Caring For Your Books Archives

To remove a sticker/label, some patience is required. I recommend that you first practice on some less valuable books such as common mass market paperbacks. I have tried several different commercial “label removers”, but have found that plain old cigarette-lighter fluid is by far the best. It is much faster and not as messy as the others. However, some of the older antiquarian ex-library books may have a spine label that is water-based and have to be steamed off. You can try lighter fluid on any label, but if it shows no sign of loosening it probably has a water-based glue.

Removing a sticker/label from plain paper or cloth requires even more patience and care. Take it from me; it is easy to get impatient and tear away the surface of the paper along with the label, or to slice a cloth-covered board.

Drip some lighter fluid around and on top of the label and let it soak in for a minute. You may have to do this several times in order to soften up the adhesive, as the lighter fluid evaporates rather quickly. I try to use a minimum of fluid, but don’t worry if the dust jacket or book starts looking damp from the lighter fluid. It evaporates quickly and leaves no stain. If you have any doubts, first try the fluid on a small corner on the inside back flap, but I have never had a problem with ink bleeding or running while using lighter fluid.

Scrape gently at the edge of the label using a pocketknife blade and start teasing the label up. A duller blade is actually better for control; a sharp blade tends to scrape the coating off the dust jacket or can even slice it. Hold the blade at a medium angle, neither too high or too low. Too high an angle can cause scrapes; too low can cause cuts to occur.

Once you have it started, gently and slowly slide the blade under the label. You may have to drip some more lighter fluid under the lifted area. This makes the process a lot faster.

Don’t worry about scraping the adhesive completely off along with the label. After the label is off, dampen the corner of a dry cloth and wipe off any sticky residue. You may have to wipe several times using a fresh spot on the cloth. Test by running a finger over the spot, feeling for any residual stickiness.

Stickers and labels taken from plain paper and cloth covers and dust jackets usually do not leave much residue. But if they do, be very careful with any additional cleaning. My experience has been that too much cleaning will cause more damage and will look worse than if it had been left alone.

I have been a bookseller for over ten years, and buy a lot of books at tag sales and library book sales. Many of these books have have soiled dust jackets and/or covers. After much practice, I have my technique boiled down to the bare minimum of effort that gives the best result.

Dirty dust jackets. In my early days as a bookseller, I used to use a cleaner such as ’409′ or one of the other gentle cleaners. But even these ‘gentle’ cleaners have chemicals in them that may harm the book and its dust jacket over time.

I now have two things I use to clean books and dust jackets. Water and Ronsonol lighter fluid. BUT, I do not use water on any hardcover book with cloth-covered boards or on a plain paper dust jacket (more common in the early to mid-20th century) . They just absorb the water. Also, the cloth covering some books published in the early 1900′s have some kind of filler that turns to a sticky glue when dampened. Wipe these types of books off with a clean, dry soft cloth.

To be able to clean a dust jacket, it has to be the kind with a shiny coating. Hardcover books and paperbacks with shiny covers may be cleaned the same way as a shiny dust jacket.

I have found that it is easiest to clean the outside of a dust jacket when it is still on the book. When cleaning the inside, remove it and lay on a flat surface to help prevent wrinkles and tears.

Do not use water on a dull, plain paper dust jacket or on the inside of any dust jacket – the surfaces are not coated with any water-resistant finish. If it is dusty or soiled, it is better to clean it gently with a clean, dry soft cloth and leave it at that.

For the coated (shiny) dust jacket, just dampen a soft cloth with plain water and gently wipe off the soiling. Immediately, wipe dry with a different soft absorbent cloth.

If there is some soiling that will not come off with water, try dampening a corner of a different cloth with lighter fluid and rub gently.

If you still have a soiled book and/or dust jacket, and the book is valuable to you in some way, a professional bookbinder or paper conservator may be able to restore it. Be careful when making this decision. Depending upon the book in question, it’s market value can be affected for better or worse. Usually, such books are better off when left in their original condition.

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Category Archives: Caring For Your Books

REMOVING STICKERS & LABELS

CLEANING YOUR BOOKS

Battling ignorance and boredom since 1998.