Removing the smell from old books
- Rainbow
- Posts: 892
- Joined: Tue 23 Jun, 2015 8:51 am
- Location: See my name, I'm somewhere over it
- Organisation: Picture sales and framing
- Interests: varied
Removing the smell from old books
There's such a vast amount of knowledge on this forum that I thought I try my luck...
I've just received a vintage book bought online. It's the worst smelling book I've ever had. I've asked Mr Google how to get rid of the smell, and recommendations include cat litter, baking soda, hairdryer, warm sunshine (I wish!) etc. Trouble is, I've no way of knowing how sensible the suggestions are so I thought I'd ask the very sensible members of this forum for suggestions
I've just received a vintage book bought online. It's the worst smelling book I've ever had. I've asked Mr Google how to get rid of the smell, and recommendations include cat litter, baking soda, hairdryer, warm sunshine (I wish!) etc. Trouble is, I've no way of knowing how sensible the suggestions are so I thought I'd ask the very sensible members of this forum for suggestions
- Steve N
- Posts: 2992
- Joined: Sat 21 Jul, 2007 2:32 pm
- Location: Somewhere Staple Hill Bristol
- Organisation: Frontier Picture Frames ltd
- Interests: Walking our retired Greyhound,art, falling asleep on sofa in front of the telly
- Location: Now in Bristol
- Contact:
Re: Removing the smell from old books
Mark (NYAF) where are you, this is right up your street
Steve CEO GCF (020)
Believed in Time Travel since 2035
Proud to sell Ready Made Frames
http://www.frontierpictureframes.com
http://www.designerpicturemounts.com/
Believed in Time Travel since 2035
Proud to sell Ready Made Frames
http://www.frontierpictureframes.com
http://www.designerpicturemounts.com/
Re: Removing the smell from old books
Yes. Or right up his nose.
Watch Out. There's A Humphrey About
- Steve N
- Posts: 2992
- Joined: Sat 21 Jul, 2007 2:32 pm
- Location: Somewhere Staple Hill Bristol
- Organisation: Frontier Picture Frames ltd
- Interests: Walking our retired Greyhound,art, falling asleep on sofa in front of the telly
- Location: Now in Bristol
- Contact:
Re: Removing the smell from old books
Steve CEO GCF (020)
Believed in Time Travel since 2035
Proud to sell Ready Made Frames
http://www.frontierpictureframes.com
http://www.designerpicturemounts.com/
Believed in Time Travel since 2035
Proud to sell Ready Made Frames
http://www.frontierpictureframes.com
http://www.designerpicturemounts.com/
- Rainbow
- Posts: 892
- Joined: Tue 23 Jun, 2015 8:51 am
- Location: See my name, I'm somewhere over it
- Organisation: Picture sales and framing
- Interests: varied
Re: Removing the smell from old books
So much for me thinking the members here are sensible
Re: Removing the smell from old books
This may not be entirely sensible, but....
When I moved to my present shop it had been shut up and empty for a while and it had been a butchers. There was a prevading
pong of rancid fat which I couldn't shift. Tried Disinfectant, Jeyes Fluid, allsorts. Opened all the doors and windows and let the
breeze blow through. That improved things for a while but it always came back.
It wasn't until I painted the skirting boards (which were new) and varnished some shelves that the smell vanished and never returned.
You could try placing the book in a confined space with a tin of solvented varnish or paint with the lid off for a while.
My be talking rubbish but it's worth a shot.
When I moved to my present shop it had been shut up and empty for a while and it had been a butchers. There was a prevading
pong of rancid fat which I couldn't shift. Tried Disinfectant, Jeyes Fluid, allsorts. Opened all the doors and windows and let the
breeze blow through. That improved things for a while but it always came back.
It wasn't until I painted the skirting boards (which were new) and varnished some shelves that the smell vanished and never returned.
You could try placing the book in a confined space with a tin of solvented varnish or paint with the lid off for a while.
My be talking rubbish but it's worth a shot.
Watch Out. There's A Humphrey About
-
- Posts: 11008
- Joined: Sat 25 Mar, 2006 8:40 pm
- Location: Devon, U.K.
- Organisation: The Dartmoor Gallery
- Interests: Lost causes, saving and restoring old things, learning something every day
- Location: Glorious Devon
Re: Removing the smell from old books
Yes, but there are smells and smells. Maybe the treatment for different smells are not the same. The sure fire way to sort this is to clean the pages with chloromine T. Organisations like the British Library are equipped to wash the pages without pulling the book apart and needing to rebindit afterwards. They dry it out in a vacuum chamber and the book condition is not adversely affected.
Another possibility is to wipe the face of each page with dilute chloromine T and sandwich between the pages with blotting paper until every page has dried. Replacing the blotting paper several times during the process. If the book is worth it you could get the book professionally cleaned and rebound, but it won't be cheap.
Mark Lacey
“Life is short. Art long. Opportunity is fleeting. Experience treacherous. Judgement difficult.”
― Geoffrey Chaucer
“Life is short. Art long. Opportunity is fleeting. Experience treacherous. Judgement difficult.”
― Geoffrey Chaucer
- Rainbow
- Posts: 892
- Joined: Tue 23 Jun, 2015 8:51 am
- Location: See my name, I'm somewhere over it
- Organisation: Picture sales and framing
- Interests: varied
Re: Removing the smell from old books
Thank you both!
-
- Posts: 522
- Joined: Tue 01 Jan, 2019 8:42 pm
- Location: Surrey
- Organisation: Satriale's Pork Store
- Interests: .
Re: Removing the smell from old books
What about those deodorising machines that look like microwave ovens? In the demo I saw, they put in an awful-smelling pair of trainers and sorted them out.
I'm sure you won't want to buy one, but I wonder if companies will put an item through for a fee?
I'm sure you won't want to buy one, but I wonder if companies will put an item through for a fee?
Re: Removing the smell from old books
Have you tried using an OdourEater as a bookmark?
Watch Out. There's A Humphrey About
-
- Posts: 1370
- Joined: Tue 12 Jun, 2012 6:05 pm
- Location: West Wales
- Organisation: https://www.dermotmcardle.co.uk/
- Interests: Making picture frames
- Contact:
Re: Removing the smell from old books
Ten points to team Prospero.
Buy some activated carbon from e-bay and seal it together with the book in a plastic bag. God knows how long it takes.
Buy some activated carbon from e-bay and seal it together with the book in a plastic bag. God knows how long it takes.
Affordable Gilding Course for Professional Framers-https://www.dermotmcardle.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/dermotmcardle/
https://www.instagram.com/dermotmcardle/