How to Get Rid of Mold on Your Books -- Tips, Tricks, and More
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 พ.ย. 2024
- In this video, I talk about some methods that you can use to clean mold off of your old books and your books that matter to you. Of course, none of this is guaranteed to work, but it can get you going down the right path! I hope this helps to save your book!
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So I tried hydrogen peroxide and made the mistake of rubbing a little, which causes significant damage. Though I thought bleach sounded nuts (and initially dismissed this video), I figured the book can't get any worse and found bleach works really great: dip a q-tip in bleach, squeeze the q-tip once in a bit of paper towel to remove excess liquid, and then dab the mold spots. While it does bleach and warp the spot you dab, I find that a warped bleach white spot looks much, much nicer than a smooth dark mold spot. Obviously don't do this on anything valuable, but I'm glad I came across this video otherwise I would've never considered bleach. I wish I'd taken before and after pictures... the results are really incredible. For less than 30 minutes of work I've ended up with a rather presentable copy (despite the rubbing damage) that I had previously considered throwing away.
I'm still going to vacuum seal it with some silica packs and keep this book away from the rest for a while.
Glad bleach was able to help you with your book! Sorry the hydrogen peroxide didn't do the trick. Like you I wasn't too keen on the idea of using bleach on an old book, but, like you said, things can't really get worse than moldy! Hahaha
Good call on quarantining the book, I think I mentioned tossing it in the freezer, like some folks do. I'd also leave it out in the sun for a couple of hours to let the UV light do its thing a bit too.
Hope you don't have to fight any more moldy books in the future! :)
Writers compose, mold decompose - the circle of life.
Ha! Yep! :)
Antique books aren't always gilded, but they are almost always sealed. Sometimes with a marble or speckle pattern, sometimes in just a dye or stain usually red; all of which help protect the internal pages, even modern gilt (the fake gold) helps protect the pages. Hence why even if not all edges are gilt they will always be on the top t.e.g. (top edge gilt) as this is where the dust mostly falls.
Yep! :)
I still think all books should be covered in gold because gold is cool though. :P
Happy reading and collecting. :)
Thank you. My personal art sketchbooks are in a moldy storage unit and I need to try to save them. Thank you.
Good luck!
This is a very helpful video. Thank you! I would love to see you do a video showing you cleaning mold on a book as an example. Thanks again
I will in the future, just waiting until I get another one! :)
I got a book with the history of my family at Thanksgiving and it has mildew inside it (not sure if any was on the outside). I had to put it back in the box with a bunch of other family photos and documents to take it home. I haven’t opened it since I’ve been home because I want to find the best way to remove the mildew first. I’ve been watching tons of videos on this today, and I’m terrified of most every method since they all seem to have comments like “[insert method here] will actually ruin the book.”
No one except you so far has mentioned UVC light, so I wanted to know if the UVC light the least mess-up-able (for lack of a better term) way to clean the book without ruining it. I really don’t want to mess up this book since I’ve practically been bestowed the unofficial job of family genealogist and I can’t start by ruining this book.
I thought the freezer would be a good idea, but I’ve heard to be careful about the freezer since there’s likely to be moisture in the book (since it was able to grow mildew in it) and freezing that moisture could damage the book. I really don't want to I do the diluted alcohol/bleach/H2O2 method since that seems really easy to mess up.
Also, because it’s currently in a box with photos and documents in them, are all of those ruined now?
Also, for quarantining the book afterwards, would vacuum-sealing it in a bag be a good method?
First things first, your photos and such should be alright, but I'd hit them all with a lot of UVC light before putting them back into storage. (Gotta kill whatever spores that might have gotten on them.)
Now, for the book itself, I would hit each and every page with UVC light to try and kill the mildew and spores and then I'd employ the freezer method. With it being winter there is less moisture in the air and, once you've UVCed the pages for a few minutes each, the book should be pretty dry. (And, if not, then just leave it out, open, and it'll finish drying out.) The ice things shouldn't be an issue, but be sure to stick it in a sealed Ziplock and, if possible, use a freezer that doesn't frost up. Give it a day or so, but not too long. :)
Once that's all done, the mildew will probably still be alive, at least a tiny bit of it, but all old books have at least some mildew. All that matters now is how you store it. If you keep it in a dry place then it shouldn't get any worse any time soon. But, please note, the mildew that you started with won't magically disappear just because it's dead. That's where all the scary alcohol, bleach, and peroxide things come into play. Some folks want their pages clean of everything and they accept that risk. Depending on how bad off your book is, it might be something that you'll still need to do, but that's up to you. Something I'd do if I were in your shoes is at least photograph every single page of the book and maybe make a new book--even a binder--do people can go through a clean version of what you've got and not fear damaging the original piece. :)
As for storing the book afterwards, a bag may or may not be needed. It all depends on how bad the mildew was. While I wouldn't store the book with other ones that I cared about, I don't know if I'd go as far as to treat it like it caused the Black Plague either. Hahaha That's up to you though! I've got some other videos on this channel that go over how to store books, so those will be worth checking out. :) (Keep it dry, indoors, and lay book on its side are three biggies for that.)
My house just flooded and I was really scared I'd lose my books to the mold. After watching this, I don't think they're a lost cause at all! Thank you so much for making this video!!
Good luck! :)
Cleaning should be done in Decon Chambers, Hepa vac books before cleaning ,dehumidification is a must if you don’t want mold anywhere. Other wise you will always have problems with mold.😊
100% agree, chambers like that are for your safety, plus the safety of your books and everyone and eyeverything else!
Decon chambers ... looked on eBay for such a thing and it's $900. Wondering if a Lumin (cpap machine cleaner) would suffice? Also, @AntiqueBookCollective, I would have liked to seen your UV-C light set up. 👀
Iron! I've used it of course without steam) I've ironed every page for some time but after this strong smell of mildew is gone
Really!?! That's nuts! I never would have thought of that, but it makes sense! Thanks for the comment. :)
@@antiquebookcollective yeah but once it didn't helped 🤷
@@1384853 Interesting.
I did the initial cleaning of the covers, sides and spine with Alcohol...
But the book came from a thrift store and looks yellowish and smells dusty and could be moldy...
So I used the Baking Soda in a bag "bath" and left it in the freezer.
Next I'm going to do Sun "bathing"...
And follow up with H202 on the sides of the book 📖
(top, bottom and edge) that will most likely bleach it as the baking soda was use before...
I might finish it off with fine sanding of the sides...
Good luck! :)
Did it work???
Hope you all like this video! :)
I have found mould on the back of my bookcase but on the side where the pages touch the back. I cannot see any mould on the books themselves. Safe to say I am getting rid of the bookcase but what do I do with the books?
There are two rows and I think the first row should be fine but the ones that were touching the backing do I throw just in case? Do I wipe with a cloth and isolate and see how the get on?
As I'm sure you know, mold spores are out there and can spread whether we see them or not. It's likely that there are spores on the books.
That being said, there are things you can do to kill off some of that mold, I like Clorox wipes for newer books that aren't as fragile as antiques, but, even then, I do use some Clorox wipes (and I add rubbing alcohol to that sometimes, depending on the book) and I wipe the book down with that to kill mold, germs, and even some bad smells. It's not 100%, you won't kill it all, but I find it's enough most of the time to get rid of everything that I can.
Hope that helps, no one likes throwing away stacks of books!
I would say that one thing to keep mold out of books is to clean your hands before reading, and do not eat and read at the same time. For example (I have seen some people eating cheetos and reading). But I guess for some people would be just too much, what do you think? Thank you for your video.
Yep, that could help for sure. :)
I've learned that bleaching mold can be a bad idea bc while it kills the mold, the mold disintegrates and explodes mycotoxins; they're smaller and more damaging to lungs if that's an issue > then it inhabits the body which is harder to remove again. #immunocompromisedbeware
That's interesting! Thanks for sharing. PPE is always needed when dealing with chemicals, for sure. :)
Exactly
I have read that mold is everywhere in the environment. So would every book eventually decade due to mold after centuries, even if kept away from moisture?
Sure, the "old book smell" is the smell of the books decaying. However, excess moisture just speeds up the decaying process and renders your book unreadable. I've had and read books 250 years old and older that are beautiful and the Bible I bring to church every Sunday is 170 years old. So long as you keep a book dry and oil its cover you're going to be able to enjoy it much longer. :)
I got brown or orangey spots it books and board games, inside dvd etc. It it mould or mildew. Is it different?
That sounds like mold to me, and mildew is a type of mold. You'll need to do something to get rid of it because mold is dangerous for your health.
So, i have 18 "nice" books (leather? or cloth, embossed with designs) that had been in my parents home, which had gotten infested with mold. I sealed them in plastic bags with baking soda, but then unfortunately, had no room in my home--so they stayed in a box in the garage for 3 years 🤦♀️. So, dumb move, i know. Definite strong smell and white spots on the gold-edged pages (a couple have a green moire cloth on the inside cover).
I have them all standing on end, pages open as much as possible, theyve beenbout there for 2 hours. Will this be enough, or do i have to expose each page to the sunlight?
Im also still smelling "the smell" ☹️ Thanks!
If you're willing to do whatever it takes to save them, then I'd be sure to air the books out outside in the sun to allow the UV rays to kill off a lot of the mold. There will be no getting it all, but you can slow the decay.
I'd also invest in an ozone generator (under 100 bucks) and leave the books in a room with that machine running, it'll take care of most of the smell, if not all. You might have to open the books to, say, the beginning, then middle, then end for the best results there, but it'll take care of the stink AND kill mold too.
All told, your bill to save all of those books, all of those memories, and a lot more will be under a hundred bucks, but you'll have to put in a lot of time cleaning them off too. ...And, if you promise to not tell any angry book conservators, I have had luck wiping down each and every page of a book down with a semi-damp Clorox wipe after the ozone treatment. Just know, those chemicals DO cause some damage, but for the ease of use and accessibility to lay people as ourselves, it can be a good one-time hit to do everything you can to stop the spread of the mold. :)
Hope that helps!
Do NOT use ozone inside a residence that is occupied.
Hi! Just wondering what kind of uv light product you’d recommend? I’m a picky person when it comes to shopping. I’d really appreciate a product link or suggestion!
I have my own old/antique-ish book collection that’s a bit small so far, but I plan to keep collecting, so I could definitely use one.
Sorry, but I don't have any recommendations yet, only ever used one brand. Mine are just ones that sit on my tale, but I'd be interested in buying handheld ones in the future that allow me to bring them to bear as needed, so I'd look for something like that if I were you.
Sorry I don't have any specific brands or such for you though.
I have a book that has really bad mold.
I wonder if it is worth saving..
Is the page poisonous? after i put bleach?
If you've got mold over the entire page then I don't think that just some bleach could save you. You might want to look into getting a pro to clean it and do things properly.
My book has a moisture smell how do i know if its mold or somthing else?
It's likely the beginnings of a mold or mildew issue, but you might be able to nip it in the bud by cutting down on how much moisture your book is exposed to.
I was wondering can I use baking soda all over the book like page by page and leave it in the refrigerator for a 2 days or more. ? I just don’t want any mold
I'd avoid it. I did a video where I put baking soda on some books long term and it was a mess. Putting it on the pages would be a much, much bigger mess. If your book isn't moldy now and it doesn't have a history of being around mold, then you're most likely going to be fine. Just focus your energies on storing your book well. (I've got a video on that too, highly recommended that one.)
@@antiquebookcollective thanks I appreciate your great advice. Oh k have another question I’m getting another book from the 1800S it looks good a little foxing but what if I find some of those black molds that look like black poop . How do I remove it. ? God Bless.
@@haydendude To be rightly honest, I don't have any good ways to remove it that's safe for antique books just yet. That being said, there is a difference between mold and foxing. Black spots that are just foxing are no problem--foxing is just part of the aging process for books. So it's worth figuring out if it's mold or just foxing. :)
That being said, I recently went through an entire set of books from like 1910 and they had mold way back in the day that has since dried up and died and I wiped each page down with a Clorox wipe that I watered down with alcohol. While that isn't recommended, it's the route I took. The books already had water damage as well--hence where the mold came from--so I wasn't too worried about doing a little more harm. End result looks great though, but I'm going to sit on them for a little longer before I decide if it was a good move or not on my part.
To kill the mold I kept the books very dry and bathed them in ozone and UV light. I talk about using those two things to kill mold in other videos and that's the route that I take to make sure that books are as sterile as I can make them.
Hope that helps, God bless.
@@antiquebookcollective yes. It does.thank so much liking forward for your next video. Oh any idea where to buy a good uv light like yours ?
@@haydendude Honestly, I picked mine up on the clearance rack at Office Depot! Hahaha
Amazon sells a lot of them and they look pretty good there. I haven't done a video with recommendations yet because I haven't gone out and tested a ton of them just yet though.
Hi there, have you any tips on how to treat mold on handwritten documents, like journals or diaries? I'm worried I'll further damage them by cleaning it wrong or something. Some recommend hydrogen peroxide for example. If you could help me with this, I'd greatly appreciate it!
Sorry, but I don't have any exact tips for that, but I'd suspect it's the same as what I would do for books. Hydrogen peroxide would likely work great, just be sure to dilute it with water (I'd throw in a little rubbing alcohol to increase your chances of killing the mold off), and then you probably want to use a q-tip to apply it and rub on the paper. Be super careful and pick a little test area to be sure that there aren't any bad reactions.
I actually went through a whole set of books about a month ago where I used Clorox wipes on the pages themselves and that sure did well for me.
Of course, I'm not a conservationist and a true one could likely help you more, but that's just what I'd try. Good luck!
@@antiquebookcollective Thank you so much for the suggestions!
I appreciate it a lot.
I'll try and wipe them down any way with a cloth at least and I'm considering paying a Document Restoration service to treat my diaries here in Ireland.
I emailed them earlier today, and hoping for some feedback soon!
I do have the equivalent of Clorox Wipes for multipurpose cleaning, called Multipurpose Surface Wipes. That would work, right?
I know its a little strange, but my diaries and journals are all I have of past memories and a record of my journey that I'm hoping to turn into a book, and that they might become destroyed by mold, or might not be saved from further damage, really gives me anxiety!
Thanks again, really appreciate the tips!
@@Irishjay_94 I hope the pros can help! My wipes are bleach based, I think, and I actually added alcohol to it because it is supposed to be good at killing mold.
It's not strange at all, it's a big thing for a lot of people! Just know that one of the most important things for keeping your documents safe is low humidity. Dehumidifiers are the key to that and they can be cheap too. :)
i have a fake money uv light thing. im going to leave it inside all of the slipcases for 30 mins each. i litrally started buying folio society, easton press etc 3 months ago. just noticed after buying 5 easton press books that smelt musty and putting them with my other books my other books are getting patchey inside the slipcases and some books pages are wobbly. im shit terrified. think ive spent over 1000 in 3 months. cant beleive this is happening to me!
Oh no! Sorry thats happening, especially with such valuable books!
I have bad news, though. The UV light used for money scanners isn't the right one to kill mold and whatnot. You need a UV-C light. Those can be relatively cheap, though. I'd recommend getting a dehumidifier for where you keep your books as well, again, those can be cheap, because your issue is, at least in part, a moisture one too.
I hope that helps!
@@antiquebookcollective thank you. Ive ordered a dehumidifier and hydrogen peroxide. Ive separated the worst away from the good ones. Problem with folio society if mould gets into the slipcase its no longer useful as one as its the perfect ground for mould to grow. Ill update you on my rescue once i feel ive done enough for it to not come back. Oh im defeated today honestly 😭😞
@@QuaesitorDei Sorry it's happened, you'll get on top of it soon! :)
The dehumidifier will go a LONG way, trust me. I've got plenty of other things beyond that that I use, but that'll be the big one for you.
Happy collecting. :)
@@QuaesitorDei If it helps, I have an entire video on properly storing books too. It could be worth the watch. :)
I heard that some people boil their books in bleach? I don't know if it's true.
Huh, I've never heard that one! I hope they don't submerse the book to do it, but I could see the evaporated bleach killing mold and everything else. Very interesting!
Do I really need to go through 50 advertisements just to watch this video
Awe man, sorry you had so many. Sometimes TH-cam really goes crazy on those things! :(
Ozone?
Yep! Ozone is great at killing mold.
Ozone is also something that occurs naturally, but that doesn't mean it's good for us to breathe. :)
Best bleach to use to clean spotting?
Clorox is my go-to. :)
Thanks
@@iiiajayiii1978 Yep! :)
I would be afraid of the bleach bleaching the page discoloring it.
Yep, it's a danger, for sure, but there aren't a lot of ways to clean mold once it sets in. (Hence why I tell folks to keep it from taking root in the first place! An ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure!)
This is good, but tooooo long. You do what I do with videos, which is talk too much
Hahaha Guilty as charged. Thanks for the comment.
...too much talk and too little showing
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