How Do I Get Rid Of That Musty Book Smell?
September 20th, 2006 by Alan Chudnow
Getting rid of a “musty” or “smelly” odor from any book can be a real challenge and science fiction books are no exception. I don’t know of a single collector who hasn’t had to deal with a “stinky” book at some time or another.
Of course ask five collectors or booksellers how to deal with the problem and you’ll undoubtedly get ten answers. I’ve use a couple of these methods with varying degrees of success. The technique is the same for paperbacks and hardcovers alike.
- Freezing
- Direct Sunlight
- A strong fan blowing on the book
- Enclose in a room with an ozone machine
- Enclose in a small space with a bowl of White Vinegar
Sealing the book in a plastic bag or air tight container with some kind of odor absorbent seems to be the most popular. What to use as the absorbent is the question. Here are some suggestions. Be careful not to let the absorbent come in contact with the book.
- Kitty Litter – many people swear by this one.
- Fabric Softener (dryer) sheets
- Baking Soda
- Cedar Chips
- Dr. School’s Oder Eater
- Activated Charcoal
- Old Newspaper
- Lysol (sprayed on a paper towel, not on the book!)
- All Revitalizer Cloths (kinda like the dryer sheets)
- Aftershave Lotion (If you don’t mind your books smelling like Old Spice, I suppose)
J. Godsy over at Bibliophile Bullpen sells a granulated Book Deodorizer product. It’s a recipe she developed herself and seems to have a good reputation. I haven’t tried it but probably will soon.
Brodart, the library supply folks also have a few Dehumidifiers and Air Freshener products.
One bookseller even tried a product called Smelleze™. It’s a deodorizer used by funeral parlors for removing embalming fluid odors. That’s a bit too creepy for me but if you’re game to try it you can find it at no-odor.com.
Any special tricks I haven’t mentioned? What’s worked for you?
