I have a thirty-year old book that I've decided to sell on eBay. When I first bought it all those years ago I wrote my name and address in it with a ball-point pen, because I never thought I'd sell it. How can I remove my name and address without ruining the book? The words are written on the inside of the front cover. Thanks for any advice.
Use nail polish remover. When I worked at a bank there was a scam going around where the "crooks" would steal already written checks and then wash the ink out with nail polish remover. I was doubtful so I tried it and it worked and didn't damage the paper. Try a very small area first using a q-tip and if that works use it for the rest. It should work even though the ink is very old. Nail polish remover DOES NOT work on gel ink. Anyone still writing checks should use gel ink to protect the check info.
Good luck. Margaret from Denton, Texas
Go to a book store ... Ask them the safe way to do this so as not to ruin the paper ... If all else fails they sell special book name/owner stickers you could place over your writing and the new owner can write their own name on the new book sticker ...
If your address is not the same as what is in the book, I'd just leave it and say in the description that "previous" owners name and address written on inside page. I have bought many books with a previous owners name written in it. For me it is part of the charm of a book, especially an older book.
You can use a book plate to cover it, but be sure to mention this in your ad. I have sold many used books, and if there is a name written inside, I offer the buyer a name plate to use.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I have an old and valuable book that a previous owner inscribed her name into. Is there any way to remove her signature without damaging or staining the inscribed page?
Her signature lessens the value of the book.Hi!
I might try a tiny bit of rubbing alcohol, and then blot-not rub- the ink. Beyond that, there may be no solution, but if it were me, I would probably keep on trying! I wish you the best!
The only solution I can think of is to take this book to an Antique/Rare book restoration company. They might be able to do this for you without damaging the book. They can repair and restore all types of rare and antique books.
Personally, I'm afraid if you try this on your own you will damage this book and the value will really go down once they see the marking on the signature page.
Here is a company I found online. You can write to them and ask them for their advice. Other than this it is best to leave the book alone and don't destroy the value of this book trying to remove the signature.
www.leonardsbooks.com/
How can I remove ink marks from a page in a book?
By maria from Berwyn, IL
I read some where that you can use the green outer part of a cucumber to get rid of ink marks.
To remove from parchment or paper stains made with ordinary writing ink, apply spirit of salts (hydrochloric acid) diluted with five or six times its bulk of water. Solutions of either oxalic, citric, or tartaric acids are said to produce the same results; but in any case the acid must be washed off with clean water a minute or two after application. Experiment on odd pieces of parchment or paper before touching any valuable work, as some little skill is required. To remove ink stains from imitation ivory, wipe over several times with 1 oz. of oxalic acid dissolved in 1/2 pt. of hot water.
Should this be of no avail, rub the surface with fine glass paper till all marks are removed; then repolish with putty powder and oil, applied with felt or cloth: finish with dry powder and chamois leather. A solution of 1 oz. of citric acid in 4 oz. of water will remove all traces of writing ink from paper. This does not touch printers' ink, which indeed cannot be removed by the mere application of a bleaching agent. To remove ink or ironmould stains from linen, moisten the latter by holding it in steam, then apply weak hydrochloric acid on a piece of stick. Wlien the stain is dissolved out, wash the article well to remove all acid. Good luck.
Try a Magic Rub Eraser. You can buy them at places that sell art, office, and school supplies.
www.dickblick.com/
I'm a teacher who is trying to clean up textbooks from this past year. Anyone know how to get ballpoint ink and Sharpie ink off textbook pages without erasing all the other print?
By MissC from Minneapolis, MN
Can't be done.
If it is just one or two marks, you could white it out. I have tossed textbooks if the marks were obscene or profane, or if there were just too many.
Only suggestion I have is the magic eraser. Also, try rubbing some corn starch on the pages. I know this works with games, puzzles, etc to help clean them up. Even playing cards, makes it like a new deck. Toss parts into plastic bag with CS.
Deep woods off aerosol is the best and least destructive ink removal solution. Aerosol hairspray is second. We discovered this when a pen exploded onto maple kitchen cabinets. We tried everything including aerosol hairspray for months with marginal results. after ordering new doors from the company, one of the kids ran in the room complaining of mosquito bites.
I tried every solution listed and Deep Woods Off was the only one that worked on book page. Just use sparingly cuz it will soak into paper, so don't spray on page, use paper towel to wipe DWO on spots you wish removed.
My pen floated (the ink poured out due to the way it was placed) inside my bag, and it touched the edges of two library books how do I clean it off?
Wow, good question. Maybe just ask the Librarian if you could talk with her privately for a second, and explain what happened. Libraries usually have a little $ set aside to pay for repairs and replacements on damaged stuff. And Librarians are chill. I'm one. :-)
Removing ink is nearly impossible. Hopefully the books are not too expensive, as if they are damaged the library may make you pay for them.
I accidentally used a felt pen in my bible, and of course it bled through. Is there a way I can remove the ink without damaging the Bible?
If it is on the printed page, do not attempt to remove it. You will only make things worse. If not, follow the instructions here: www.hunker.com/
If this is something you don't want further damaged, I would just leave it be. If you can afford it, there are professionals who may be able to help. If you have a museum near by see if they have a paper archivist who can suggest a local expert. Good luck!
How do I remove black ink from a book?
By Mojtaba
