/lit/ - Literature

[Anonymous No.9272607]

I've recently been unfortunate enough to be hit with a damp spot of black mould/mildew/whatever you'd like to call it in my house, and to my misfortune it was right beside my book collection. Not all of my books were affected but some were hit worse than others.

I was told there's no need to get rid of the books but I worry that it might spread. What's the best way of dealing with this if I can't afford to replace them? Has anyone else had to deal with this?

[Anonymous No.9272614]

Most of us live in actual houses so no we havent, but anyway just stick the books in a freezer for a weak

[Anonymous No.9272625]

>>9272607
freezer for a few hours should be fine

[Anonymous No.9272642]

>>9272607
I personally moved my books to a drier spot and haven't had issues since as none of the books were exactly damp themselves. free up that space in your house and get some black mould remover and just keep on top of it. make sure your house is well ventilated (open some windows for fucks sake) and keep that area open just in case if it never quite goes away

[Anonymous No.9272655]

>>9272607
depending how steady your hand is, you can dampen the pages with a detergent/water mixture and then just leave the book wide open to dry.

[Anonymous No.9272668]

>>9272655
> literally telling OP to destroy his books

Water creates more mould, bleach will destroy the pages over the years.

Literally keeping the books in a dry place is what works for fucks sake

[Anonymous No.9272697]

>>9272607
How wet are the books OP? As long as they're dry they'll be fine. Maybe keep it in the sun or freezer for a bit but honestly it shouldn't be an issue. Bigger issue is to get rid of whatever is causing the issue in the first place

I used to have a horrible mould problem in my house when I moved in and honestly if you don't keep on top of it it'll get worse and unfortunately it's just a matter of good spring cleaning.

Open your windows on a good sunny dry day.
Get some mould remover and a brush or sponge and scrub it the fuck out. Keep the space dry and open to fresh air and you should be OK.

If youve got a leak through the roof or something that#'s another matter.

>>9272614
Many actual houses suffer from mildew or black mould as it's a common enemy just like the pesky flies of summer or the dreaded spider bastards from your walls.

[Anonymous No.9272925]

>>9272607
OP, freezing doesn't kill mould, it only prevents the inevitable. Just keep your books in airy, open spaces.

[Anonymous No.9272929]

>>9272607
Burn them all and start anew, fag.

[Anonymous No.9272940]

>>9272607
The books are doomed, sorry. Burn them and start over.

[Anonymous No.9272943]

There's really niche preservationist ways to really get rid of mould and mildew and whatnot, but if you can't do that, I would say slowly replace those books if it's a real issue.

If it's not a big issue (IE your books are dry, you can move them to a dry space, etc) then it wouldn't be a big issue to worry about. My mother has a huge book collection and she keeps the old with the new, and some of her old books had been tinged at the sides by touches of mildew or whatever. If you can move the book away from the original damp spot to something airier and cleaner, and if the book isn't really damaged, then it's mainly cosmetic, OP. I wouldn't worry about it much if thats the case, many books show their age anyway after a few years.

[Anonymous No.9272952]

>>9272607
If the books are dry you can literally dust it off with a light brush.

if they're genuinely damp and are getting mouldy then i would bin the fuckers. not really giving us much detail here though op to the condition of the books

[Anonymous No.9272974]

> google solutions for OP because he is new to the world of search engines
> find many solutions, none simple
> many include using rubbing alcohol, minute brushes, wax paper, expensive heaters, etc
> all suggestions from people who preserve ancient texts for a living

Man, these ancient books it's almost like you're preserving a sentient being that's struggling past the age of 100, and I suppose somewhat you are. For normal books, I'd just say if they're physically wet and teething with mould, bin them. If they're not and it's just the edges of pages, there's little worry from the sounds of it.

[Anonymous No.9273003]

> not getting an eReader in 2017

[Anonymous No.9273022]

>>9273003
> OP trying to store books in a fucking cave
> 2017

[Anonymous No.9273063]

1) Chuck the books actually covered in soft mould. If it's just touched the fringes of your pages you're fine, just move them to a drier spot if you can.

2) Scrub the mould away. Use bleach or some anti mould spray and a good brush. You're going to probably leave marks and take out some paint or wallpaper but it's necessary.

3) Open windows, get some good ventilation in to the house. Not to imply you live in a dank cesspit as mould can be common but sometimes it's that simple to prevent it. Maybe invest in some of those de-humidifier packets/boxes that can drain excess moisture from the air - they last about 6 weeks then they need throwing away. They don't cost much.

4) If the mould persists, get someone in to check it out. It's pretty common but sometimes it's caused by something out of your control like a leak in the ceiling or a hole in your roof you might not be aware of.

5) Fucking move if it persists and burn the house down fuck that shit nigga it aint worth it fuck this shit and move to mars bruh

Genuinely though OP, kidding aside, it ain't some big bad boss enemy that can wreck your shit. If the source is dried out, it won't tend to grow quickly. It also can't spread onto plastic shit so move anything made of organic materials to another room if you can.