If you’ve had a plumbing leak or worse, flood damage to your home, the last thing on your mind is the little details of your home.
however, when you get to the point of trying to salvage what you can, it pays to have some knowledge on how to dry out some of those precious items you can salvage. books can hold meaningful memories and a place of honor. On the more practical side, if you have a lot of books to replace, it can be a significant expense. As long as a book’s ink hasn’t bled through and the seams aren’t completely falling apart, you can salvage your books even if they have some water damage.
You are reading: How to dry books
In this article, we hope to help you get some ideas on how to save your reading material.
how to save a wet book
If a book is a little damp, you have a good chance of saving it. Damp books may not be as fragile as a completely soaked book. here are some tips on how to deal with a wet book!
dry excess water
You can take a cloth and blot up as much water as possible. the water will sit on the deck especially so you can start there.
put the book upright
If the book is hardcover, you should be able to stand it upright and it should rest on its cover to allow the pages to open and air dry. if it’s a paperback, you may need to use bookends or bottles to hold the covers up and keep it from falling off.
string your paperbacks
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If you have spare string or a clothesline, you can hang your paperbacks specifically to air dry. you have to find about the middle of the book and place it on the line.
fan pages
You can put your books down and let the pages open naturally and air dry. with this method, be sure to check that no pages have been pasted.
crush it under a weight
Once your book is dry, it will be a bit wrinkled. you can leave it like that, or if you want the book to lay flat again, you can put it under something heavy to flatten the pages. It won’t be completely perfect, but at least it will be saved.
how to save a soaked book
Books that have become completely saturated will be more delicate, but given the time and effort, there are a few things you can do. follow these tips if your books have gotten wet:
shake gently and blot up excess water
The best place to start is to remove at least some of the water. however, be careful when doing this, as you can unintentionally deal more damage if you shake it too hard. As best you can, gently shake and clean the pages and cover.
place a cloth or paper towel between the pages
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In another attempt to absorb moisture, separate the pages and place a paper towel between them. hopefully this will also help prevent the pages from sticking together as they dry.
When working with very wet items, make sure the cloths or paper towels you use to help dry them are dye-free. there’s a chance those dyes could bleed onto the pages of your book.
pick up the book and let it air dry
Just like when a book is damp, you can stand the book upright and let the pages dry. Obviously, a book that has been completely soaked will take much longer to dry, but if saving the book is important, letting it do its thing is the best option.
Check from time to time to make sure the pages aren’t sticking together as they dry.
conclusion
Books may seem like a small part of the house, but in the event of a disastrous flood or burst pipe, most people like to salvage whatever they can. Replacing the books that your relatives give you or those that you have loved since you were a child is never the same as keeping the originals.
It’s best to leave the bigger issue of water damage to your home or property to the professionals. With many years of combined knowledge, All Dry USA is here to help you repair any water damage and take steps to prevent it in the future.
Call us immediately in the event of a flood or for water damage restoration services.
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