How to Fix Water-Damaged Books
- 1). Take the books out of the water. Do not open or close them, because doing so risks damaging the binding. Remove leather, parchment and vellum-bound books first, if you have a large number of books to recover. It is important to remove books of this type first; if you do not remove these promptly, the binding will fail and the book will disintegrate.
- 2). Rinse any mud or dirt from the books, using cold water run in a sink or tub. Wipe thick mud from the books, using a clean sponge.
- 3). Place the books in resealable freezer bags and close the bags. Place the bags carefully into the frost-free freezer and allow the books to freeze.
- 4). Take one of the books from the freezer. Determine if the binding is strong, basing your decision on the age and general quality of the book. Place the book on its driest edge. Allow it to air dry for a few hours, if its binding is strong. Turn the book over and let dry for another few hours. Place fans near the book to speed up the process.
- 5). Open the book and carefully place pieces of absorbent white paper every 10 to 15 pages in the book. This reinforces the stability of the book's binding. Make sure you do not put more than 15 pieces of this paper in the book, because doing so might ruin the binding. Change the absorbent paper every hour.
- 6). Inspect the book to make sure it is no longer wet. It should feel cool to the touch. Put the book on a solid surface, then place a weight on top of the book, making sure the weight is not heavy enough to crush the spine. Open and close the book frequently to make sure that mold does not grow on the paper.
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