Sort through accumulated 'stuff' — and discard or save carefully

NEW YORK — Once the children are back at school, parents have a chance to do what they might have been itching to do for weeks: clean up!

But before filling the garbage bin with everything in sight, think about what's worth saving and what's just junk. Don Williams, a senior conservator of the Smithsonian's Center for Materials Research and Education, wrote a book with Louisa Jaggar called "Saving Stuff" (Fireside) that points out some pieces of value and how to properly store them.

Williams advises asking the following questions:

• Who owned it? Who made it? Who gave it to you? To whom will you leave it?

• What is the financial value? What's the emotional value? What is it made of?

• When did the family acquire the treasure? When was it made?

• Where did it come from? Are there markings on it that give you clues?

If you're sorting through toys, Williams says anything that is still being used on a regular basis is off-limits for now. For toys that are still beloved but fall more into the collectible category, he offers tips for storage:

— Lightly vacuum stuffed toys, which will help keep away bugs that see the toys as either a meal or a home. Then wrap the cleaned item in tissue paper or muslin; place it in an acid-free cardboard, or polyethylene or polypropylene box or tub; keep in a clean, bug-free place with a stable temperature.

— Metal cars and metal tractors are rarely all metal, and not all metal toys are made from the same metal. Aluminum and zinc don't corrode as aggressively as iron or steel. Plated steel toys, such as an erector set, are at risk for corrosion only if the plated surface is scratched or cracked.

To preserve these toys, they must be protected from pollution and contamination, and they should be handled at room temperature. Clean with cottons swabs, litho pads or lint-free cotton rags with distilled water. If you must, add 1 percent Triton 100 detergent. Dry completely before putting the toy in a polyethylene zippered bag and then in the original box or an archival storage box with fitted padding from polyethylene or polypropylene foam.

In the storage box, put one sugar pack-sized silica gel per 200 cubic inches.

— Plastic dolls and doll parts are made from a variety of synthetics. Hollow and articulated dolls, including Barbie, are mostly made of PVC.

Use distilled water on a soft sponge to clean.

If you plan to display the dolls, keep them away from direct sunlight as well as any heat sources. If you're storing them, make sure they're in a cool, dry, clean, ventilated space. Wrap dolls in acid-free tissue paper; newspaper ink would likely transfer to the object.

When handling any of the above toys, Williams suggests wearing clean gloves.