Item by item

Item
Books
Gentle first step
Air them in a dry, clean room standing slightly open; store near an odor absorber without contact
Avoid
Fragrance sprays, damp wiping of pages
When to get help
Rare or valuable volumes: a book conservator
Item
Oil and acrylic paintings
Gentle first step
Keep them out of the work area; dust only with a soft brush
Avoid
Any liquid cleaner, fogging or ozone
When to get help
Visible yellowing or grime on the paint: a paintings conservator
Item
Framed prints and photos
Gentle first step
Clean the glass; replace the backing board and dust cover, which absorb odor
Avoid
Opening old frames with mats stuck to the image
When to get help
Mat or print visibly stained: a framer or paper conservator
Item
Quilts and linens
Gentle first step
Air outdoors in shade; wash only if the fabric and dyes are sound
Avoid
Hot water or bleach on old textiles
When to get help
Antique or fragile pieces: a textile conservator
Item
Wood furniture
Gentle first step
Clean finished surfaces; air out drawers
Avoid
Soaking or harsh solvents
When to get help
Finish crazed or sticky: a furniture refinisher
Item
Clothing and soft accessories
Gentle first step
Launder or dry clean, sometimes twice
Avoid
Packing them with clean items
When to get help
Furs, leathers and vintage pieces: a specialist cleaner

Move them out before the house is treated

Heirlooms should leave the house, or at least the rooms being worked, before any cleaning or airborne odor treatment begins. Fogging solutions, oxidizing gases and even ordinary cleaning mist can affect paint layers, dyes, paper and old adhesives in ways that cannot be reversed. A spare room in a clean home, a climate-controlled storage unit, or a sealed plastic tote for small items all work as staging.

Odor in paper and textiles fades slowly with air, time and an absorbent nearby. Activated charcoal and baking soda in open containers placed next to, not touching, books and papers can help over weeks. Patience matters more than chemistry here; forced methods tend to damage before they deodorize.

Many families in older Country Club and Belcaro homes find the estate also holds pieces with real market value. Before you clean anything that might be valuable, ask an appraiser or conservator whether cleaning could reduce what it is worth.

A sorting routine for an estate's keepsakes

  • Photograph each valuable or sentimental item before moving it.
  • Keep smoke-affected items apart from clean belongings in transit and storage.
  • Label boxes by owner and by whether they still need odor work.
  • Start a list of items for conservators, appraisers or specialty cleaners.
  • Re-smell boxed items after a few weeks before unpacking them into a cleaned home.

Questions for a conservator or specialty cleaner

  1. Is this item safe to clean at all, or only to air out?
  2. Could cleaning change its appraised value?
  3. What storage conditions do you recommend while the odor fades?
  4. How will you document the item's condition before and after?

General information for Cherry Creek, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.