18 February 2003
Dear Everybody,
I know this sounds strange, but kitty litter
(the odor-absorbing kind)is very useful when you
are trying to remove musty smells from books.
First of all the books need to be dry. If the
books feel damp to the touch, try standing them
up in a cool, dry place for a few hours with
the pages fanned out. Fans blowing on the pages
will help too.
Once the books feel dry to the touch, get two
non-paper containers with the smaller one being
able to fit inside the larger one. Two new, clean
metal dustbins are perfect. The larger dustbin
needs to have a cover.
(Paper/cardboard containers give off gases and
will make the situation worse.)
Put a good amount of clay kitty litter (the odor-
absorbing kind) at the bottom of the larger dustbin.
You can also use baking soda if you prefer.
The musty book goes in the smaller dustbin/can/
container. Do NOT let either the kitty litter
or the baking soda touch the book.
Do NOT cover the smaller dustbin/container.
Put the smaller dustbin/container inside the
larger dustbin on top of the kitty litter/baking
soda.
Put the cover on the larger dustbin/container and
put the whole contraption in a cool place.
Leave the cover closed at least overnight. Take
off the cover and make sure no mold is growing.
If the musty smell is still there, put the
cover back on and leave it for another day.
This technique usually works, but for really
musty books (and if you can smell them several
feet away, your books sound really musty), the
whole process could take quite a few days. Take
off the cover once a day and check.
If it is taking a long time, you might want
to put fresh kitty litter/baking soda in the
larger container after about a week or so.
Kind regards,
Grace-Ellen
Grace-Ellen McCrann
Chief, Government Documents Division
The City College of New York
Cohen Library, NAC Building, Room 2/305
138th Street & Convent Avenue
New York, NY 10031
(212) 650 5073
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--------------------
-- "Regan, Thomas" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Dear colleagues - I have recently discovered,
and subsequently rescued some books
<snip>
they have a very pronounced musty smell when opened,
which can be detected from several feet away.
<snip>
Thanks
Thomas Regan
DEPUTE LIBRARIAN HAWICK AREA
Hawick Library
North Bridge Street
HAWICK
TD9 9QT
Tel: (01450) 372637
Fax: (01450) 370991
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