How to Dry a Flood-Soaked Book
Flood water has entered your home, and before you know it, you’re busy rushing around and transferring your electronics to higher area. What you failed to save, though, is your precious book. A flood-soaked book, if not cleaned and dried properly, can become permanently damaged and encourage mold and fungal growth. To help you save it, here are several tips you can follow.
What You’ll Need:
Flood-soaked book
Electric fan
Wooden board
Paper towels
Baby diapers
Heavy objects (bricks or soup cans will suffice)
Procedure:
As much as possible, repair the flood-soaked book immediately. Leaving it to stay wet and air dry for too long will cause more severe damage.
Be aware of the type of book you’re dealing with. Those with hardbound and standard paper can be restored easily, but unfortunately, glossy-paged types will have to be taken to a professional. If you know the book is cheap and can be replaced easily, it’s best if you just purchase a new copy.
Examine and take note of the water damage’s extent. If it’s soaked recently and you’ve taken it out of the water quickly, chances are restoring it properly are high. If the book have floated in water for several days, the glue on the binding might have loosened already, making restoration less successful. If you see mold growing on the book, don’t attempt to restore it at home.
Get some paper towels, then insert them in the book, at 10-page intervals. Make sure you lay a single paper towel layer, and that the entire page is covered. It’s best to use a premium brand, for better absorption. Be gentle when you open the book and turn the soaked pages, otherwise, they will take. Close the book carefully when you’re done.
Take a baby diaper, then pull it open. Wrap it around the outside of the book. The diaper’s absorbing capabilities will wick the moisture from the book cover better than a paper towel. Make sure the diaper’s inside touches the book cover.
Get a board and lay it on top of the book. Put heavy cans or bricks above the board, to weigh it down. The added pressure helps increase the absorption of the book. Put the board at the center, over the front side of the diaper. Every two hours, remove the board, then change the paper towels. Put back the board when you’re done.
To finish drying, make the book stand upright, in front of the fan. Afterwards, feel the pages; if they’re just slightly damp to the touch, remove the diaper and paper towels. Make the book stand up, its pages fanned open and facing the fan. Check every two hours for dryness.
If the pages feel dry, turn the fan off. Leave the book upright, though, so the spine will be dry as well.
A lot of things will be lost or damaged when a flood strikes, but your book doesn’t have to be one of them. Follow these steps, and make your reading material as good as new.