Rust On Stamps

Hi to all

I found this on a different website, and I hope Rod from Aussie stamps forgives me for sharing this.
I never thought of something like this so thank you Rod of Aussiestamps

In Philately terms this is referred as rust, it is an airborn problem, I have always used a diluted solution of 1 part Milton, which is a baby bottle steriliser, one part Milton to ten parts water, depending on the state of the rust, if it not too bad, only leave it in the solution for a few minutes, if heavy, then give it a bit longer, then leave it in clean water to clear the Milton of th stamp.
If the rust is on a mint stamp with gum, I use a straight solution of Milton, and place the stamp on to a wire mesh just above the Milton, the fumes will normally remove the rust mark, if not as was previously said, use it as postage, I hope this helps you.
Rod
AUSSIESTAMPS


Regards
Horamakhet

What are the ingredients of Milton? (Somehow that sentence just has so much wrong with it!) I am sure that name is not on a product here in the US, but there may be something similar.

Hi Rohumpy

Milton is the brand name, but I could not tell you the contents. I think it is a type of bleach that you dilute with water.
Horamakhet

Are you removing the rust (actually a fungus) or removing the 'rust' colour? I suspect the latter and this means that you are introducing a rusty stamp to your collection unknowingly. I don't like it. Stamps and bleach cannot be be a happy marriage.

Hi 64idgaf
I usually leave stamps as is, but some people do remove the rust (fungus)I would never put bleach anywhere near a stamp as I have seen the damage it does.
Got any good ideas how to remove it safely?
Horamakhet

Milton
Anti-Bacterial Solution active ingredient: 1.00% w/w available Chlorine from 0.95% Sodium Hypochlorite.

We have it for our grandsons stuff but have not tried it on stamps www.miltonpharma.com

Okay, Milton is a weaker form of what is called Clorox here in the US. Clorox is a 5% sodium hypochlorite solution. Thanks for the reply. I don't think I am going to be introducing any stamps to bleach, but that is just my personal decision.

Just out of curiosity, could you use a mount to CONTAIN the rust as opposed to protecting the stamp? I've got a couple of stamps with rusty/mold looking textures on them and I'm debating going this route until I can replace them with more healthy speciments.

From what I have read on Stamp Community over the last couple years I get the impression that isolating any stamps with rust away from other non-affected stamps is the best course of action to take.

Possibly a mount could contain the fungus but I personally would not take a chance on it. The stuff does spread through a collection if not removed.

I like to think of rust as being like a toadstool I once encountered in a dark, slightly damp, dirt-floored area of an old house. I touched it accidentally and it went poof and all of a sudden the air was full of seeds floating around and following whatever air currents there happened to be, and unfortunately, me too when I scuttled away from it.

It can't get up and walk around like we can so must sporate (go poof) and hope that the seeds will land on something edible. All this happening in miniature of course on the stamp. The air currents would be the opening and closing of album pages.

I figured as much that the rust would be risky but it was just the thought. I washed a few of those stamps in anti-bacterial soap and let them sit out under the sun.Two of them actually "came clean" but the rest of them seem to have those nasty splotches. I am still skeptical.
I had some stamps that were left in a humid basement that a friend gave me. They were stuck together and had some sort of gray-black stuff and I soaked them in the same anti-microbrial soap and most of them came away came totally clean.