Zombse
The Zombie Stack Exchanges That Just Won't Die
How to fix mold (mildew?) smell and possible foxing?
An item has been donated to the library which, for various reasons, it would be preferable to repair/preserve rather than replace/reject. However, it has a mold (mildew?) smell throughout and possible foxing on both paste-downs, although not elsewhere. (See image below or click through to a high-res copy here.) What is the normal preservation/repair option for this problem?
- Alan Thomas II
Comments
Answer by NiceOrc
Have you tried baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)? I have tried this with a non-valuable book, mainly to see how it would work*. I stood the book, fanned open, inside a large plastic bag with a dish of baking soda, making sure the soda didn't touch the book at all, then sealed the bag. I left it for two or three days and by the end of that time the smell was faint enough that the book could go back into the collection.
(*Bad cigarette smoke smell, we were going to discard the book but thought we would see how the baking soda worked.)
Comments
- Alan Thomas II: Might help with bad smells in general, but I'm not sure it's going to ensure the death of anything eating at the book.
- NiceOrc: Sorry, didn't realise there was a vermin problem too. I've never used borax, but I'm told it kills bugs as well as deodorises. Anyone know how it affects books?
Answer by Fisher
Please note: I am not an archivist and do not work with sensitive materials. If it's truly a valuable book, it would be work having a professional appraise & recover it.
Vinegar and sunlight work wonders on mold. You can either use a fine mister or wipe white vinegar onto the molded portion. Leave in direct sunlight. Repeat. It may take several applications of vinegar and sunlight.
I do not know how this will affect the book & its cover, however.
Comments
Answer by Maria Lin
Direct sunlight is the best solution for moldy books, along with air circulation, but you don't want to expose a book to direct sunlight for more than an hour or so a day. If you're concerned with the smell, put the book in a container with baking soda, so that the baking soda does not directly touch the book, (box within a box, for example.) as NiceOrc mentioned.
If the mold is dead and dry, a toothbrush and a very weak vacuum can also help. Just make sure to keep your lungs protected. This is a pretty good quick reference for mold solutions.