How would I carefully - no harm to the books - sanitize used books?

Question

Just bought used books - worried about where they've been - any tips or ideas? Thanks

Wow - since when does someone wanting thigs as clean as they can be mean you're a germo-phobe? I can't eblieve people are jumping to such quick and semi-hurtful remarks.....Thanks a lot.....

My life is good - even awesome - I just keep things cleaner than you apparently.

Answer 1

I AM a germaphobe but for some reason used books don't bother me. I think because I learned in school that germs and other pathogens can't survive on paper because of the high sulfer content. If there are obvious stains of a questionable nature anywhere on the book dab it with a little alcohol and let it air dry so as not to warp the page too badly. Also you could iron the pages on a low setting which should kill just about anything. If you find silverfish...just pitch it ( gulp,I can't believe I just said to throw away a book)before it contaminates your other books.

Answer 2

I have a whole bunch of used books and this problem of yours I think is a bit irrational. Germs don't live for long on surfaces. Enjoy the books, sometimes I think about how they may have been helpful to others before they passed them on to someone else. They are not to be feared because you think they harbor germs; many, many people have touched all the books at the library, it's no big deal. There are worse things in life. If you still feel you need to sanitize them even after I'm telling you it will be okay, call your local bookstores and ask them about it, someone may know the correct way it could be done, if it can at all. Happy reading!

Answer 3

Ginger/Virginia I think provided the best answer. I bought some used books before, and they reeked of cigarettes. I kinda just waited for the smell to go away on its own, but that made for uncomfortable reading for a while.

And the germaphobe talk is nonsense. If you buy used books, you'll know that some of them have wierd nasty stains on them. Plus you don't know where they've been. I like buying used Archies, and you always find those in people's bathrooms. So yeah, its kinda gross.

Hope you find a good solution, I was about to post the same question myself :)

Answer 4

i'm a college librarian and we use infant wipes when we get books donated, or fairly nasty from little youngsters hands. in case you position the books in plastic bags and then in the sunlight, you're soliciting for mould. On plastic dustcovers you may also use slightly bit rubbing alcohol, or maybe hand sanitizer. no matter if that is a paperback, infant wipes are your stunning guess.

Answer 5

I'm not sure about sanitizing but if you are worried about smell, then you should put the books into a plastic bin that is filled with kitty litter. Keep them in there for 2-3 days. That will take care of the smell.
if its the germ thing, then handle them but wash your hands afterwards or use hand sanitzer.

Answer 6

This is a good question. I've often wonder the same thing myself. Especially about books that I've check out of the library.

I use hand sanitize when I'm reading books from the library.

I hope you find a good answer.

Answer 7

When I worked in a library, we had a volunteer wash the covers of books in the children's area. Ours had plastic covers over the paper book jacket though. Use a damp sponge (dip in sudsy water and wring it out) on hardbound books without jackets.
Take a look at this site for more tips:
http://www.litterascripta.com/bibliomania/clean.shtml
http://www.bookthink.com/0006/06cos.htm
I know I don't like books to smell of cigarettes. Putting them in a plastic bag with some baking soda is supposed to take care of this.

Answer 8

I never really thought about sanitizing a book... but I'd agree with the fellow mentioning the lysol. The spray stuff ought to work pretty well. If not, just keep some hand sanitizer with you...

Answer 9

Used books shouldn't be any germier than new ones. Think how many people have handled them in packing, shipping, unpacking, etc. If you want to worry about how clean something is, think about the money that passes through your hands. It could have been in the pocket of an incontinent drunkard before it got to you.

Answer 10

Perhaps you should just buy eBooks and read them on your computer. Do you think if you purchase a new book it hasn't been touched by anybody at the publishers, the warehouse, or the store where it was acquired? Desktops have almost 21,000 germs per square inch and phones more than 25,000 per square inch (compared with a mere 49 per square inch on toilet seats). Highly contagious infectious particles can spray from a sneeze at speeds of up to 200 miles per hour, landing at a distance of three feet from the offender and survive there for over 24 hours.