Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Laminated Covers
Pour a small amount of rubbing alcohol onto your cotton, flannel or terry cloth. Never pour the rubbing alcohol directly onto the laminated cover.
Gently rub the cloth along the laminated cover to remove dust and dirt. Start at one end of the book and move across toward the other end. Use your other hand to catch additional dirt not held on the cloth and discard.
Repeat Step 1 and 2 using a new portion of your cloth as the previous portions become dirty.
Hard Cover Without Significant Soiling
Squeeze and wipe a dry cleaning pad across the front and back of the book. Dry cleaning pads release a grit-free powder that absorbs dirt, dust and grime when squeezed. They are available at artist supply and hobby specialty stores. Alvin and Company, Cadie and Lyon are all examples of manufacturers who make this product.
Squeeze and wipe the spine of the book. Move from top to bottom or bottom to top in one swipe.
Spend extra time on places where there are light stains on the front or back cover. A little forceful rubbing will not hurt the integrity of the book. Continue rubbing until the light stain lessens or disappears.
Hard Cover Marks or Soiling
Dissolve or dilute book cleaner in water, per the manufacturer instructions. Book cleaners come in liquid or tablet forms. The dissolving or dilution process makes the cleaning solution safe for the book cover. Available at art supply stores and hobby shops, Easi-Clean, Demco and Brod-ex are examples of book cleaner manufacturers.
Dab a clean cloth into the water.
Wipe the mark or soiled area on the book cover repeatedly until the mark or soiled area disappears.
Page Marks, Including Crayon, Grease, Dust, Dirt and Fingerprint Oils
Take a small amount of book cleaner putty or a book cleaner eraser in your hand. Different from other playtime putty and pencil erasers, these products are sold in a variety of formats. Some are pre-shaped large erasers, while others are sold in a container where the user must form a ball of putty. Available at art supply and hobby shops, Groom Stick, Absorene and Sterling's Magic are three manufacturers of book cleaner putties or erasers.
Rub the putty or eraser lightly over the marked or stained areas of the page.
Rotate to a clean surface as the putty or eraser becomes soiled. Continue until you have removed all desired stains.