Bleaching in Paper Conservation: Survey Evaluation

ABSTRACT The goal of our survey was to learn how practicing paper conservators are thinking about treatment approaches and materials used in the bleaching of paper for the purpose of stain reduction and removal. We designed a survey, which we circulated via professional conservation networks. The feedback is formalized in this paper. The survey, consisted of multiple-choice questions; respondents were encouraged to leave comments in an open text option. The data collected were grouped according to general observations, practices regarding popular bleaching agents (hydrogen peroxide, light, and sodium borohydride) and individual comments from the respondents. In conclusion, bleaching plays an important, but not a dominant role in paper conservation practice. Those who bleach tend to apply well-known bleaching agents and pay attention to pre- and post-bleaching treatments. The results speak to a high level of awareness concerning potential negative effects, and a careful approach to the use of bleaching agents.