Moisture can be very damaging to books, causing pages to tear, stick together, and promote rapid mold growth. Fortunately, the world's librarians and archivists have several useful techniques for drying wet books while minimizing damage. If your book is very wet, moderately wet, or slightly damp, with patience and care, you can dry and restore it to its original condition in just a few days to a few weeks. Read Step 1 below to get started!
Step
Method 1 of 4: Drying a Very Wet Book
Step 1. Remove the water by shaking and wiping the book
When drying wet books, the steps to be taken are determined by the degree of wetness. If your book is so wet that it drips, you should first remove excess water from the outside of the book as much as possible. Close the book and shake gently to remove any liquid from the outside. Continue by wiping the cloth or tissue onto the book cover.
Don't open your book just yet. Paper on a book that is very wet will become so brittle that it tears easily. At this point, try to remove the liquid from the outside of the book first
Step 2. Spread out a few sheets of tissue
Next, lay out a few sheets of plain (colorless) paper towels in a dry and flat place. Choose a safe place for the book to dry.
- If you live in a dry climate, you can put your books outside. However, no matter where you live, don't leave your books out overnight because the morning dew can re-wet them.
- If you don't have plain white paper towels at home, you can also use a dry cloth. Do not use colored wipes as the color may fade if they get wet.
Step 3. Elevate the position of the book
Take a wet book and place it on a paper towel so that it stands upright. This step may be easy for a hardback book to do. You only need to slightly open the cover of the book (without separating the pages) so that it can stand up straight without being supported. For paperback books, this step may be a little difficult. You certainly don't want the book to warp while it dries. So, if necessary use a book rest or weights to support the book so it can stand upright.
Step 4. Place the tissue sheet into the cover of the book
Next, take two paper towels (or if you don't have one, use a dry, thin cloth) and tuck them into each book cover. You should place the tissue between the cover and the first and last pages of the book.
During this step, do not change the position of the book pages. All pages of the book should be left together. Turning the pages of the book at this point could cause the paper to shrivel or deform as it dries
Step 5. Leave the book
After arranging all the tissues, simply let the book stand upright. The absorbent material in the tissue should be able to quickly pull moisture out of the book.
If you want, you can place one or more dry sponges under the paper towels supporting the book to help absorb the water
Step 6. Change the tissue as needed
Check the progress of the book every hour or so. Tissues that absorb moisture from books will over time become saturated and can't hold any more liquid, so replace them with new dry wipes. If using a sponge, wring it out and return it to its place under a layer of paper towels.
- Do not forget to observe the progress of the book. Mold can start growing on wet paper within 24 to 48 hours if left damp.
- Continue the process of drying the book until the water no longer drips or leaves a puddle when the book is removed. You may proceed to the "Drying a Sufficiently Wet Book" step below.
Method 2 of 4: Drying Sufficiently Wet Books
Step 1. Slip a tissue on every 20-30 pages of the book
If the book isn't too wet (or it was before, but it's starting to dry out), the pages should be safe to open and turn so you can slip a tissue over every 20-30 pages of the book. Open the book and turn the pages carefully, placing a tissue on every 20-30 pages of the book. Also, place a tissue between the cover and the first page of the book.
Pay close attention to the amount of tissue you tuck into the book in this way, because if you have too many, the spine may bend backwards and change the shape of the book if you allow it to dry like this. Tissues should be tucked further apart if this causes problems
Step 2. Place the book in a horizontal position
When you're done tucking the tissue into the book, change its position from standing straight to flat. Absorbent wipes should quickly absorb moisture from inside the book. This process may take a while, so be patient.
To speed up the drying process, place the book in a location that is constantly exposed to dry air. If you live in a humid climate, a dehumidifier can be very helpful in this step. Otherwise, turning on the fan or opening some of the room's windows will usually suffice
Step 3. Change the tissue as needed
Like the steps above, you need to periodically check the condition of the drying book. When the tissue inside begins to appear saturated with liquid, carefully remove it and replace it with a new one every 20-30 pages. To make sure your books dry evenly, try not to keep the paper towels on the same page all the time.
Every time you change a tissue, turn the cover of the book over. This will help prevent the book from deforming and shriveling as it dries
Step 4. Maintain the shape of the book during drying
As the paper and cardboard dries, the texture will harden and become stiff. This means that if the book is left lying on its side during drying, its final shape will permanently change. To avoid this, keep the book shape during drying. If the shape is difficult to maintain, use a heavy bookshelf or weights to press the edges of the book into its original shape.
Eventually, the book will dry until the tissue is no longer saturated with water, but just damp. At this point, you can move on to the "Drying Slightly Moist Book" section below
Method 3 of 4: Drying Slightly Moist Books
Step 1. Place the book in an upright position and open it
Begin drying damp books by placing them vertically. As explained above, this step is usually easy on hardback books, but difficult on paperback books. If necessary, use weights or a book rest to hold it in position. Open the book a little, no more than 60o. Make sure the book is balanced and doesn't fall off easily before continuing.
Step 2. Open the book page
Without opening the cover more than 60o, gently turn the page of the book. Try to arrange the pages of the book so that they are slightly apart from each other. The pages of the book should be able to stand fairly upright, there should be no pages hanging diagonally or limply on the next page.
Step 3. Flow dry air into the room
After the book pages are opened, let them dry in an upright position. To speed up the drying process, make sure that enough dry air can flow freely in the room. Use a fan or open several windows in the room to let air in, or if the air in the room is quite humid, use a dehumidifier to dry it.
- If you are using a fan or natural airflow, pay close attention to the edges of the pages. Don't let the air flow make the book's pages flutter as this will cause it to shrivel and swell once it dries.
- Be patient while doing this step. The time it takes to completely dry the book may be a few days or even a week. Check the condition of the book often to get a feel for how fast it is progressing.
Step 4. Once dry, place the book under the weights to flatten it out
In the end, after patiently drying the book, there should be no more damp pages. However, even if you have followed these guidelines carefully, the book may not return to its flat shape once it dries. The paper used in most books is quite fragile and can easily deform and bend as it dries, resulting in the book appearing to "bubble" or "wrinkle" once it dries. Fortunately, to some extent, this problem can be overcome. Lay the book flat and place a weight on it (a thick book works best in this step) and let it sit for a few days to a week. This step can greatly reduce the "wrinkles" caused by the drying process, although it may not completely fix it.
To prevent the book from deforming, make sure all the edges are perfectly even when pressed down with the weights. Do not place weights in positions that cause the book to bend or make one of the edges of the book tilt
Step 5. Hang the paperback booklet with a fishing line
While the above method should work for most books, paperback books that are thin and small can be dried quickly and easily rather than fanning them as above. If the paperback book is very wet, dry it as described above until it is slightly damp (the tissue tucked in between the pages of the book is no longer saturated with water). At this point, attach a fishing line, thin wire, or a piece of string at two vertical points, then hang a book on the string so that it opens downwards. If placed indoors, ventilate with a fan or use a dehumidifier. Within a few days, your book should be dry.
- As explained above, if the book is hanging outdoors (for example, if you use a clothesline), don't leave it overnight as the morning dew can re-humidify the book.
- Do not hang paperback books that are very wet. Moisture will make the paper more brittle, so fishing line or wire can easily tear books that are heavier from being too wet.
Method 4 of 4: Drying the Glossy Paper Book
Step 1. Slide the separation sheet between the wet pages
If glossy paper, such as magazines and art books, get wet, this problem must be dealt with more quickly than ordinary books. Moisture can dissolve the glossy coating on the paper and turn it into a glue-like substance that permanently glues entire pages together if allowed to dry. To prevent this, immediately separate the wet pages by placing sheets of parchment paper between each wet page. Remove and replace this separation paper if it gets wet.
- It's important to put a dividing sheet between "every" soggy pages. If two wet pages are allowed to touch while they dry, they will stick together until they cannot be separated.
- If you don't have parchment paper at home, plain white tissue can also be used as long as you change it frequently.
Step 2. Once damp, remove the separator sheet and open the book to dry
Remove the separation sheet after the book has started to dry until it is only slightly damp, and the separation sheet is no longer wet, and place the book in an upright position. If the book can't stand upright on its own, use two bookcases or a heavy object for support. Open book no more than 60o. Let the book dry in this position.
As above, you need to make sure that the air around the book flows smoothly. Turn on the fan or open the windows in the room to let some air in. As noted above, a dehumidifier can be quite useful, especially in humid conditions
Step 3. Monitor the condition of the book frequently to prevent the pages from sticking
The pages of the book are now damp, and no longer wet, but they may still stick together. To avoid this, check the condition of the books frequently during drying. If you can, check the book every half hour or so. Turn the pages of the book slowly. If you feel the pages are starting to stick together, take them apart and let the book dry again. In the end, the book will dry completely. However, a small portion of the book's pages may stick together and this is unavoidable (especially at the corners).
As above, if you use a fan, don't let the book's pages flutter due to the flow of air because the book may appear shriveled or bloated after it dries
Step 4. If you don't have much time, freeze the book
If your glossy-paged book is wet but doesn't have enough time or equipment to separate it, don't leave it alone. Instead, place the book in a freezer-resistant plastic bag, seal it tightly, then place it in the freezer (the colder the temperature the better). Freezing your books won't dry them out, but it will prevent them from spoiling, while also giving you time to prepare everything you need to dry them properly.
Don't forget to put the book in a plastic bag before putting it in the freezer. This way, the book won't stick to the inside of the freezer or other objects
Step 5. Allow the frozen book to thaw gradually
When you are ready to dry frozen books, remove them from the freezer but leave them in a plastic bag, and place them at room temperature. Let the book thaw gradually in the pouch. This process may take a few hours to a few days, depending on the size and wetness of the book. Once the ice has completely melted, remove the book from the bag and dry it as described above.
Do not leave the book in the plastic bag after the ice has completely melted. Leaving books in a damp, covered area will encourage mold growth
Tips
- If you're going to the pool, don't take all the books you borrowed from the library. Just select a book and place it in a large clip plastic bag. Make sure your entire body is dry before you read the book.
- Do not read a book while bathing.
- Don't eat or drink anything while reading a book you borrowed from the library.
Warning
- Use a hairdryer from a safe distance to prevent the book from burning.
- Depending on the extent of the damage, you may need to replace the book you borrowed from the library.
