Sometime within the past year, I ordered a book from
paperbackswap.com. If you're not familiar with it, and you are a book lover like myself, you really should check it out. I rounded up all the books that were not really necessary essentials to our family library, and not ones I could sell to other homeschoolers, and posted them as available for swapping. This has been a great way for me to make both my husband and I happy. I purge some books from the house, and I wind up with others that I can own and read - at least for a time until I might swap them out again. Others I wind up keeping for good. Overall, even if I don't wind up with as much available shelf space as my husband would like, I am saving money on my books. For the price of shipping, less than $3 most times, I have a new one. And for voracious readers like myself (and maybe you), it's a definite win.
Well, as with most arenas you enter into as a novice, I did not know all the ropes at first. Consequently, I wound up with a book I truly wanted - but which came reeking of cigarette smoke and I was quite disappointed. Afraid that I'd just come out the worse in the exchange, I went searching for a remedy and chose one which I am thrilled to share with you. This really works! You have to be willing to be without your book for while, but afterwards I promise - there won't be a whiff of nicotine lingering. I simply took a newspaper and tore it into squares, placing a page size sheet between each and every page in the book. A bit time consuming, yes, but I assure you it was well worth it. I then placed all of this inside a plastic bag. I'm afraid I can't tell you just how long this part of the purification process took exactly, because quite honestly, I forgot the book in a drawer for months. However, when I removed it - truly it was as good as new! I have a very sensitive nose, and there was not a trace of cigarette within the pages. If you find you have inherited a book you'd really like to read, but are put off by the lingering scent of this stinky habit - by all means give this a go. Future readers of your book will also reap the rewards of your efforts.
And fyi, you can request your books come smoke-free at paperbackswap.com, as I later learned. But my inconvenience can be your gain! Happy smoke-free reading!
I have been noticing many smokers lately and it's unbelievable to me how many people still smoke. More unfortunate, it has been mostly by people who have children. ERRR! Great idea, to get rid of the smoke smell, though.
ReplyDeletewow, great idea!! Sometimes I find great books at thrift stores but I haven't bought them because of the smoke smell, but now I can!!
ReplyDeleteShy, is this for all smells, like old books? Do you have to seal the plastic bag?
ReplyDeleteI have only used it to cure the very stubborn smell of cigarettes, but give it a try on other musty smells. Yes, you have to seal the bag (I just folded it over, it was just a department store bag), but there wasn't a trace of any bad smells left.
ReplyDeleteI'm interested if it works for just that skanky old book smell as well. Let me know!