Those of us who read this forum of the MB are probably book collectors or at least interested in books. Occasionally, each of us acquires a rare or old book that we just have to have, but because of age and lack of previous care, it often has a musty odor. What I’d like to do here is to collect a list of remedies that readers have found that successfully remove that musty smell from books.
I recently acquired Camus’ “A Treatise on the Teeth of Wheels,” published in 1869. Although the book is in fairly good shape, it has a musty smell. That’s what got me thinking about starting this topic.
The research I’ve done so far shows that you must start with a dry book, as mold, fungus, and bacteria need moisture to grow – and that creates the odor. Suggested ways of drying books are listed in references on the Internet, but some are good and some are bad. Suggested ways to remove odor are equally diverse – the use of kitty litter, activated carbon, charcoal briquettes, clothes dryer sheets, coffee grounds, sheets of newspaper, and so forth. Again, some may work, and some may do more harm than good. I’d like to hear what remedies our members have found that work, and those that do not work.
Best regards,
Frank Del Greco
I recently acquired Camus’ “A Treatise on the Teeth of Wheels,” published in 1869. Although the book is in fairly good shape, it has a musty smell. That’s what got me thinking about starting this topic.
The research I’ve done so far shows that you must start with a dry book, as mold, fungus, and bacteria need moisture to grow – and that creates the odor. Suggested ways of drying books are listed in references on the Internet, but some are good and some are bad. Suggested ways to remove odor are equally diverse – the use of kitty litter, activated carbon, charcoal briquettes, clothes dryer sheets, coffee grounds, sheets of newspaper, and so forth. Again, some may work, and some may do more harm than good. I’d like to hear what remedies our members have found that work, and those that do not work.
Best regards,
Frank Del Greco