Absorene
Description
[Absorene Co., St Louis] A registered trademark for a soft, kneaded dough-type cleaning material. Absorene® is composed of flour, salt, water with small amounts of mineral spirits and colorant (Estabrook, 1989). Originally, the soft, malleable dough was designed for cleaning wallpaper. A newer version is also available that is sold for cleaning dust from books and paper objects. Absorene® erasers can leave copious small and large crumbs on the treated surface that darken with age. The crumbs can be removed with a bristle brush. Surface pH measurement of the Absorene® dough gave an acidic value of 4.06 (Estabrook, 1989). Absorene® was discontinued by its manufacturer in 2001 and reinstated in 2005.
Synonyms and Related Terms
Absorene eraser; Absorene book and paper cleaner; Absorene wallpaper cleaner
Risks
Do not use on or near metals due to the potential corrosion from salt.
Resources and Citations
- Absorene: Website
- E. Estabrook "Considerations of the Effect of Erasers on Cotton Fabric" JAIC 28:79-96, 1989. Link
- E. J. Pearlstein, D. Cabelli, A. King, & N. Indictor :Effects of Eraser Treatment on Paper" JAIC 22(1):1-12, 1982. Link