How can i get rid of a musty old smell from a book?
Question:i purchased some old books from a garage sale...they have a musty smell to them.i have tried to leave them open to air out, but it doesnt seem to be working.how might i get rid of that smell??
Answers:
If it was me I'd put all the books in a trash bag and add a cup of baking soda to the trash bag. I leave it alone for a day or two and then take them out. Baking soda is a natural odor eliminator.
put a dryer sheet in it. (not in the pages, but in the back of the book).
Spray the pages lightly with Fabreeze. Or, you could put the books in a sealed box with some charcoal.
Leave them in the window sill and let the sun dry them out.
Get a clean sealed box [ rubbermaid, etc.]
Sprinkle cornstarch in pages of books - it's easier if one person fans while the other sprinkles.
Put ten or twelve books at a time, fill rest with clean crumpled newspaper, and seal up for 72 hours.
Viola! clean, unscented books!
P.S. Febreze leaves a smell - I like Oust unscented for stinky rooms.
P.P.S. - don't forget to shake the cornstarch out!
This is going to sound weird, but. . .put them in the freezer. The freezer will dehydrate the books thoroughly, removing the moisture and depriving any type of mold or mildew of the moisture it needs to thrive. If you're lucky, the temperature will also kill off the mildew. Leave them in there for a good week or so. After removing them, allow them at least 6 hours to defrost before opening them, as the spine glue will be brittle and they could crack.
After checking it out, I came up with one way, Fill a shallow box with cat box filler, and place in the room, where the books are, they say that the cat litter will absorb the musty odor. Maybe if you can put the books in a large box or large bag and put the cat litter in with it, in a box then that might do it.
Take a damp cloth and put a little vinegar on it.Then mash the book flat and wipe the sides well.Then the top and bottom.Lay them in the sun and it will dry them and air them.
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