Remove stains from pages of a book?

Question

Is there any way to limit the damage done to a book I borrowed from a friend? There was a coffee spill in the house and some seeped into the edges of pages. The book is hardback and the paper is that thick kind, like old library books.

Answer 1

According to ehow.com, you can remove dark mildew stains with diluted peroxide bleach or lemon juice. I'm not sure if that would have any effect on coffee, but it's probably worth a shot if you're desperate. Otherwise, I think you're going to have to take it to a professional, if it's a valuable book. If it's not, you could just buy a new copy.

Answer 2

Coffee spills are extremely common. Years ago, my wife had the same dilemma and was told an answer by calling (pre-Internet) the National Archives in Washington, D.C. I don't remember what the solution was, but it worked.

If you don't live in the U.S., many nations have something equivalent to the National Archives, and they probably get this kind of question frequently.

Answer 3

Are you sure the coffee stains caused the stains on the edge of the pages? It could be caused by the chemicals in the paper itself. The term is called "foxing" and cannot be altered.