[deleted]

Don't. Unless it's got obvious mould there is nothing hazardous in it. The only human pathogen that lasts for decades is anthrax and I doubt there has ever been a case of that being transmitted by a book.

Anything you do to kill microbes on the book will damage it.

It'll be easy to find an electronic copy, just read that instead and give him his copy back.

[removed]

Some info from a good source.

Please don’t microwave, moisten, or otherwise damage your books if you can help it.

>Not sure why this is getting downvoted

Probably because it sounds insane lol

Not saying it is (or isn't), but it sounds like a step above throwing a book in the dishwasher.

I guess the archives where you worked don't use RFID tags?

If you are mainly concerned about something like book lice, you can basically bake your books at a low temperature for a few hours. Libraries do this with special ovens, but in theory you should be able to do it at home.

There has been this post on this subreddit a few weeks ago where some comments explained how to do it (also there was a wild discussion about book scorpions, but that's something else...)

[deleted]

Use bleach. Don’t mix with water . Just spray on every page

It's a good way to start a fire, especially with an old, brittle paper.

There was a stir in my Uni when someone donated XIX century book with envelope containing something that resembled dried smallpox blisters.

OP, if you are so nervous there's an option- large libraries and archives taking care of old books offer fumigation- but it's not a cheap thing. I paid over 100$ for one bath

Nice that you want to read it! As mentioned, it might be safe to read in regards to germs, but that doesn't change how you feel about it. For the pages, you can put a book in your freezer for a couple of days (put it in an open freezer bag so moisture can escape), that way germs and other things will freeze and die. For the cover, I suggest wiping it with a (desinfecting) wet wipe. That shouldn't damage it.

I used to visit car boot sales regularly. Never saw a book that looked like a menace, but did spot a couple of odd things. One was a clear plastic envelope labelled in English and Greek, "do not open or touch the contents" - it was a dried scorpion. The other was from the 1930s - a radium-boned corset in its original packet:

https://underpinningsmuseum.com/author/lorraine-smith/upmtc-the-curious-history-of-radioactive-corsets-by-lucy-jane-santos/

You have to wonder if anybody ever tried that to make books you could read in the dark.

Whst about putting it in a zip lock bag for a few weeks? Not exactly sure what you are worried about but that will take care of most issues.

As far as disease-causing germs: very, very few pathogens will survive on a dry surface like a book/ pages to transmit diseases. If the book appears clean and has no visible (or smell-able) mold, and no evidence of insect infestation, it’s fine to touch and handle.

If it’s moldy I would search for an electronic copy and read that. Keep any moldy book away from your other books, as it can spread.

Same with insect-infested books. There may be some helpful techniques for getting rid of them, which you can Google.

However, for a book that’s in the public domain like this one, if you’re worried about it, just get a new paper or electronic copy and read that one.

Use white cotton gloves to handle the book, like the ones used in the rare book room of some libraries.

I wouldn't risk damaging a book that doesn't belong to you. If you are truly phobic, I suggest you find a copy that you feel safe touching. I see you can get it on Kindle.

just wear gloves - or better yet, go find an online version

[removed]

Please do not do this. One of the fundamental keys to conserving books is to maintain even heat/moisture. Baking books in a home oven is not only a massive fire risk due to the nature of the heating element, but you will shorten the lifespan by a lot. Old book pages already get crumbly when they lose moisture over time. Do not hasten the process by further removing moisture and exposing it heat. You will also damage the binding, melt adhesive, etc. this way.

[removed]

What the actual.

You have got to be trolling. If not please do the world a solid and stay away from old books with any "disinfectants"

wow i'm sorry i want to read despite being germaphobic, i haven't ever disinfected a book so don't you worry, i was just wondering if it was possible

yeah i was thinking if it wasn't possible to disinfect a book then i'll just read it online, i just wanted to know if it was possible first

thank you so much for actually being helpful and not antagonising me like some others, i really do appreciate it

thank you !!

Sorry I'm not sugar coating this. If you have an anxiety about germs don't borrow other people's old learher-bound books.

There are a lot of alternatives that don't involve damaging perishable materials (leather, animal glue, paper) with modern chemicals. Like ebooks.

How the hell would you feel if you lent some else an antique or family heirloom only for them to destroy it.

you don't need to sugar coat it but you also don't need to come in guns blazing y'know? i never want to damage a book and i was literally only asking if it was possible. this is why i came here first instead of just trying to do it myself. i thought maybe people here could give me advice or tell me it's not possible, and they did and i appreciate that. what i don't appreciate is you assuming i'm likely trolling and also telling me to 'do the world a solid and stay away from old books'. literally all you needed to say was 'no you can't disinfect old books' and leave it at that.

C'mon. Srsly now. If you're a germaphobe you know how disinfectants work. You have seen them work. Leather, glue and paper do not mix with bleach based chemicals.

Oh FFS. Stop posting this jackarsery. This is how house fires start. It is not safe to put book paper in a home oven.

I'm sorry that you have this struggle, it would break my heart to feel uncomfortable with used books. I'm so glad that digital books are so readily available. I get most of my loans from my library in ebook or audio book form, but I still love the feel of a printed book.

yes i'm fully aware which is why i asked if there was a safe way to do it (meaning a way to disinfect without the use of harsh chemicals)

i'm not aware of every type of disinfectant method in the world so maybe there was a way to do it safely, but turns out there isn't and i understand that now, i don't know what you're getting out of this but i'm done, thanks for your help

thank you, yeah it sucks but oh well, i'm trying to work on it so hopefully in the future i'll feel much more comfortable with used books :)

The UV in sunlight is a natural disinfectant! Might fade the pages though.