How To-24: "How to Clean a Book"

How to Clean a Book

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Is there a book you would like to read very old, been packed in a box for a while or just dirty? Here's how to clean a book without ruining it.

Steps

1. Collect your needed supplies. Set them up in a well lit, comfortable work area.
   
2. Check the book over and mentally list all the areas to be cleaned. You can bookmark them or perhaps list them if there are multiple soiled areas. This step helps you to get every spot the first time, and will minimize the trauma to and older, fragile book.
   
3. Check to see if the the cover, back or spine need to be cleaned first.
   
4. Place the book on your padded work area.
   
5. Follow directions for proper use of your book cleaning compound.
   
6. Carefully and gently clean the outside of your book first and place it back on your padded work area. Do the spine edge first, proceed to the gutters and then across the covers to the edges. Take care to avoid lifting any layers of covering such as leather corners or glued on insets.
   
7. Gently leaf through the book looking for soiled pages. Mark them with a book mark or list them for later reference so as to avoid handling the book any more than absolutely necessary.
   
8. When cleaning the pages, beware of the tendency of older paper to tear. You can gently clean the pages by:
   
   • Holding the cleaning cloth or tissue lightly;
     
   • Do not "scrub" a page. Move in one direction only, not back and forth; and
     
   • Wipe it lightly in horizontal strokes from the spine edge to the outer edge.
     
   • After the first page is clean, continue leafing through the book for subsequent dirty pages to be cleaned.
     
   
   

Tips

• Clorox wipes are great for use on the cover, letting it dry completely. These can be used on leather, paper, plastic, and wood.
  
• Many musty Smells can be eliminated with dryer sheets between pages, left several days, depending upon the amount of smell.
  
• Your cleaning cloth or tissue should be only lightly damp. A very damp cloth or tissue can allow cleaning fluid to seep into the page, causing water damage and possible smudging of the text.
  
• A soft, cotton cloth will hold grime well. Tissues are better for older or more delicate pages, but you can choose for yourself.
  
• To remove goo and bugs, take a plastic knife or Painters pallet knife and slowly move horizontally towards the middle of the bug or goo mound without ripping the page. If the goo or bug is squished onto the page use some rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab to loosen it and remove the excess.
  

Warnings

• Use only enough rubbing alcohol to get rid of the goo or bug. If you leak the rubbing alcohol onto the book it could ruin the book!
  
• Take care with the plastic knife not to damage the page!
  

Things You'll Need

• Soft cloth rag
  
• Something to protect your work surface from the book and vice versa - an old heavy towel works well.
  
• Book cleaning compound - Available from DEMCO Inc. (Madison, WI) or other Library Supply co.
  
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