How to Care for Books That You Love

From paperbacks to hardcover books, all books are bound to wear and tear. Though it is something inevitable, but it becomes all the more unavoidable, if they aren’t maintained properly and little care is done.

To increase the lifespan of your favorite reads, here are some tips that you must consider, like using the Frank lloyd wright bookmark, keeping them in plastic covers, cleaning them regularly, and more.

 Keep Them on Shelves Properly

To ensure a nice visual appeal, always keep your books on shelves and arrange same sizes and lengths (e.g., paperback novels) in an upright position. If needed, you can use bookends to give all your books extra support and avoid them from slumping. If you have oversized books like hardcover novels, coffee table books, etc., the best will be to lay them flat on the surface rather than upright.

This way the spine of oversized books will be prevented from weakening and being separated from their structures.

Avoid Humidity

One of the biggest reasons of books getting damaged is them being exposed to humidity. If there is a humid environment inside your room , it will lead to the development of mould and mildews over time. As a result of all this, the book’s pages become brittle and get cracked spines. Not just that, they also smell musty. To ensure that your books stay in an optimum consideration, ensure that you store them in a place with sufficient airflow, preferably in open shelves than placing them inside the box covered with a lid.

You must maintain a consistent yet humidity level at around 40 to 50% as per the thumb rule.Wondering how to determine the humidity level of your room? Invest in a good hygrometer and your job is done.

Say a Big No to Direct Sunlight

Books aren’t designed to face direct sunlight. Sun’s UV rays can cause the pages to turn yellow, become fade, or be discolored over time. The best solution remains to place your bookshelf away from windows in such situations. This way, you books be saved from direct sunlight. In addition, you may install window film or curtains to keep your books safe from direct sunlight.

Ensure Regular Cleaning

Just like any other thing, books too are prone to dust, dirt, and other things with the passing time. Therefore, ensure to dust all your books from time to time using a soft and clean cloth or a handheld vacuum with a soft dusting brush.

Keep An Eye on Book’s Spine

The spine of any book becomes a major foundation that literally holds all the pages together. Without it, your book is basically a set of loose papers. You might have noticed that in case the spine gets damaged, pages start coming off. Therefore, always be gentle and never open or bend the book too wide to prevent the spine from cracking apart. Likewise, if you lay an open book face down, it can also ruin the spine.

Check Those Dirty Hands

There is no denying the fact that reading books and snacking go hand in hand. In other words, most people love to read their favorite book while munching on their favorite chips, popcorns, cookies along with beverages, and other desserts/sweet delicacies.

But the reality remains, eating while you read is actually a bad idea. It can lead to getting unwanted results like accidental stains, grease or crumbs all over the pages.

Even if you insist on eating, then you must keep your book at bay for a moment. Also, ensure to always clean your hands properly before resuming your reading session.

Use Custom Bookmarks

If you love to read, you must definitely love handcrafted bookmarks as well. Not everyone has enough luxury of time, attention span, and the ability to read a single book in just one single sitting. In case you are also on that list of people who are unable to finish the book in a single time, then you must avoid folding the page in a “dog ear” form.

This can make you pages get a wrinkle or further damage the page. Instead, invest in good quality custom bookmark, or you can make your own using cardboard-like creative bookmarks with quotes.

Protect Your Dear Books with Plastic Covers or Bags

There might have been times when you might want to bring your favorite book along while traveling. You may think that if you keep your book in your backpack or handbag, then it is sufficient enough. But in reality, this isn’t enough to protect your book. For better protection of your favorite books, purchase clear plastic covers that are specially designed to be wrapped around the cover of your book. Alternatively, you can even get yourself a clear plastic bag or wallet that will make an amazing protective barrier for your book. They are available both online or you can find them offline by locating them at relevant places like bookstores and stationery sections in a shopping mall.