You’ve got the perfect summer set-up: feet ankle-deep in sand, hat on head, book in hand. But then, that wave hits. You know, the one that you never thought would come all the way up to your spot on the beach. The one that soaks your towel and, worse, soaks your book.
Calamity!
The book disaster in our house wasn’t as exotic as a beach flood. More like a water bottle explosion inside a backpack. Nevertheless, we ended up with the same problem.
Have you experienced a wet book crisis? Good news. You can preserve your book after excessive water exposure. (If you read on a Kindle or iPad, seek help elsewhere. This post is about good old-fashioned printed books.)
Luckily, the bottle explosion we experienced only dampened the edges of Orwell’s 1984. (Daughter is plowing through classics with admirable determination. Since I’ve never read Lord of the Flies, and she has, that’s up next on my TBR. According to daughter, I need to finish before the end of summer because it’s too depressing for the winter. Can’t wait.)
The procedure for drying damp books vs. completely soaked books varies, so read the directions carefully.
For soaked books:
- Do not open the book or fan the pages. Place it on its end on absorbent paper, like paper towels.
- Place the book in a spot with good air circulation; fans are helpful.
- Replace the paper towels as they become wet.
- Let the book dry like this for an hour or so before trying the next step.
For partially wet books:
- Blot the cover and pages with paper towels. Never rub, as this will damage the soft paper.
- Carefully open the book and interleave (!?! New word!) paper towels every 20 pages or so.
- Lay book on its side.
- Replace the paper towels as they become wet.
For damp books:
- Place book upright in a dry spot with good airflow and fan out the pages.
For almost dry books:
- Place book flat and put a weight on top (I used a big fat dictionary).
To de-wrinkle pages once the book dries:
Water damaged pages will most likely wrinkle. The Chicago Tribune suggests placing a tissue over the warped page and ironing it on low heat. We didn’t mess with this step. If it had been that beautiful hard cover copy of Pride and Prejudice, maybe.
Make sure the book is thoroughly dry – check the binding and cover- before storing on the shelf. Or in your backpack. 😉 You don’t want to grow mold!
For more details and advice, consult
- This article from The Chicago Tribune
- This piece from the Cornell library
- This article from Dartmouth
Have you ever had to save a wet book? Can you share any other tips or tricks?
Thanks for getting nerdy with me!
Great post! I frequently try to read books while bobbing in a pool float. I’ve never soaked a book, but I DID have to hurl one onto dry land while my pool float deflated beneath me. (I went down with the ship. The book was saved.)
It’s good to know where I can go if the worst happens. 😉
LOL! Way to keep your priorities, Dianne. I’m pretty sure I would have done the same thing! 😉 Hope you are having a fabulous summer!
Good to know, Julia!
As for Lord of the Flies – yes, a classic (though I wonder why? can the Word Nerd tell me why certain books become “classics”?) It’s a book I never forgot (in a terribly gruesome sort of child-anarchy way…)
Excellent idea for a post, Amy… I’ll add that to my queue: “What Makes a Classic a Classic?” In our house we have observed that most books touted as classics are fairly depressing. Perhaps that is a key? More on that later…
I pulled a sopping wet magazine out of the mailbox today – should have tried these tips! Next time I spill coffee on a book, I know what to do. (Besides not drink coffee while reading a book!)
Excellent idea to translate these tips to all liquids… not just water. I hate it when the rain gets into my mailbox! I wonder if paper towels can work their magic on slick magazine pages?
That was a close call! I’m glad you were able to save it!
I did not know this! Most that have gotten wet, were replaceable paperbacks and I just did not bother. If there is a next time, I will try to save the book
Great drying tips, thank you!