Getting the smell out of old magazines?

[Tinseltown]

I have quite a few magazines from the 30s and 50s.
I cherish them, but they smell kind of moldy. Also, in the 30s ones, the clips holding the magazine together are getting rusty.

I store them in big plastic pockets, but before I bought them they had probably been stored in some old humid appartment/attic...who knows.
Most of them I bought at an outdoor flea market - which can't have been good for them.

Can I get the smell out? Is it possible?
...How should I store them?

If you can, please ost photos of how you store yours!

 

[dhermann1]

If it's mildew, not much. Mildew is a type of mold that eats paper right up. Not as common in glossy magazine paper as in soft book paper. To reduce mildew you can stick the book in the freezer, but that won't kill the spores. You can also try to wipe the dust off.
But it sounds like you just have that old "musty" smell so common the old books and magazines. A lot of people find that charming and nostalgic. You may just have to learn to love it.

 

[Tinseltown]

If it's mildew, not much. Mildew is a type of mold that eats paper right up. Not as common in glossy magazine paper as in soft book paper. To reduce mildew you can stick the book in the freezer, but that won't kill the spores. You can also try to wipe the dust off.
But it sounds like you just have that old "musty" smell so common the old books and magazines. A lot of people find that charming and nostalgic. You may just have to learn to love it.

Hehe, maybe I will.
I just don't wants them to get worse. And they are not dusty btw.

 

[lady eel]

I got a tip from someone long ago in refrence to getting smell out of an old suitcase, she said to put charcoal inside for a few days, and it helped. Don't know if it works with paper but you may try putting them into a trash bag with some charcoal.
Worth a shot [huh]

 

[kpreed]

I collect old magazines and have a few hundred of at this point. What I do is keep them stored in a plastic tub with a tight cover ( I put a taped-on index of issues outside of the tub and if any have an smell to it I put a open box of baking soda too in the tub. Hope this helps some. Just my two cents, good luck!

 

[LizzieMaine]

The baking-soda in a tub/box/trunk trick is a good one, and will kill as much of the odor as can be killed. I like the smell of old paper, myself -- I wish it came in spray cans.

As far as storage goes, bagged or unbagged is a matter of preference, but the real key is minimizing exposure to sunlight, humidity, and oxygen -- those are the three most destructive influences on old, cheap paper. I keep mine in tight stacks in a cold, dark closet (bound volumes of newspapers, I keep under my bed), and have kept them in stable condition this way for decades.

 

[HadleyH]

But it sounds like you just have that old "musty" smell so common the old books and magazines. A lot of people find that charming and nostalgic. You may just have to learn to love it.

Most of my books are old second hand books, i have some old magazines too and i do find that old smell nostalgic...it brings the past close to my senses. When it comes to books, i don't mind that old "musty" smell!

Best of luck anyway Tinseltown!

 

[Cricket]

For some reason, I love that old musty smell. There are times when I have older books that I can flip the pages near my nose so that I can catch a whiff of it. I recently received a book for Christmas from 1898 called "The Ladyship's Elephant." I spent half the evening inspecting the pages and sneaking a sniff.
But I found this on a college Web site about storing books and other paper itmes to prevent that smell:
Areas in which books, papers, and photos may be kept, such as a study or private library, may of necessity require a dehumidifier in addition to the precautions indicated in the other sections of this publication. If you keep books in a closed bookcase, continuous use of a low-wattage light or chemical dehumidifier such as silica gel within the case may be helpful. Keep the doors closed as tightly as possible. Valuable paper items should be inspected regularly to see if mildew growth is present.

Here they cover eliminating the smell:
Remove any dry, loose mold from paper with a clean, soft cloth. If mildewed paper is damp, dry it first in an airy place if possible. Spread pages of books out fanwise to air. If the books are very damp, sprinkle cornstarch or talcum powder between the leaves to take up the moisture. Leave starch or powder on for several hours, then brush off.
For leather book bindings and covers, wipe off the mold. Wipe the leather surface with a cloth dampened with a solution of one part denatured or rubbing alcohol to one part water. Apply saddle soap or leather conditioner.

 

[ShoreRoadLady]

As long as the smell's just eau du "musty old books" and not mildew...I love it.

 

[Tinseltown]

As long as the smell's just eau du "musty old books" and not mildew...I love it.

I don't know.. some of the magazins smell quite strongly. Especially the 30s ones... But they are also over 70 years old...

 

[Tinseltown]

Oh, silica pearls is a good idea..
Don't you think I can get some if I go to a shoe store?
They often have them in shoeboxes.

Anyway, there is a conservating-day at a museum here soon where you can bring things you need storing advice for. I will bring 2 magazines and some old photos.

 

[BinkieBaumont]

I was caught out when I let a friend borrow a copy of "Nazi Germany explained" he complained that it had a "PONG"

Since then if I lend an old "Tome" to anyone I get a sheet of paper put a drop of vanilla essence on it and fold it up. put it in an envelope, fold that into "pleats" and put that inside the "spine" of the book for a few days.

Your books then smell like Krispy Kreme!

 

[Mike in Seattle]

Oh, silica pearls is a good idea..
Don't you think I can get some if I go to a shoe store?
They often have them in shoeboxes.

Shoe boxes, plus computer dealers (there's at least a few in any box with a computer, printer, monitor or other peripheral and if a repair shop knows you want them, they may start saving them) and the same with camera stores & other electronics dealers. There's a packet or two in almost anything electronic these days - computers, TVs, stereos, appliances.

 

[Tinseltown]

Is it bad to store them in plastic "pockets"? Do they suffocate??

 

[LizzieMaine]

As long as the plastic itself isn't PVC, which can have all kinds of bad and destructive chemical reactions as it ages -- it won't hurt the item stored inside it, and it can also afford protection against being bumped and bruised in storage. If you go the bag route, use the kind of protective bags and backing boards that comic book people use -- they're designed especially for preserving and protecting paper. The main drawback to these bags is that they can be very expensive if you have a large collection to store.