What is Foxing and How to Remove Foxing in Old Books - The Pros, Cons, and My Thoughts

[@antiquebookcollective]

Well, it seems foxing is a very popular subject, so I'll be making a few more videos on this that will be more in-depth in the future to answer the questions you all will/may have! As I'm sure you all know, I'm a newer channel, so I'm just throwing all the things I can out and casting my net wide to see what is the most interesting for all of you right now. When there are things that are hits, I pursue them a little more. But there are less popular things that I'll still hit because there's a ton to learn about this business and I want to address it all! Thank you all for the support and subscribes, I'll keep the videos coming as long as I am able! :)

[@welshpete12]

I am not an expert, nor do I sell books . But I have quite a few, I buy old books for the information within them . For smelly books , what I found works for me, is to stand the book upright . Use a comb with the teeth between the pages to slightly open the pages , so air can circulate . Leave the book in a warm place , but obviously not to hot. Such as a airing cupboard for a few weeks and it gets rid of the smell . And I hope this is a help to someone out there .

[@antiquebookcollective]

Some books definitely just need to air out! Hope your collecting is going well. :)

[@ChristopherDillman]

7:44 - You're welcome. And I look forward to trying the bleach. 👍

[@antiquebookcollective]

Good luck! Hope it foxes the problem for you, use it sparingly! :)

[@ChristopherDillman]

@@antiquebookcollective Thank you. I'm actually having better success with 100% Hydrogen Peroxide with this mildew type of foxing. It's not getting completely rid of it, but it's lessening the evidence of it. 👍

[@kaymartyn5672]

Thank you for this information. I have a 70 year old book with a yellowish foxing all over the front and back pages. You mentioned pumice and I agree that it might be a bit rough but I thought the principle was good. I found some very fine sandpaper in my garage (400 grade) and it has worked really well in reducing the depth of colour of the foxing. It is still there but is a very soft colour now and looks so much better. The paper in my book is thick and of good quality and the sandpaper did not remove any of the paper at all. This is just another suggestion. There is no reason why you could not try another method as well afterwards, as the paper has not been affected. However, I am happy with the result I have achieved, with the fine sandpaper alone.

[@antiquebookcollective]

That's good to hear! :) (They actually sand the edges of books when they make them to have them so smooth, just a fun fact there.)

[@thevintagecodger]

I've never knew the terminology for this. Great video! Very insightful.

[@antiquebookcollective]

I had to Google it a few different ways just to make sure I had it all right with what I've called it in the past! Lol I'm pretty sure I've got it all right here though. :) Thanks for the comment! :)

[@Flat_Earth_Sophia]

lol

[@anasazirose]

Odo ban spritz-sprayed very lightly on a less wet than out of the package wipe (so I throw them away and not reuse a dirty area) then wipe page ends with book closed. I used Odo Ban Bio Odor Digester, full strength. No PPE needed for the Odo Ban, but maybe for the dirt, dust, mold, smell. I also do the cover, it works great.

[@antiquebookcollective]

That's great info! Never heard of that, but I'll be sure to test it out now, thanks! :)

[@mynamedoesntmatter8652]

I’ve used odoban too on mildewed books and pages. I’ve used the freezer as well, and also alcohol wiped across the pages with cotton balls. I believe in secondhand books and don’t purchase new, and have gotten great 1st Ed 1st printing, nice surprises! I choose the books by how they’re rated. I’ve never used a pumice stone, don’t understand that ??? but I’ve had a couple of books that, after treating as much as possible (Lysol spray too) still live in bags. Mildew and mold spreads through the air very easily and quickly, so think of your other books. I’ve never tried bleach, but I’m dealing with mildew from dampness with no black spots on two books. Sunshine is great, take the mildewed book out for a sunbath.

[@notachance213]

Ive tried the sanding with different grades of roughness and erasures and have accidentally discovered different thinks work for different books because of the manufactured paper I did try the bleach and well let me tell you it did work on more books then i expected but i did have to go back and retouch a few spots here and there. Best wishes

[@antiquebookcollective]

I'm glad the bleach helped! Like you said, it ain't perfect, but it can sure get the job done when all else fails. I'm not bold enough to try sanding most of the books I get, but that's because they're a hundred years old and the paper is brittle! Lol

[@johnholkham2420]

I have discovered a Brown / red foxing on the edges of some of my books, they were not old but some say 20 to 30 years old. I bleached the edges then when dry sanded then with a 160 sand paper then re- bleached . I suspect the foxing was caused by dust on top of book developing a mould perhaps from moisture.None of the Foxing had spread into the inside of the books .This worked well for most books . Better for books with a paper pages not so well for more gloss paper . None were of great value. Lesson I should dust the tops of my books regularly . Also if a popular book you can re buy a 2nd hand replacement in uk for £3-4

[@antiquebookcollective]

Glad you were able to fix the problem and 100% agree. :) Happy reading! :)

[@rpg896]

Interesting video. Have you tried mysting, like with a an air brush? I wonder… I have tried the Qtip method but it’s very irregular and one ends with the wave look.

[@antiquebookcollective]

I have not, but I could imagine it could be helpful if you're very careful with it. Yeah, that is definitely an issue that can arise with those. It's pretty hard to do things perfectly though, but I'm sure someone has the secrets to be a pro! :)

[@davidkravitz4409]

Are you familiar with "dry ice dusting" (dry ice crystals the size of sugar grains) used to remove stains from books and documents?

[@antiquebookcollective]

@@davidkravitz4409 I have never heard of this! I'll have to check it out, it sounds cool! ...No pun intended. Lol (I'll claim whatever puns I intend to make!)

[@HMAMH6569]

Great video, I will try it

[@antiquebookcollective]

Hope it helps! :)

[@knotsewfastjoanie]

I wonder, could you use an ozone generator? Someone may have already mentioned it but just in case....the ozone won't 'remove' mold but it will kill the mold and remove the smell. We have one my husband uses on old cars but I never thought to try it on my books. hmmm, thinking now. You would have to clean it so there is the next issue. It may just dust off?

[@antiquebookcollective]

YES! And I LOVE my ozone generator too. I've mentioned in quite a few replies and other videos that I recommend and use ozone generators because of how great they are at killing bad stuff on books, be it bugs, mold, or smells. For me, I had a large set of books that were super moldy and, after an extended period of time being exposed to ozone as I cleaned them, I could wipe off most of the mold. I ended up going back through the book with Clorox wipes on the edges of the text block to be extra-sure that the mold was dead. I then hit every single page with alcohol wipes to further cleanse the books. They look fantastic today and I'm still observing them to see how they fare. So far I am 10/10 pleased with the results though. (I also oiled their leather and used some anti-mold essential oils that I blended in with the oils that I applied to the leather.)

[@knotsewfastjoanie]

@@antiquebookcollective excellent! Thanks for the tips. 😁

[@antiquebookcollective]

@@knotsewfastjoanie Yep! :)

[@KornieMe7006]

What about hydrogen peroxide? I have a menu that I need to get foxing out, been trying to figure out what to use on it.

[@antiquebookcollective]

I know of some people who use it, I didn't get around to it in this test though. The only hydrogen peroxide I had was already watered down, so I figured I'd wait until I could get something with a higher purity. I've used it before on non-paper things and can say I like bleach more though, but there's a change it's better on paper than the harder surfaces I've used it on. :) Good luck! Sorry I can't give you any definite answers just yet.

[@helenmui6999]

Did you use liquid bleach or powdered/ paste?

[@antiquebookcollective]

I used liquid and would recommend caution if you do it since bleach can be quite harsh. If you check out other comments here there are folks who probably want to crucify me for using it, but it works. Best of luck to you! :)

[@jeffgacy846]

Is it safe to own book that have this like is it harmful to humans at a certain point

[@antiquebookcollective]

If it's just foxing, then it's totally safe. As for mold and mildew, those can be harmful, but mold spores are everywhere in the real world. A tiny bit of mildew on your book shouldn't be harmful unless if you have breathing issues like asthma. If you are concerned about it there are some things you can do to kill the mold and mildew, but your best bet, if it isn't bad, is to get a dehumidifier and just keep the humidity down where you keep the books. (35-50 percent humidity is what is recommended for indoors, I like to be on the lower end for my books.)

[@kita6707]

Thanks for the useful info!

[@antiquebookcollective]

Hope it helps!

[@adammilanovic3650]

Use 600 grit sandpaper. It will take you a minute to do a book and give you the same results.

[@antiquebookcollective]

Yep, it can do wonders for sure. :)

[@antiquebookcollective]

Hope this video was helpful! :)

[@txmess20]

What do you do for the smell?

[@antiquebookcollective]

I've got some videos on that, but my favorite thing is ozone. It's my magic bullet for most every odor books get, it's crazy how well it works. You'll need an ozone generator, however, and that can be costly. I go over other methods in other videos though. :)

[@edwardmemwah1610]

The way you keep saying you're gonna throw that book away ... reeeally makes me think you're gonna sell that book. 😂

[@antiquebookcollective]

Lol! Nah, I tossed it. Modern hardcovers are an abomination!!!

[@sl33pwalk3r]

My books, 😭

[@antiquebookcollective]

I know the feeling! Hope you can clean yourself up! :)

[@AndyMan-y9f]

Cat urinated on important paper certificate, please help!

[@antiquebookcollective]

That's terrible, really sorry about that. There are some companies that clean paper professionally, but I have no tips on cleaning paper at home that'll be safe enough to recommend. Sorry.