mildew    2224    951211 Dealing with mildew growth on books.
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                   DEALING WITH MILDEW GROWTH ON BOOKS
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                                                   A JewishGen InfoFile

QUESTION:

I found mildew growth on covers of books stored in my garage.  What is
the best way to clean them before I bring them into the house?

ANSWER:

According to the book _Cleaning and Repairing Books: A Practical Home
Manual_ by R. L. Shep:

"...there are a number of things you can try in order to deal with the 
mildew:
   -Hydrogen  peroxide, carefully applied to the area with an eyedropper;;
   -Lemon juice, applied with an eyedropper, and the book placed in the 
    sun for a short time only, as you don't want to remove the cover color; 
   -Denatured alcohol, applied with a soft rag or cotton swab;
    Thymol in a solution of alcohol.  

If the mildew has got to the pages, then you can sprinkle diatomaceous 
earth between the pages, leave it for a few days to dry, and brush or 
vacuum it out.

If you find that you have to deal with a number of books with a mildew 
problem, I definitely suggest that you read Cockerel, Horton, or one of 
the other books on conservation.

Mildew often leaves spots on a cover after you have got rid of it. Or 
more often you will find a book that had mildew and what you have to deal 
with is the spots that are left.  As these are usually lighter than the 
cover color, they can be blended in with Dr. Martin's dyes, which you can 
read about in the chapter on Techniques.  If they are dark spots, then you
might try lemon juice or a weak solution of peroxide; in both cases, be 
very careful and apply small amounts with an eyedropper, wiping the 
solution off before the action goes too far.  After you have dealt with 
the spot, apply a good coat of Renaissance Wax or some other good wax for 
protection."  pg. 55

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[11Dec95bik]bik
Source: SEFLIN, Broward County  (FtL FL) "Ask A Librarian".
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