To dust records, place a thin pile of large sheets of scrap paper on the base of your work surface, beneath the document. Gently dust from the center of the document outward towards the edges. Never dust inwards from the edge of the document towards the center, since this can easily damage the document's edges. Discard sheets of scrap paper as they become soiled. Where possible, use folders or folded sheets of paper instead of fasteners to keep groups of records together.
Rubber bands become sticky and eventually harden, leaving behind a solid residue attached to paper.
Metal fasteners may rust and can also cause rips and tears. Though plastic clips do not rust, they produce pronounced indentations that can eventually lead to tears. If staples or metal paper clips must be used in the course of working with records, shield documents from damage by placing a barrier strip of alkaline paper between the fastener and the document. After the fastener has been placed, fold the barrier strip back over the fastener. In this way, only the barrier strip is in contact with the fastener, preventing damage from staining or abrasion to the fastened documents or those adjacent to them.