Book that smells very musty...
by
Becky Arneth
+2
Family book......Smells very musty ...Can I get rid of the odor??
4 answers
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I used to restore antique books and here are the steps I used to follow for stinky books: 1 - seek out any moldy spots (there may not be any, but can be white or black spots usually just inside the covers) - gently brush off any moldy pages with dry paper towel and dab specific spots with a barely dampened Q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol - let the dabbed spots dry completely before closing the book 2 - find a box slightly bigger than the book and seal\tape the bottom up well, then sprinkle a generous amount of baking soda in the bottom - if you happen to have any silica packets (the "do not eat" bags from shoes, electronics, etc.), drop them in, too 3 - top the baking soda with several loose layers of crumpled newspaper (fill the box approx 1/2 way), then top that with white paper, white paper towel, or white tissue paper (it is important not to lay a book directly into the soda, as it can bleach and/or damage it, the white paper layer is to prevent the book from being stained by newsprint, if the book cover is black,you can probably skip this) 4 - nest the book in the center and cover it with another layer of white paper, then fill the box up with more newspaper 5 - if desired, lightly mist the inside flaps of the box or a piece of paper towel with febreez or a pleasant perfume (make sure it's not wet, just smelling good) and place the towel on top/ close it up 6 - seal the box up and place it somewhere warm and dry, but not hot (hot paper can combust) and leave it for at least 2 weeks if not longer - then check to see of the odor problem is any better, if there is no/not enough improvement, you can replace the baking soda and papers with fresh ones and repeat ...or... If you are sure the book is completely dry, and it will fit in a heavy duty sealing freezer bag, place it in the bag, press out as much air as possible, seal it up (and make sure the seal is completely closed!), and freeze it for 24 - 48 hours as this can kill the mildew that causes the smell - BUT be warned that ANY damp in the book or from the freezer (if the bag fails) can glue the pages together as it thaws and ruin the book. Also, placing the book upright and opened with the pages fanned out, in bright sunlight (like on a windowsill) for a day or two can help, but it can also fade and bleach out pages and covers, so be careful. The cause of musty books is usually damp and cramped spaces - the cure is air circulation and dryness - I have had books that smelled like an abandoned cellar that I have placed upright and fanned out in a dry room with plenty of air circulation, and they have "aired out" in a couple years all by themselves. But as most people don't have rooms just for airing out antiques, I suggest the methods above, lol. Sorry for the long post - I hope this helps - good luck!!
Angela S
on Apr 21, 2014
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Long post was very complete and helpful...Thanks a bunch.
Becky Arneth
on Apr 21, 2014
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My husband recently bought an old hardcover book with a fabric cover. It smelled musty. I sprayed the fabric with Lysol and let it dry. It solved our problem.
Liliana Wells
on Apr 22, 2014
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Thanks ...so easy and yet worked ...nice to know
Becky Arneth
on Apr 22, 2014
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