I'm Bebe and I'm new to the board. Absolutely delighted with all the wonderful information on here!
I collect old books (some leather-bounds) and was wondering what to do about the smells. Sometimes I purchase one and it has that really musty smell; other times it may be a little moldy. With newer books, they sometimes smell of cigarette smoke.
Does anyone know of a good way to remove those smells? Thanks for your help.
This is a tough one. All the things that normally work, are hard on the paper/print/pages, like sunshine, anti-mildew sprays and such.
Loaned a hard back book to someone who's DH smokes, and left it fanned open in front of an Ozone producing air cleaner, and that worked. I've also heard you can place new dryer sheets between the pages every so often and store in a plastic bag for a few days. Seems to help, if you don't mind the dryer sheet perfume.
Posts: 3491 | Location: Nebraska | Registered: Jun 08, 2003
Interesting that you should post, the old book topic was debated recently (check archives). IMHO you might get better advice at your local library, especially one that preserves valuable old books/ As for newer books with little $ value, I'd sprinkle baking soda to remove cig smoke odors. to clean pages, Momma used corn starch
This message has been edited. Last edited by: tessa89,
Posts: 2153 | Location: NNE of S.F. | Registered: Apr 13, 2006
I also use baking soda to help get the mustiness out of old books. I place it in a couple of vintage or antique salt and pepper shakers and then place these in my bookcases. This is another option if you are reluctant to sprinkle the soda directly on the books!
I saw a trick on a episode of "How Clean Is Your House" one time for smelly books. Aggie put a couple used dryer sheets in each book for a couple days. She said they had to be used so all the softener was out, then the sheet absorbed some of the ordor.
Posts: 2583 | Location: Illinois | Registered: Jan 12, 2006
In the summer on a nice dry hot day take your books outside with you and open them to the sunshine. It should take most of the day or even a couple days but they will smell a lot better. It is actually a pretty fun job, since you would of course not want to leave the books unattended, and you will need to turn the pages of the books occasionally so that the sunshine hits every page - it is logical that you will need to be out in the yard with your books - watching over them - while laying in the sun, reading a different book, and sipping on a frosty lemon aid. You might need to turn this into a job that stretches over several days or even weeks. Tending books as they have a sunshine freshening - ahhhh, a great way to spend a few days of summer.
One of the best ways I've ever found to remove odors from books is deodorant soap bars. Dial and Safeguard both work really well. Put the books and a bar of unwrapped soap in a plastic bag and let it sit for a week or two. There's no residue to clean out of the books like with baking soda and the scent of the soap dissippates pretty fast after you take the books out of the plastic bag.
I heard about putting the fabric softener sheets between the pages in a baggie. I also heard to put books in a baggie and put in the freezer for a few days. It is supposed to kill the odor.
"May the roads rise to meet you, May the wind be always at your back" (Irish Blessing)
Posts: 827 | Location: Hernando,MS | Registered: Nov 08, 2003
First, moldy books are a health hazard.; handle them with gloves and a mask.
Mold spores will go into the air. Black, and the white mold, can spread to your book collection with horrible consequences as well as fill your home with nasty mold spores that will wait for the right conditions to grow in.
If the book has no signs of moisture damage, and you are only dealing with a musty stored away odor that is entirely different that dealing with mold odor.
Moldy books are not worth keeping unless they warrant the costly treatment or are extremely rare/worth big time money.
-Airing out a musty book works -Seal in a tight container with a Febreze sprayed rag that doesn't touch the book, for a few weeks has shown results. Change the rag out every few days. Repeat process until the odor is gone
Search the internet for mold and read the several good web sites that deal with this issue...if you care about your health and those around you.
Do not let any dryer sheets come into contact with old books. They will leave a residue and it will eventually harm the book.
To kill & remove the mold, You can use a solution of 50% alcohol & 50% water on a cotton cloth and wipe the edges of the pages and the book. If the mold is really bad, use 100% alcohol.
I made a comment here a couple of weeks ago but just "registered" tonight, who asked the original question! One of my Victoria friends! Hello!!!!!! Hope all is going well!
We have a closed in porch used only in summer. For books or other things (right now two small containers, like cosmetic travel case size) I just stick them out there for a month or two. In summer I would air in sunshine. Would not keep mouldy books
Posts: 2397 | Location: Maine, not far from the ocean | Registered: Jun 27, 2004
My dad is a teacher and my mom always puts the smelly books (especially cigarette smoke smelly) at the end of the year in zip lock backs with lots of baking soda and lets them sit, shaking them around every once in a while, then takes them out and shakes them off. I guess it works.
Posts: 497 | Location: VT | Registered: May 03, 2008
Use "fabric softener sheets"..a couple placed in front back and middle should do it...just don't use on books where the print ..such as a Bible may end of being destroyed...saw this on a BBC program...that has lots of great hints on things like this....hope it helps.
Posts: 23 | Location: Spring Texas | Registered: Jan 06, 2007
I was thinking about the fabric softener sheets and I wouldn't use them. Fabric softener is a kind of fat. The fats in the fabric softener are likely to be really bad for books. It'll soak into the pages and eventually ruin them.
