How to Clean Old Books Without Damaging Them - A Guide to Tips


With the advent of the digital format, there are fewer and fewer lovers of paper books, but for some, libraries from their favorite volumes still remain an important part of the interior. Books are very aesthetically pleasing, but over time they gather dust, a stale smell appears and other troubles appear. Let's figure out how to clean books from dust and prolong their life as much as possible.

We carry out dry cleaning

Dry cleaning of books from dust is carried out extremely carefully, as the pages may tear. There are three methods:

  1. Just shake the book. Some do it outside/balcony.
  2. Place the pages under a weak fan jet.
  3. Use a brush or dry cloth.

Most dirt from book pages and bindings can be removed without the use of water. How to clean a book from dirt, housewife tricks:

  1. Marks from pens and pencils can be erased with an eraser. All movements are carried out in one direction so that the pages do not tear.
  2. Waterproof glossy covers can be wiped with tea tree essential oil. The product will disinfect and eliminate unpleasant odors. In the same way, adhesive traces of price tags are removed from thick covers.
  3. Large build-ups of dirt are carefully cleaned off with fine sandpaper.

How to remove a grease stain from a book page:

  1. Sprinkle salt or talcum powder on the paper. The granules absorb fat well. After 15-20 minutes, brush off and repeat if necessary.
  2. Place blotting paper on the stain, heat the iron slightly and run the sole over the stain. The paper will absorb the fat when exposed to heat.

Clean at home in good daylight. For sticky and other unusual stains, use special library products.

Advice Miss Clean magazine recommends that you entrust the cleaning of old and antique items to professional services.

Removing contaminants

To restore your tomes to their original condition, follow these steps:

  • Use a rag or sandpaper to remove paint, cement and other stains.
  • Removing blood or insect deposits with hydrogen peroxide can be a quick and painless process.

Advice

. Prevention is always better than cure, so before reading, cover the source of knowledge with a lid and do not eat while sitting in front of a book.

The book is damp: what to do

It will not be easy to return the pages to their original appearance in this situation. Place sheets of filter paper between the pages, or sprinkle with talcum powder. Close the book and build a press. Cornmeal will also help prevent mold. You can use a weak jet from a hair dryer or a vacuum cleaner with a narrow nozzle.

Important What you should not do is dry books on radiators, in direct sunlight, or with a hot iron.

How to protect upholstered furniture

Several rules will allow you to preserve your favorite furnishings for a long time:

  1. Do wet cleaning regularly or use the services of cleaning companies.
  2. Ventilate the room.
  3. Use a vacuum cleaner.
  4. Once a month, knock the dust out of pillows, blankets, and rugs.
  5. Brush your pets regularly. A sticky roller will help get rid of their hair on a soft surface.
  6. If you sweep away small debris with a broom, lightly moisten it in water or strong tea in advance.

It's up to you to decide what's best for dusting. In any case, wet cleaning must be carried out regularly and efficiently, otherwise germs, debris and dirt will harm your health. Useful tips on our website will help you keep your home clean, comfortable and in order.

Did you like the article? Save it to your Pinterest! Hover over the image and click “Save.”

Eliminate odor

There is a simple but effective method to eliminate the smell of damp book pages:

  1. Take regular baking soda.
  2. Turn over the pages of the book.
  3. Cover and leave for several days.
  4. Shake out the baking soda with your hands/hairdryer/vacuum cleaner.

Soda is known for its ability to absorb unpleasant odors; it is often used to freshen rooms, for washing and cleaning various items, including books.

How to get rid of dust

How often you need to clean a room depends on the size and location of the house or apartment, the number of residents, objects and pets, and lifestyle. To spend less time cleaning, you should adhere to a number of rules:

Get rid of dust collectors

Carry out wet cleaning

The standard is a full wet cleaning once a week. It is better to wash textiles and soft toys at least twice a month [5]. You need to wipe dust on shelves, cabinets and household appliances regularly, and don’t forget about plants - a lot of dust also accumulates on the leaves, they need to be wiped, and it is advisable to wash them in the shower once a month.

Wipe surfaces with a special solution

To combat dust, you can use regular fabric softener. It is diluted in water in a ratio of 1:4 and poured into a spray bottle. Then the liquid is sprayed and wiped with a dry cloth. The conditioner has an antistatic effect, which will keep surfaces clean longer. Without dilution, it can be used to wipe the TV screen and computer keyboard.

Update your tools

During the cleaning process, you need to regularly rinse and change rags so as not to smear the dirt. Vacuum cleaner filters must be replaced in accordance with the instructions, depending on the number of cleanings performed.

Life hack: you can use regular baby wipes to wipe off dust, throwing them away after each surface.

Work from top to bottom

To prevent dust from settling on freshly washed items, cleaning begins from the ceiling: from the chandelier, high cabinets, shelves, moldings and blinds on the windows. Then they gradually go down, finishing cleaning the floor and baseboards.

How I found my ideal hair growth product

Hello dear! I want to share with you my solution to the sensitive problem of hair loss . The problems are very serious, at least for me. I would never have thought that this misfortune would touch me, especially at the age of 29 (read more...)

Don't get carried away with decor

Cute trinkets placed on shelves collect dust and require constant cleaning. In order not to waste time on them on weekends, it is better to place decorative little things that please the eye behind the glass doors of closed cabinets.

Close the windows

Ventilation is an important part of creating a healthy microclimate. But this does not mean that the windows should always be open. Street dust will circulate in the space constantly, especially in the city, next to a busy street. Nets will not help: they only trap large particles, and dust will easily penetrate through them.

Use dry cleaning

If there is no washing vacuum cleaner in the house, and heavy bedspreads do not fit into the washing machine, it makes sense to seek the services of professionals. As a preventative measure, you can clean carpets and curtains with a steamer.

Avoid synthetics

Synthetic fabrics attract dust, which settles and becomes embedded in the fibers. Therefore, the more textiles made from natural materials in the apartment, the fewer health risks.

The book is damp: what to do

Borax powder can be used instead of sodium bicarbonate. Both products have disinfectant properties.

Expert opinion

Ekaterina Korneva, expert in the field of care, cleanliness and beauty

I will help you understand all the intricacies.

In many ways, the rate of clogging of cooling systems with dust is influenced by their location, which is different for each manufacturer. There are special wet wipes designed for this purpose, but they are extremely difficult to find in the store. How to clean your apartment from dust and mites? For any questions, please contact me, I will be happy to answer!

Storage recommendations

The way books are kept largely determines their condition. The storage location should not be damp. Recommended temperature and air humidity parameters: 18-22° C and 50-60%.

Books should not be exposed to direct sunlight. Store them on closed shelves in an upright position. Do not place them too tightly and on top of each other - the pages should “breathe”.

Don't forget to wash the shelves where books are stored. Return everything to its place only after the cabinets have completely dried.

Cleaning is important not only for the safety of books. Some people are allergic to paper dust. Having picked up a copy, instead of the pleasure of reading, they get streams from their eyes and nose. Take care of the proper storage of books and the good health of the people in the house, and then the library will become your pride.

We recommend: What and how to clean a rug from dust, dirt and odors at home?

Removing mold

High humidity is detrimental to paper media as it leads to the growth of fungi. If your book has been covered in unsightly spots of black mold, this medicine will help get rid of the mold:

Dry the product outdoors. Wipe off the top layer of mold dust with a dry cloth. Using a watercolor brush, apply the boric acid solution to the stain. Be careful not to damage the paper and remove dirt with a dry cloth. Dry the sheet. Iron through fabric. Handle any damage. page.

When removing mold stains, do not forget about your own safety; carry out the work in a gas bandage.

Work options

There are several ways to get rid of such unpleasant surprises. In many ways, the choice of the most suitable course of action depends on what kind of adhesive the sheets were glued to. There will be only three of them:

  • PVA is not waterproof or a paste - this option is a simple one and there will not be any special problems.
  • Waterproof PVA or Bustilat is a problem, since soaking it with water and simply removing the coating will not work.
  • The most difficult case is that the glue is unknown, it cannot be soaked or chemically, only small pieces of material are mechanically removed.

In your case, you will have to figure out how to remove old newspapers from the wall, based on what adhesive composition was used. Sometimes the problem is solved quickly, but sometimes it will take a lot of time and effort.

Simple solutions

If the paper glued to the walls can be soaked and then begins to move away from the base, you are in luck. Here you can understand how to remove newspapers from the walls very quickly. It is enough to simply moisten the entire surface with a spray bottle and wait a little - the old coating will come away from the base in large layers and you can even remove it with your hands. To speed up the process, you can use a spatula or other suitable tool.

Sometimes the layer gets wet, but it doesn’t come off too well. In such a situation, it is possible to apply the achievements of modern technology and the chemical industry. Equipment suitable for such work is presented in the form of an iron with a steam mode or a steamer. Hot steam speeds up the process of soaking the paper and the problem is solved easily. The chemistry is represented by special compounds for removing old coatings. How to work with it is written in the instructions for the specific mixture.

Rating
( 2 ratings, average 4.5 out of 5 )
Did you like the article? Share with friends:
For any suggestions regarding the site: [email protected]
Для любых предложений по сайту: [email protected]