I have a lot of hard cover books and a few soft covered books in good condition but extremely dusty. They have been in a bookcase (exposed) for years. I want to donate them to a local library. What is the best (and cheapest) way to clean them?
My husband collects a lot of used books, I always vacuum them with a smaller nozzle as much as possible to remove dust and to ensure against any hiding bugs. Then wiping them with a clean damp cloth usually does the trick.
You could use a pair of old pantyhose to wipe off the dust. I've tried it and it really does work!
To get a musty odor out, place books outdoors in the sun and frequently fan out the pages so that the air can reach them. Brush off any mildew or mold. If the pages are damp, sprinkle cornstarch between them and brush it off after a few hours, I hope this helps, it is worth a try.
I had good experience with 3m vacuum cleaner 497 ajk, I purchased from www.library-dust.com
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How can I clean my World Book bindings that have yellowed?
By J.Cox
How do you clean and restore books (mostly first edition hardbacks) that have years of dust and nicotine on them?
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I am looking for some advice (help) with cleaning books. These books have been in storage for 5 years and have had mice crawling all over them.
