What's an easy way to remove odors from books?

Question

I have recently acquired some that smell very musty/mildewy, though they look fine. And I have also acquired one that smells like stale cigarette smoke.

Answer 1

Ozone is a good odor remover. You can purchase a small (room-sized) electric air freshener at most large retailers or home improvement stores for less than $20. Be sure to get one that generates ozone, and doesn't just blow air through a filter. Put the books and the generator in a small closet or cupboard, and leave for several days, checking every couple days to see how they smell. You may need to open the books so that the ozone can reach the pages more easily.

An hour or so after you turn on the air freshener, you will be able to smell the ozone, which is a sweetish sharp smell that some people associate with the air after a thunderstorm. Ozone will actually remove the odor of mold/smoke and kill the mold spores; it won't merely cover it up.

Here's a link to such a product, so you'll know what I'm talking about: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=3957046

Answer 2

On a very nice, sunny day, put them out in the sun with the book open. If you are lucky, a gentle breeze will flip the pages back and forth and help you get the air through.

My parents' home had a fire, and that's how we helped get the smoky smell out of the books. It should help with the must and mildew, too, but you may have to do it more than one day.

You can help keep books fresh by pressing mint leaves, lavendar or costmary in them. Use acid-free paper between the pages, and press the leaves in there. Be careful, because the moisture may damage the books.

It's important to keep books in a place with the right humidity, and to keep bugs away from them. You could also put potpourri in an enclosed bookcase, as long as it does not attract paper-eating bugs. Many potpourri drive away bugs.

Here's a site that has info about caring for your old books:

http://www.preservation.gc.ca/howto/articles/books_e.asp

Answer 3

A little lemon juice or lemon scent (like Pledge, etc). on the inside of a plastic sealable bag. Wait until the lemon scent material is dry and put your book in there and seal the bag.