Water Damage: We have all had accidents with liquids around books. Especially if the book that has gotten wet has to be returned, you're in quite a pickle. Suppose if you've accidentally dropped your book into a pool of water or spilled coffee on it, don't despair. There are numerous inexpensive ways to restore your wet book, although don't expect it to be as perfect as it was before. Ideally, wet books especially sopping wet ones should be brought to a preservation expert for restoration and repair, but if you find the services o f restoration companies are too expensive, here's a way for you to do book drying by yourself. If your book is a rare and valuable one, we suggest that rather than do it yourself, it is wise to bring it to a preservation expert instead, you can get good restoration at affordable price.
Air drying the Book:
Air drying or book drying through the use of air is an effective and affordable method of bringing wet books back to their dry state, and does not require specialized equipment. This process takes a fair amount of time and is labor intensive, but if your book is one of your favorites, the time you put into this process will be well spent. Air drying works best for books that are damp and only mildly wet. If your book was dunked into a pool of water and is really wet, expect the book drying time to take much longer.
Prepare your book drying environment and equipment:
To carry out your book drying process, you will need the following equipment, book press, Press boards, One or more electric fans, Paper towels, Blotter paper, Wax paper, Disposable gloves and etc... Find a place which is clean, dry, spacious, and where the temperature and humidity is low.
Preparing the book to be dried:
Place unprinted paper towels or blotter paper in between the pages of the book if you are drying an entire book. Do this very carefully since the wet book paper can easily tearable. Wet paper is very fragile, so you must handle it gently. Use both hands to support the book when you move it.
Drying the books with a fan:
Now you have obtained your books interleaved and your book is standing on absorbent paper, you can turn the fan on. Always position the fan upwards and away from the books that you are drying. Never use a regular oven, a hair dryer, or a microwave oven for book drying. This will make them crispy and therefore them become more crumbly. Note that drying with the fan will take several hours at the very least, and could even last for days. This is a slow process, but necessary. If the book isn't left long enough to dry, mold could still grow and the pages could become warped. Patience is important.
Periodically check on the book drying:
Check on the books regularly, maybe every hour, and replace the blotting paper with fresh dry ones. Inspect the books for mold growth. Molds usually grow within 24 to 48 hours. If you find the mold growth on your book, you can lightly and gently swab it off with some alcohol on a piece of cotton.
Replace interleaving sheets often:
The actual book drying process is the lengthiest and most labor-intensive part. We suggest that you replace the blotting paper often so because new, dry ones will absorb the moisture from the book faster.
Press the book:
Once the book is dry but still cool to the touch, place it on a flat surface. Gently form it back into its normal shape. Then, place a weight on top of the book. For better results, sandwich the book in between press boards before placing the weight on top of it. Leave the book pressed under the weight for several days.
Store the books carefully:
After you have completed the book drying process and your books have dried, you can now put them in clean boxes or back on your shelves. Remember to check these books periodically for mold growth. If you see mold starting to grow on the pages, gently swab these out with a little alcohol on a piece of cotton.
A wet book which goes unchecked can quickly become covered by mold and mildew, ruining it forever. Even a book that gets slightly damp can suffer this fate. Don't let this happen to your precious tome; if you notice that your book has somehow gotten wet, take immediate action using the above steps.
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