Not a book expert, but can share some of what I know related to yarn and threads, as I have obtained used lace books now (that I normally would never have in the house smelling that badly) and must deal with this myself. Many say charcoal (mentioned) and kitty litter (old fashioned clay sort) draw out smells. Sometimes you have to put over said, and in a plastic bag, and forget it for awhile (perhaps a long while). Many with yarn suggest Febreze (North America product that removes smells) but it has moisture, and to my mind, is a chemical, so some may be adverse. Lysol also makes a product that not only takes smell but disinfects. Someone mentioned dryer sheets, and I saw ads for them that contain Febreze, which may help. I had also considered a bleach solution, as in general contracting, bleach/water 1:10 ratio will take mold and mildew from anything supposedly, so I thought about misting and ironing pages. There may be some distortion and a steam iron itself may be enough to kill mold/mildew (but not staining they may create), but I felt that misting with the solution each page (on one side) and then ironing it, would accrue effect as one moved through the book. Of course I would not do this on a highly collectible book. On the dry side, many take wool and place in a black plastic bag (contractors bags are heavy and black) or even a car in summer time as it gets hot (trunks or bonnets tend to be insulated so won't get as hot). This can kill critters, but also smaller cell life forms such as mold). Additionally, it makes me think of how a lighted match, extinguished, takes smell, so I envisioned myself with a book of matches, lighting them near a book (but not the book! LOL) and holding up to pages and progressing through the book, then sealing it off and doing the black plastic bag treatment to bake it in. The old cure for books that got wet was to simply blot as much moisture as possible, and then press weight down on it and give it time to dry. (You can tell people with children!) :-) If the page has colored prints or detail work (prickings?), then I put waxed paper between the pages I think need extra attention or may tend to stick together to avoid that problem. My thought was that perhaps a misting of the bleach water and then the weighted pressing may work, but I thought ironing them would be a better for myself. If it is cigarette smells, then I would think old fashioned pressing flowers of a scent you like, such as lavendar, could be productive? Rose petals, peonies and the like, though I suppose technically they could wick oil onto the page. Perhaps many of us have pressed flowers in a book without ill effect. Of course all of these suggestions are subject to the preciousness of the book itself, and the versatile technique and aptitude of the administrator. ;-) Perhaps as I work through my new (old) smelly books I can report back, but I think any needs to be done in a well ventilated room. Test a corner or page first please! HTH,Susan Reishus
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