how can i get rid of a musty old smell from a book?

First, I would try opening them and letting them sit in the sun - make sure you flip through the pages every so often. If that doesn't help, try putting them in a closed bin with activated charcoal and/or baking soda.

Good luck!

Activated charcoal or baking soda will absorb the smell. Put the book in a cardboard box and fill a container with either baking soda or activated charcoal placing it in the box. Leave it for a week or so and the smell will go away. However, if the old book had mold or mildew spores (look for little black dots), put it out in the heat of the sun or in the dryer on the delicate rack making certain air can circulate all around it. The heat will kill the spores, then work on removing the smell. If the book is a collectable, do not wet it or use fabric softener sheets as you will devalue it. The softener sheets leave a residue which will yellow as does any liquid.

I would prefer not to get rid of the smell - kinda makes it more original, since it's an old book.. And when I read it, it makes the reading more enjoyable because I know someone else has read it a long time ago and have probably enjoyed reading it too.. (Books with leather covers have stronger leather smell to it also, but I guess you don't have to get rid of this?)

But, if you still wanna get rid of that musty old smell, do give these options a try:-

1) Open the book face up, under the hot sun for a few hours

2) Buy those nice smelling aroma-therapy packets / sachets and creatively make them as bookmarks to be inserted inside the pages

3) Try storing the books (opened up) for 2 weeks or so in a small closed space (e.g. small closet / cupboard) with a good air humidifier or a piece of charcoal (helps to absorb bad / nasty odours) attached in it

4) Coffee beans - since they're known to neutralize odours, you could try putting them in small sachets (with some smaller holes in them) and then creatively make them as bookmarks to be inserted inside the pages (U have a coffee-smelling book! Feels good especially if you just love coffee!)

5) Last resort, if everything else fails - sprinkle some Febreeze (but be careful not to over-wet the pages!)

Hope this helps!

I can't stand the smell of mold, it makes me stuff up and want to cough. Some people are allergic to smells like that. I have found mold smells disappear from swede gloves I put in the Sun, but it has to be hot Sun of the Summertime. I would also think that baking soda would help. Someone told me to put newspaper in between the pages, don't know if that works.

I personally like the smell but what you can do if and ONLY if they are books you dont really care about keeping in good condition try spraying some oust or Febreeze on them and walaa! Smell gone.

P.S. make sure not to Drench them just a light spray will do.

After checking it out, I came up with one way, Fill a shallow box with cat box filler, and place in the room, where the books are, they say that the cat litter will absorb the musty odor. Maybe if you can put the books in a large box or large bag and put the cat litter in with it, in a box then that might do it.

It's dampness that does this. So maybe a baking powder dusting would help. In a ziplock bag for a couple of days? That way if they have any tiny, teeny mite types living in between the pages those would go too!

Take dryer sheets like Snuggle and place them through out the books for a few days.

Hope this helps.

Orange

Why would you want to? Old books smell so good!

Nothing works permanently. Sorry.