How to you repair books that have been..?

Question

ruined by the rain...the pages are all wrinkly and smelly

It mostly the corners of the book

Answer 1

Lauren, if the pages are wrinkled, you probably can't get them smooth again, not even by ironing. You can try weighting it down, closed, under a heavy, even weight, like a stack of books, the one directly on top of it bigger than it is.

The smell may be improved by setting the book outside, in direct sunlight, on a breezy day, open, so the wind can rifle the pages and the sun kill a lot of the mold spores.

Ultimately, though, the book will never be the same. Sorry.

Answer 2

TRY VERY LIGHTLY SPRAYING THE PAGES, ONE AT A TIME, WITH A FINE MIST OF WATER. THEN USING A PAPER TOWEL ON BOTH SIDES IRON THEM, ON LOW HEAT, ONE AT A TIME. IT'S TEDIOUS AND TIME CONSUMING, BUT IT WORKS, IN SPITE OF SUGGESTIONS TO THE CONTRARY. IF THE BOOKS HAVE BEEN TOTALLY SOAKED, IT'S PROBABLY A LOST CAUSE. FEBREZE MIGHT HELP WITH THE ODOR.