Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1885-12-10

How to Clean a Book Without Injury.
An adept in the art of washing or
cleansing dirty books sends the Pub
fishers Circular few plain directions
to be followed by those who wish to
cleanse their soiled volumes. The anna
teur book cleaner had better begin to
practise on some worthless volume until
he acquires the necessary skill. All
traces of lime, acid, etc., used in the
cleaning process must be removed from
the book, else in time it may be entirely
destroyed.
The first thing to be done in book
that wants washing is to cut the stitches
and separate the work into sheets.
Then glance may be taken for the
separation of those leaves or sheets
which are dirty from those which have
stains of ink or oil. The dirty leaves
are now placed in bath composed of q
quarter of pound of chloride of lime
and the same quantity of soda to about
quart of water. These are left to
soak until the paper has regained its
proper tint. The pages are now lifted
| out tenderly into a second bath OF cold,
~s@1 "a PessiblS summing, water, where
they are left at least six hours. This
removes all traces of lime. The paper,
when thoroughly dried by exposure,
must be dipped into third bath of size
and water, and again laid out to dry.
This restores the consistency of the
paper. Pressure between printers
glazed boards will then restore smooth
ness to the leaves.
The toning of the washed leaves in
accordance with the rest of the book is
a delicate process, which requires some
experience. Some shag tobacco stepped
in hot water will usually give the nee
essary coloring matter, and bath in
this liquid the necessary tone.
The process described above may do
for water stains; but if the pages are
dirted by grease, oil, coffee, candle
drippings, or ink, different treatment
will be required. Dilute spirit of salt
with five times its bulk of water, and
let the oil-stained pages lie in the
liquid for four minutes, not longer,
then remove and wash as before in cold
water. To remove ink, q solution of
oxalic, citric, or tartaric acid should
be used, but care must be taken in the
washing and sizing. If the grease is a
spot in the middle of a page, place be-
tween two sheets of blotting paper, or
cover it with powdered French chalk
(the blotting paper is preferable), and
pass hot iron over the place. This
will melt the grease, which Is immedi-
ately soaked up by the chalk or paper.
For dirty finger marks the following
is recommended: Cover the mark with
piece of clean yellow soap for two or
three hours, then wash with sponge
and hot water, and dip the page in
weak acid and water. Give another
bath of hot water, and then thoroughly
cleanse with cold water.
To remove ink stains: Dip the page
in strong solution of oxalic acid, then
in solution of one part hydrochloric
acid and six parts of water, after which
bathe in cold water, and allow to dry
slowly. Vellum covers which require
cleaning may be made almost equal to
new by washing with weak salts of
lemon; or, if not much soiled, warm
soap and water. Grease may be re-
moved from the covers of bound books
by scraping a little pipe-clay, French
chalk, or magnesia over the place, and
then ironing with an iron not too hot,
else it will discolor the leather
Chambers Journal.