I have an unhealthy obsession with old books and am trying to get an Ernest Hemingway collection started so I took a trip to my local antique store, where they have loads to rifle through, although not in the best condition. I got the three shown above (Old man and the Sea, Great stories of love and romance and The best novels of Nancy Mitford) on this visit and they were very dusty. I found very little help on the Internet so I decided to go it alone.
Using a fairly firm medium sized paintbrush, some kitchen roll and newspaper I had a go at cleaning them up and it worked fairly well.
I used the paintbrush to brush of excess dust and dirt and then slightly wet one side of the kitchen towel before folding several times. This allowed a small amount of moisture to seep through to the side I would be using. I then began to gently wipe the covers, to remove excess dirt. (I most definitely wouldn't recommend doing this if they are of any real value). It really helped to spruce them up to ensure they were fit for my mantel piece.
Here are some images of the difference before and after:
After
Before
After
Give it a try
J xx
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