Removing Yellow Dots Fungi From Stamps

Do you remove yellow dots from stamps and how you do that?

You may be referring to "Foxing"

If so.
See foxing section... rinse well

Preservation and Care of Philatelic Materials
Subsidiary Page 6
Proper Handling of Stamps and Covers


We frequently come by cards and covers which have tear damage repaired with plastic
tape. Serious trouble is certainly at hand with such items. You may think, and
probably correctly so, that further deterioration of the item can be avoided by removal
of the plastic tape. The utility of Scotch tape and other plastic tapes is legend;
however, such tapes should absolutely never under any circumstances be used to
repair philatelic materials, even temporarily. The best advice in dealing with the repair
of items mended with plastic tape is to seek the aid and services of a professional
conservationist.

Cardboard is another item to be kept well away from our philatelic materials. It is
generally highly acidic, and the chemicals in cardboard are rapidly transferred and
hasten destruction. If you require a rigid support of a philatelic item, use an all-rag
type of board.

Conservators use chemical baths to eliminate mildew growth and stains. Frequently,
when papers have been cleaned and bleached, they are dipped in a gelatin bath in
order to restore the paper. The glutinous sizing of the paper adds strength to it, and
sometimes a corrective dye will be added to the gelatin bath in order to give the paper
a tint close to its original color.

Foxing, which is a stain caused by fungal growth, can often be removed by using a
potassium permanganate solution of five drops per pint of water. Carbon tetrachloride
or benzine are effective in removing grease and oily stains. These chemicals are very
hazardous and must be used according to instructions on the containers. The best
advice is to let the professional clean your philatelic items.

It does sound extreme, but immersion of a stamp in boiling water will remove some
oily stains. It is vital, however, that the printing inks of the stamp are not water
soluble.

Restoration of older stamps which have become oxidized can be effected with
hydrogen peroxide solution, five drops per pint of water.

Advanced restorative techniques which should only be used by the experienced
professional restorer include inlaying and cellulose acetate strengthing.

We cannot stress enough that the chemical restoration methods mentioned in this
section are best applied by professional restorers who are experienced with the
chemicals and their effects. The various methods are mentioned here only to provide
you with some possibilities best explored with the professionals.

Conservators tell us that the leather covers, corners, and backs of our albums will
benefit from treatment with potassium lactate solution every two years to preserve the
leather. On the other hand, cloth bound albums require little attention beyond the
occasional dusting. The best practice is to mount your philatelic materials on acid-free
album pages.

I have had success on Penny stamps with this.