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How to Get the Smell Out of Used Books

When collecting books for business or pleasure, you may run across books with unpleasant smells. Older books often have a musky scent from excess moisture or long periods in storage. Pages can hold onto cigarette and smoke odors as well. Some smells may be difficult to remove, but you can often freshen used books with household items to get and keep them free of odors.

Things You'll Need

Calcium chloride
Plastic bags
Plastic containers with lids
Rubbing alcohol
Fan
Air freshener
Baking soda
Cedar chips
Kitty litter

Instructions

- 1
  Keep your used book in a dry environment. Musty odors usually arise from storing books in damp conditions. Simply keeping the book in a dry place can help fade the musty odor somewhat and may eliminate it completely if it is not very strong.
- 2
  Dry moist used books by baking a cup of calcium chloride at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for about an hour. Calcium chloride can be purchased at hardware or home improvement stores. Place the calcium chloride in a plastic bag once it cools, and place the bag and the book in a sealed plastic container for two or three days.
- 3
  Wipe down the outside surface of hardcover books with a clean, damp cloth. Use a bit of rubbing alcohol to remove oily residue from leather covers.
- 4
  Stand the book up with the pages spread apart in front of a fan to air it out and help dissipate lingering odors. Spray air freshener or disinfectant spray from behind the fan so that it lightly mists over the book if it is not a valuable piece.
- 5
  Place baking soda, cedar chips or unscented kitty litter in a plastic bag or container. Place the book and the container into a larger plastic container, and seal it with a lid. Some odors will disappear in a few days, and some may take weeks to fade.

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