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Post by sleepymom on Jun 17, 2010 0:13:34 GMT -5
I`ve been going through the basement recently. We have/had quite a few cardboard boxes filled with mostly DH`s gaming sets, books, and Army stuff. To be honest, some of it is mine too, but most of mine was unlucky enough to be actually moldy & mouse-eaten, making it sad for me, but a no-brainer as far as throwing it out, although I have to admit salvaging a few precious things. DH`s stuff, though musty smelling, has been culled through to get rid of the frankly needing-to-be-trashed bits, and he really wants to keep as much as possible. I`m determined to have no more cardboard boxes though and trying to get it all into several Rubbermaid bins. I`m hoping the plastic will keep out most of the damp and all of the mice  What I don`t know though, is now that these things have sat in a dampish basement for years, if they will continue to deteriorate once semi-sealed up. Wish I knew where to purchase those packets that come in new shoes, to soak up the moisture . Does anyone know, or have an opinion, if these things will be ok at this point? Ideally, yeah, we`d throw out the whole lot, but he isn`t at all ready to do that. He even had to go back and look at one collection that really was moldy and ruined before letting me throw it out. Is there any better way to store this stuff? I`ve separated out the things that are mine, brought them upstairs to find a place for, but there just isn`t the room to store all of his stuff in the main part of the house. He likes having his "gaming den" in the basement too, he somehow doesn`t see that his precious things are being ruined just by being down there. I really, really don`t want to go through this stuff ever again. |
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Post by lizzie on Jun 17, 2010 3:40:13 GMT -5
I guess if there are mould spores on things and there is still some dampness, that they will continue to deteriorate.
If there are papers/instruction books etc that are decaying, perhaps you could photocopy (or scan) them.
Someone here will know where to buy the drypac things! I keep the tiny ones I get in vitamin bottles etc and put them in my bead and sequin jars to stop them getting damp...
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Post by DJ on Jun 17, 2010 8:07:32 GMT -5
there are processes to go through for salvaging very important documents or collectibles. it's possible to find this information online. i sat here for a few before beginning to type again trying to figure out how to say it. you said, "I really, really don't want to go through this stuff ever again." curating musty paper is a time and labour intensive process once it is musty. if -you- don't want to go through it again then know that as of now you have put more time into caring for and storing things that he wants to keep than he is and let what happens to it happen. if you want help in getting your own papers that you have culled through and that are important demustified and having a better chance of surviving that makes sense but do you want to spend dozens of hours trying to salvage his hoard? :/ my experience with mancreature is i had to make him part of the process of salvaging things. his ex had destroyed alot of his stuff or left it in bad condition. if i just fixed it for him and it came at no expense either time, effort, or monetary from his pocket then he had no appreciation. i made him do the work along side me since i did know how and he didn't and i walked him through the process. he is much quicker to let go of damaged or broken things now that he has put the effort into repairing them. and what he hasn't repaired went into worse condition and he threw away. now sometimes i don't mind fixing something for him because he at least has a concept of the work behind it. if you know where the dd14 is it might be worth salvaging, if he isn't active service anymore and still has a copy of it. again, my experience going through mancreature's army paperwork is the vast majority of it was useless once he was out. i saved 3 small packets, one for each of his boys and 1 set of uniforms for each of them. and the dd14 went into the firesafe. the medical records went into his other medical records and anything he wanted to keep beyond that was sentimental ephemera and bummer if it was lost or tossed but not life altering for practical day to day reasons.... my experience with a <slightly> similar experience. the army stuff is hell though because they put the ssn on -everything- it seems like. we burnt alot of it, lined litter boxes with more, and burnt out 3 shredders working our way through it. maybe the mice are helping you out  |
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Post by Peach on Jun 17, 2010 8:57:27 GMT -5
if you know where the dd14 is it might be worth salvaging, if he isn't active service anymore and still has a copy of it. ... the dd14 went into the firesafe. Djollydjolan gives excellent advice. I just have one correction. The form referred to is not dd14. It is DD-214. When I got out of the U.S. Army, I was told to always keep this form. It has come in handy over the years when dealing with anything veteran-related. "The Report of Separation contains information normally needed to verify military service for benefits, retirement, employment, and membership in veterans' organizations." Here's a website that further explains the importance of the DD-214 and how to get a copy, if it's been lost. www.dd214.us/ |
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Post by Chris on Jun 17, 2010 9:23:11 GMT -5
Oh yes the DD Form 214 is a vital paper to keep -- and if you want to be sure that no matter what you have access to it quickly -- you can take it to the local courthouse records section and for a small fee have them record it. You'll be given the original back and it should still be kept safe but that will give you peace of mind -- it did us.
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Post by dtesposito on Jun 17, 2010 9:31:21 GMT -5
Sleepymom, in my experience, musty papers do continue to deteriorate, and mold is not healthy to breathe. What I would do if your husband just isn't ready to give the stuff up yet, is pack it up in plastic bins and keep them in the basement, and make him take a look at them every few months or so--at some point he'll realize they are no longer worth keeping. Mold spreads to other paper, so don't store them with anything good.
Many, many years ago when I moved out of the house I grew up in I stored some things in my sister's garage. You know how that goes, you never get around to coming back for it and it all got moldy. When I saw what happened at first I couldn't bring myself to part with it and just left it there, but after a few months I came back to look at it and by that time I had accepted the fact that it was ruined and was able to throw it away. I still find that sometimes I have to set something aside for a week or two and revisit it--often I'm able to get rid of things after I've thought about them within my goal of decluttering the house--logic seems to overcome emotion at some point!
Diane
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Post by sleepymom on Jun 17, 2010 13:19:06 GMT -5
Thanks everyone who`s taken the time to write. We do have the dd214- someone told him years ago about filing it a the courthouse, so that is done. I`ve had to have him go down & get a copy at least once I think we could probably get rid of more, if he were helping, but he`s not willing, in fact he`s said he`d rather I deal with everything because he won`t want to get rid of anything. About the most work I`m willing to put in salvaging his stuff is to get it out of the cardboard & packing it in the bins. I really don`t care what happens to it after that. I guess it probably is a pointless exercise, but he isn`t willing to get rid of more and I`m just too sick of the disintegrating boxes to leave it as is. |
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