Color Sheet How to Take Care of Books

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Old books are a charming link to the past, but quite a fragile one. Dust, mild stains, and pencil marks are fairly easy to remove. More serious damage from insects, acid, or damp is difficult but not impossible to repair. If you're treating an antique, you may want to place it in the hands of a professional.

1. 1

   Blow dust off the edges. Hold the book shut and blow the dust off each edge of the pages. Remove stubborn dust with a clean, dry paint brush, or a soft, new toothbrush.^[1]

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   Remove smudges and pencil marks with an art gum eraser. This is softer than a rubber eraser, but you should still use it with great care to avoid tearing the paper. Work with the art gum eraser only on one direction.

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   Remove serious residue with Absorene book cleaner. This is a soft and pliable putty that will remove grime and smoke residue from pages and from fabric bindings. Just roll it gently over the grime to pick up the dirt.^[2]

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   Clean leather bound volumes. Apply a little clear shoe polish or cleaning polish with a soft cloth. Test on a corner of the book first to make sure it doesn't remove any ink. Wipe off the polish with a clean cloth after you've removed the dirt.

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   Clean fabric covers. Carefully clean fabric covers with an art gum eraser. Excessive dirt may require a cloth dampened with fabric softener, but be aware this increases the risk of damage or mold. Make sure the book is fully dried before storing.

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   Wipe with a slightly damp cloth as a last resort. This is only recommended on paperback covers and waterproof dust jackets. You can also try this on especially stubborn dirt, if you accept the risk of further damage. Here's how to minimize this risk:

   • Take a cloth made from microfiber or another lint-free material.
   • Rinse out the cloth with very hot water, then wring it out thoroughly.
   • Wrap a dry towel around the cloth and wring it out again. Remove the cloth, which should now be barely damp at all.
   • Carefully wipe away dirt from the cover, and very lightly from the page edges.
   • Buff with a dry cloth immediately afterward.

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   Clean off sticky residue. Label adhesive or other residue responds well to a little baby oil or cooking oil on a piece of cotton wool. Press firmly and work in until the glue lifts. Remove the oil with a clean piece of cotton wool.

   • Oil may cause stains on some material. Test on a corner first.

8. 8

   Absorb smells. If the book smells musty, put it in a container with something that can absorb smells and moisture. Try a sock filled with cat litter or rice, or place the book on newspaper dusted with talcum powder.^[3]

   • Sunlight will make this most effective. Dappled shade is a compromise that will reduce color fading.

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1. 

   1

   Dry out wet books. Books which have been subjected to water damage, immersion or a spill need to be dried slowly and carefully. An airing cupboard is ideal, but you may use a surface next to a radiator or a sunny window. Open the book to allow the air to circulate and gently turn over a few pages at regular intervals to prevent sticking. Once dry, press beneath several heavy books to flatten pages and restore the appearance.

   • Don't be tempted to use a hair dryer, oven, or fan. This can easily damage pages and loosen them from the spine.

2. 2

   Freeze books affected by pests. If the book is full of tiny holes, or if bits of paper flake off when you move it, it could be infested with book mites or other paper-eating pests. To prevent further damage, seal the book in a freezer bag with the air squeezed out. Place the bag in the freezer for several weeks to kill off insects and eggs.^[4]

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   Check for signs of mold. Mold usually causes a strong musty smell. Any book with warped binding, wet or stuck-together pages, or obvious water damage is also at risk of mold. Unfortunately, mold damage is extremely difficult to repair without hiring a professional. Store the book in a warm, dry location to minimize further damage.

   • If you see a furry white or grey mold on the pages, gently wipe it away with a soft cloth.

4. 4

   Repair the book's binding. In severe cases, you can repair the binding or make a new one. While not difficult with practice, it's best not to try this on rare or valuable books.

5. 5

   Seek professional advice. Any librarian or rare book dealer should be able to advise you on more specialized cases. If you have a valuable or antique book, consider hiring a professional archivist to make the repairs.^[5]

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Add New Question

• Question

  How can I remove dust from my book's pages?

  

  Use a very soft paint brush, preferably with natural bristles. Gently sweep the dust off the pages.

• Question

  How do I clean the page edges of a closed old book?

  

  You might try using very fine sandpaper. Close the book and set on a hard surface. Using very light stroke, move the fine sandpaper vertically down the outside. If this produces good results, do the tops and bottom in the same fashion, but move the sandpaper horizontally.

• Question

  My collection of children's stories has a white dust like mold on the hardcovers. It does not smell moldy. How can I clean these?

  

  Use a soft, natural bristle brush to remove the white dust. Do not reshelve them immediately. Pay close attention to see if the dust returns.

• Question

  How do I remove butter from a book cover?

  

  Use a hot damp cloth to wipe down the cover, but make sure to only do this on hard cover books.

• Question

  How do I clean highlighter off of a book?

  

  Charlize Barnes

  Community Answer

  You can try white out to cover it.

• Question

  How do I glue a book binding?

  

  Get a glue gun and glue the binding back on the book with three lines of glue on the inside.

• Question

  How do I get paint off books?

  

  It depends what type of book and whether it's on the cover or pages. I've gotten paint-like streaks off a leather-bound hardcover with isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol (70%) and a cotton pad. But, something like that wouldn't work on a hardcover with cloth boards or a paperback. It also wouldn't work to remove paint from the pages. On a case-wrap hardcover, it's not out of the question that it could work, but take care if you try it. The boards are just covered with glossy paper and while this might repel some moisture, too much (from the cotton pad) could warp the cover or damage the cover's ink.

• Question

  How do I clean old leather books that have been smoke damaged?

  

  I read an article that recommended "Absorene Book and Paper Cleaner." I haven't tried it myself, but the author of that article claimed that it is able to get rid of some of the symptoms of smoke damage. They also recommended Clean Cover Gel, which can be used on cloth boards and paperbacks, according to a product page I found for it on another site.

• Question

  After cleaning mold/mildew off old hard cover, no-jacket books, then placing them back in a safe, how do I prevent more mold and mildew? I have a warming heater and calcium chloride canister in the safe.

  

  The heater is actually a bad idea. Books should not be stored above 75 degrees (and cooler than that is just fine). Humidity is the worst factor, and some heaters can increase relative humidity even in enclosed spaces. Adding airflow, if you can, will help decrease humidity (if the safe isn't in a damp environment).

• Question

  A piece of hard candy has been smashed between two pages of a book. How can I remove it?

  

  It may be possible to remove it with water and a microspatula (an index card or similar thin object might also work). Be careful as you risk ripping the pages or causing water damage (wrinkling).

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Video

• Store books vertically on a shelf, with the spines facing outward. Avoid direct sunlight, strong smells, and humidity.^[6]

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

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• Never use water to clean paper, or any non-waterproof cover. This may cause further staining and warping, and leave the book vulnerable to mold.^[7]

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Things You'll Need

• Soft, clean toothbrush or paint brush
• Art gum eraser
• Absorene book cleaner
• Microfiber cloth
• Baby oil (for adhesive)

About This Article

Article SummaryX

To clean an old book, remove stubborn dust by brushing it off with a dry paint brush or a soft toothbrush. If there are smudges or pencil marks in the book, get a gum eraser from an art supply store and erase the marks with it, working in one direction to avoid crinkling or ripping the pages. Additionally, to lift sticky residue off the cover of a book, dab a little baby oil or cooking oil on a piece of cotton wool and rub it over the affected area. Once the residue is gone, wipe the area clean with a fresh piece of cotton wool. To learn how to clean leather bound volumes, keep reading!

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Color Sheet How to Take Care of Books

Source: https://www.wikihow.com/Clean-Old-Books

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