No more mold and dust on your books: tips on how to preserve your tomes
Any bookcase is a favorite place for dust to accumulate and remain undisturbed for weeks, months, or even years. And if the bookcase in question is in a damp room, then there is also a serious risk of mold forming in and on the books themselves. This can appear as light stains or dark dots on the paper (also know as "foxing").
Where the situation is not too serious or out of hand, excellent results can be obtained in stopping this mold damage from happening by resorting to some very simple methods, such as those described below:
Eliminating the musty smell
A fantastic resource in combating mold is sodium bicarbonate (commonly known as baking soda, bicarbonate of soda or bicarb, with the chemical formula NaHCO3). In fact, if you want to try to save a book affected by mold, you can try using a little baking soda and an airtight container.
All you need to do is put the book into the container, along with a smaller container of baking soda. You could, of course, also simply pour some baking soda into the container directly. Then, close the container securely and keep the book inside until the moldy smell has disappeared. This can take a day or two, and in the case of hardcover books, it could take up to a week.
In the event that there is also mold staining, you can freeze the book (in an airtight bag) and then take a cloth, wet it slightly with alcohol and then rub the staining to remove the mold. To dry the book, place in sunlight or use a hair dryer.
Say goodbye to dust
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It's never pleasant to handle a dusty book (which can be a problem for those who suffer from allergies). So, before even taking action against the mold, you need to do some dusting.
Holding the dusty book tightly closed in your hands, you can use a dusting cloth, or a soft bristled brush to clean the surfaces. As for the cloth, you can use it dry, or just moisten it a little with hydrogen peroxide and a couple of drops of an essential oil (tea tree oil is excellent in combatting mold). Obviously, it is essential that the cloth is only very slightly damp and that you dry the book as quickly as possible afterwards.
Ready to take care of your books?
