How to Clean a Book: Safely Removing Dirt, Smudges & Stains (2024)

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Last Updated: April 5, 2024

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   Start with the outside edges of the book. Keep the book firmly closed and use your soft cloth or toothbrush to gently brush the edges of the pages. Start at the top, or head, and wipe away from the spine. Continue with the fore-edge, or the edge opposite the spine, and the tail, or bottom of the book.

   • Use extreme caution with any tears or damaged edges. Use the soft brush to very gently address these spots.
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   Brush the spine and outer boards of the book. Wipe the spine with your cloth or brush, moving in one direction only. In order to protect the boards, mentally divide the front and back cover into halves and wipe from that center rather than from one end to the other.

   • If the spine has raised horizontal bands, wipe across rather than up and over the bumps.
   • Be careful of any damaged edges, leather corners, or decoration. Avoid snagging the brush or cloth on these elements.

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   Use your vacuum for heavy dust or mold on the outside of the book. Ensure that your attachment is an extremely soft brush, and place your vacuum on the lowest possible setting. Gently and carefully vacuum up the dirt, moving in only one direction. Start with the head, move to the fore-edge, then the tail, and finally finish with the spine and outer boards.

   • For damaged books, place some cheesecloth or a nylon stocking over the end of the vacuum. Vacuum up the dirt on the medium setting without touching the book by hovering just above the surface of the book.
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   Clean the dust jacket. Many books now come with dust jackets. These paper coverings are generally glossy or matte in finish. While they’re attractive, they often get dusty and may also tear. Use your soft cloth to gently brush any dust or dirt off the jacket.

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   Clean the pages. Set the book in your wedges, carefully open the book, and turn the pages. Use your soft cloth or toothbrush to wipe the page from the center of book outwards, removing dust as you go.

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   Address mustiness. If your book has a musty smell that you can’t isolate to individual pages, place the book in a plastic, resealable bag with a sprinkling of baking soda or unscented cat litter. Leave it in the bag for a minimum of 12 hours and up to two weeks.^[1]

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   Use your artgum eraser to remove smudges and small marks from the pages. Always erase in one direction only. Use your soft cloth to brush away eraser crumbs when finished.

   • While the eraser should remove most pencil and some pen marks, it likely won’t take care of dark stains. Dark ink or food stains may be impossible to remove from your book without damaging the pages.
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   Address insect infestations by freezing the book. If any pages show signs of insects, brush off the insect or egg debris, place the book in a fully sealed plastic freezer bag, and then put it in the freezer for 24 hours to kill any remaining infestation. Thaw the book slowly by first putting it in the refrigerator for 8 hours.

   See Also

   How to protect your books long termWhy You Should Always Put a Used Book in the Freezer Before Reading ItThe Book Doctor is In: How to Clean BooksHow to Remove Stains from Paper without Damaging It

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   Employ a book cleaner putty for stubborn smudges. Book cleaner putties have the consistency of Play-Doh and can be purchased in small tubs. Take a small amount and roll the putty in your hands to warm it up, then gently rub the warmed ball over either the pages of your book or a cloth cover. Move in one direction only.^[2]

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   Remove oil stains with absorbent paper towels. Oil and grease stains may be difficult to completely erase, especially if they’ve had time to fully set in. Try pressing paper towels in between the pages of the book, close the book, and weigh it down with a book weight. Allow the towel to absorb the stain for 2-3 days, then check on its progress. Keep repeating as necessary.^[3]

   • If your stain is from food, remove this first. Freeze the book for 24 hours and then gently scrape off the food with a plastic knife.^[4]
   • To make a homemade book weight, fill a cloth bag with dry beans or rice. Ensure the bag is sealed before use.
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   Clean smudges off your dust jacket. Depending on the material of your dust jacket, you’ll need to use a different material for cleaning. These materials will clean your jacket without damaging it.

   • For a matte dust jacket, which will not be shiny in appearance, gently address smudges by shaking your document cleaning pad to release the eraser dust. Then rub the dust onto the dust jacket, and gently brush it off when finished.^[5]
   • For a glossy dust jacket, rub a bit of petroleum jelly onto any smudges with a soft cloth. Use a different cloth to wipe off the jelly and fully remove the smudge.^[6]

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