For reading lovers, paper books are irreplaceable little treasures. Thanks to technology, it is now possible to have hundreds of texts with you on a single device. E-book readers help spread the love of literature. But for many, the physical, hard copy format is still unmatched.
The sensation of the paper between the fingers and its scent makes the experience more intimate for many. But the paper format, as real and organic, can suffer the wear and tear of time. Environmental conditions can cause damage.
Moisture is one of the main enemies of the books. Getting rid of moisture and mildew stains isn’t particularly difficult. We will find out how to do it in the next steps.
Moisture spots are the natural habitat for the proliferation of mold. This is more likely to happen in already humid environments and on old books, which we haven’t opened for long. Airing the pages can help prevent moisture stains. But if our books already have the problem, we will have to do it this way.
To start, we wear a mask and latex gloves. We will avoid breathing the annoying mold spores on the books. It is preferable to operate outdoors or at the window on a dry, not a too-hot day. Let’s keep close to an electrical outlet: we will have to use a hairdryer.
We use the hairdryer on the whole book, setting it at a medium-low temperature. Let’s pass it on the cover, on the sides, and between the pages, opening them slightly. We proceed in this way for about 5 minutes, during which the books will ” dry. ”
The traces of moisture will begin to fade. So let’s turn the pages quickly for the book to cool completely. We put the books inside nylon bags. Those for food or for changing the wardrobe will do just fine. We seal the opening with adhesive tape. We drill a small central hole on one of the faces of the bag.
Through the hole, we expel as much air as possible. We could also help with a small desk vacuum cleaner. So we seal the hole with another adhesive tape. If we own the vacuum machine, everything will be easier.
We keep books sheltered in bags for at least 3 days. In this period, we will eliminate dust, humidity, mold, and bad smells. This method also manages to prevent any future spots.
