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Remove "old book" odor

Subject: Remove "old book" odor
by Morgan on 2012/8/14 10:02:18

So, today I received a set of GAU The Lord of the Rings, 1968, 2nd ed./3rd impr. (bought them for a good price, £20 GPB).

There is a tendency to a growth of mildew, which I gather from the "old books" odor and some tiny, brown stains sprinkled across the fore-edge. However, the books are in a quite good condition, with unfaded dustjackets, so I believe it might still be worth trying to salvage them.

The books are dry, so I'm thinking of applying hydrogen peroxide in order to eliminate the mildew.

Does anyone have a suggestion for how to remove the odor? I've read about various methods involving treatment with baking soda (put books in a bag with the baking soda, or sprinkle baking soda on pages).