Thank you guys both for your answers.  I'm going to get them out of bags and rig up something different for them.  Thanks again!

[TinkerTailor]

Just wrap them in tissue paper if you are worried about them rubbing and scratching each other. The keys to preventing mould anywhere is air flow, humidity control, and lower temps. If air can get to it, it will basically be at the same humidity as the house/shop. This means, you need to get a thermometer with a humidity sensor. If the humidity is too high(i do not know what the danger point is), you have the choice of lowering the whole room's humidity or building a leather closet/vault and controlling the humidity in there.  Even in damp warm environments, just moving the air around the item a little will make a difference. Now in florida, where it can be really hot and humid, it can be really hard to control humidity in the whole house. Keep the leather cool and as dry as possible. Don't stock more than you have to and if the humidity of your house/shop is high, get a dehumidifier or built a climate controlled leather vault as Dwight says. Small dehumidifiers are 100-200 bucks, but can easily be cheaper than replacing hides.  Most of the cheap ones are too small for a big room, but In a small "vault" space, the small dehumidifier would probably work great. Untreated fresh veg tan will mould faster than finished products, that is why we apply finish after all.

Number one thing is, If you see any mould anywhere get rid of that piece immediately. Disturb it as little as possible to prevent the spores from becoming airborne, bag it and chuck it. Mould will spread fast if left unchecked. If you must keep mouldy leather, separate it very well from the good stuff, dry it thoroughly, and freeze it until use. There are supposedly ways to kill mould on leather however i have never had mould problems with leather so i can't give you tips here.

[TomG]

Has anyone tried one of the Ozone generators to kill mold?  On anything (not just leather )?

 

[TinkerTailor]

8 hours ago, TomG said:

Has anyone tried one of the Ozone generators to kill mold?  On anything (not just leather )?

 

Ozone generators will kill airborne mould and surface mould if the concentration is high enough. Almost impossible to use it to actually get rid of mould because most of the mould is inside the material, and the visible part is just the spores.The gas can't get inside the leather in enough quantity to matter unless you way over saturate the environment. Ozone is generally used to prevent infection or prevent spread of mould in the air. Problem is in higher concentrations, it will also accelerate corrosion and oxidation, and affect some plastic materials. It may speed oxidation and degradation of the natural oils in the leather. It will also kill the smell and taste of anything in the room.

Most importantly, it can damage your lungs and possibly kill you. The generators usually use UV lights which will blind you if you look at them.

Not the best option i would say when a dehumidifier is cheap and works just as good to prevent mould. If you already have mould, it is too late and not much can be done but throwing out the mouldy stuff and sterilizing the area with bleach. Just like a fridge, the key is to get the mouldy stuff out before it spoils the other food. One bad apple can ruin the bag.

[monicaj]

On 12/7/2016 at 9:49 AM, TinkerTailor said:

Just wrap them in tissue paper if you are worried about them rubbing and scratching each other. The keys to preventing mould anywhere is air flow, humidity control, and lower temps. If air can get to it, it will basically be at the same humidity as the house/shop. This means, you need to get a thermometer with a humidity sensor. If the humidity is too high(i do not know what the danger point is), you have the choice of lowering the whole room's humidity or building a leather closet/vault and controlling the humidity in there.  Even in damp warm environments, just moving the air around the item a little will make a difference. Now in florida, where it can be really hot and humid, it can be really hard to control humidity in the whole house. Keep the leather cool and as dry as possible. Don't stock more than you have to and if the humidity of your house/shop is high, get a dehumidifier or built a climate controlled leather vault as Dwight says. Small dehumidifiers are 100-200 bucks, but can easily be cheaper than replacing hides.  Most of the cheap ones are too small for a big room, but In a small "vault" space, the small dehumidifier would probably work great. Untreated fresh veg tan will mould faster than finished products, that is why we apply finish after all.

Number one thing is, If you see any mould anywhere get rid of that piece immediately. Disturb it as little as possible to prevent the spores from becoming airborne, bag it and chuck it. Mould will spread fast if left unchecked. If you must keep mouldy leather, separate it very well from the good stuff, dry it thoroughly, and freeze it until use. There are supposedly ways to kill mould on leather however i have never had mould problems with leather so i can't give you tips here.

Ahhhhh!!  Thank you!!  This is extremely helpful.  I took everything out of the bags and bins and hung them (in a pantry) so they wouldn't be rubbing against each other.  Figured I could just put a covering loosely across the top to keep dust from settling on things, but still wasn't comfortable about the humidity.  And now to find out that it can spread... ugh.

So I feel a big relief knowing about a humidity sensor.  I so much appreciate you sharing this information with me!  Thanks!

(I'm going to take things to a craft show, but I don't know when I'll go or how much I need, so I have to stock up.   I think I'll end up doing the vault thing just to be 100% sure things are safe.)

Edited December 9, 2016 by monicaj

[HENDREFORGAN]

Humidity is an issue with any tanned hide but there are ways to counter it and the above answers are spot on . . but don't think anybody has mentioned the other main issue yet?  Sunlight or rather UV.  I have seen at craft fairs various hides that have obviously been left out on a bench partially covered and are then being sold "two tone" as well as small shops where some of the leather goods are displayed in a window.  This effect is most damaging to natural, or nude, leather.

Now . . if you want your finished leather-goods to achieve the "patina of age" look then UV will be your friend . . but if only for consistency store your hides and goods in the dark with only artificial lighting available?

[OLDNSLOW]

Most major sporting goods stores will sell dehumidifier for gun safes, they are not very expensive to buy and you could have a few different ones in the area that you designate as your vault, some are plug in and some are battery operated and some nothing more than silicone beads in containers that once turn from blue to pink to indicate saturation.  The beads once saturated with moisture you dry them in the oven and reuse them, that will allow you to help keep humidity to a minimum.  You can also look on line for the same items and or search for silicone beads used for dehumidification place them in the used plastic coffee containers, I think you'll get the idea.

[monicaj]

15 minutes ago, OLDNSLOW said:

Most major sporting goods stores will sell dehumidifier for gun safes, they are not very expensive to buy and you could have a few different ones in the area that you designate as your vault, some are plug in and some are battery operated and some nothing more than silicone beads in containers that once turn from blue to pink to indicate saturation.  The beads once saturated with moisture you dry them in the oven and reuse them, that will allow you to help keep humidity to a minimum.  You can also look on line for the same items and or search for silicone beads used for dehumidification place them in the used plastic coffee containers, I think you'll get the idea.

That's pretty awesome... I want to be living off grid sometime in the next couple years (NOT in FLORIDA) so I was wondering how to fight humidity using battery power or no power. I figure in the winter it would be easier because I'd be using wood heat and that dries the air, but I was trying to mastermind what to do in the summer... It would seem like I could get an old chest freezer and convert it... use either a battery operated dehumidifier or try the silicone beads?

[OLDNSLOW]

Yes let me give a word of caution and it only applies when drying the beads, us a cheap face mask as there will be some silica dust that comes off the beads.  The dust can be harmful to your lungs, but don't let this caveat detour you from using it.  You will find that it is used in a multitude of ways where there is an extreme method of controlling humidity.  I was trying to recall the name of the company that I bought my last batch from and used them in the method I described in the other post, I took a empty plastic coffee container punched holes in them and I had an extra dehumidifier, you can also find some at Academy sporting goods.  It looks like a large tin can with the beads in it, and when it turns color you pop it in the oven for a few hours and it is good to go again.

Good luck

[monicaj]

Thanks!

[TinkerTailor]

1 hour ago, OLDNSLOW said:

Yes let me give a word of caution and it only applies when drying the beads, us a cheap face mask as there will be some silica dust that comes off the beads.  The dust can be harmful to your lungs, but don't let this caveat detour you from using it.  You will find that it is used in a multitude of ways where there is an extreme method of controlling humidity.  I was trying to recall the name of the company that I bought my last batch from and used them in the method I described in the other post, I took a empty plastic coffee container punched holes in them and I had an extra dehumidifier, you can also find some at Academy sporting goods.  It looks like a large tin can with the beads in it, and when it turns color you pop it in the oven for a few hours and it is good to go again.

Good luck

You can buy the stuff in bulk from some shipping companies.

[TheModifier]

As electricians, we install a lot of THESE in bathrooms. But they are to control the humidity caused by hot bath and shower water. Just another option for you.