cant wait for the greaze to arrive
we need all audio floppies forensically stored for future gotek emulation before they all die.
Since copy protection depends on specific physical diskette properties it may not be possible to emulate in all cases.
do we need to bake a floppy like we did with analog tape?
I haven't read as many reports of it happening as with tape, but in theory the adhesive binder could depolymerize on a diskette the same way as it happens with tape. That would make the surface gummy and cause the magnetic head to drag, ripping the oxide off. Baking might help to stabilize the binder, but again there are few reports of this working.
Disk materials are different from tape in that the disk rotates inside a fabric sleeve. The fabric is intended to catch dust that makes its way onto the disk surface. On the other hand, if grit or sand gets into the disk envelope, the fabric traps it and it continues to scratch the disk. So if there is any sign of grit or any scratches visible in the media, you should open the envelope and replace the fabric (or transfer the media ["cookie"] into a new envelope).
Another way disks differ from tape is that they are lubricated because the head travels over and over against the same surface. After decades in storage, or after the media is cleaned, that lubrication will be gone which is not good. Data recovery people use a chemical called cyclomethicone as a lubricant to prevent damage and reduce read errors. It is very thin and a single drop will spread over the whole disk surface.