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How to Care for Old Leather-Bound Books

Old leather-bound books need a little more protection than other books, in order to prevent the leather from deteriorating. While applying leather-care products to the book may make it feel good, this is not the best approach. The optimal strategy is instead to control the environment̵7;s temperature and humidity.

Things You'll Need

Humidifier
Dehumidifier

Instructions

- 1
  Store leather-bound books in the shade. Don̵7;t let direct sunlight shine on them. The UV light deteriorates the leather.
- 2
  Store them away from radiators, which reduce humidity to the point of drying out the leather.
- 3
  Wrap flaking leather covers in acid-free paper or polyester jackets to prevent transfer of the flakes to other books and users̵7; hands.
- 4
  Maintain a temperature of around 70 degrees F. and 50 percent humidity. High humidity leads to mold growth; low humidity causes the leather to dry out. The humidity in the room can be modulated with humidifiers and dehumidifiers.
- 5
  Dust away from the spine, since dust in the spine will stay there indefinitely.
- 6
  Handle particularly old books with cloth (not leather) gloves, to keep hand grease from getting on the pages.

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