How to Dry a Wet Book
Wipe or fling excess water from the book., Lay down a few paper towel sheets., Stand the book upright., Place paper towel sheets inside the covers., Allow the book to sit., Replace paper towels as needed.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Wipe or fling excess water from the book.
When it comes to drying a wet book, the exact steps you take will differ based on how wet the book is.
If your book is completely soaked — so wet that it drips — you'll first want to carefully remove as much excess water from the outside of the book as you can.
Hold the book shut and shake it gently to remove any external liquid.
Follow this by gently wiping the outside of the cover with a rag or paper towel.
Don't open the book yet.
If it's dripping wet, its pages will likely be so delicate that they'll easily tear.
At this point, just concentrate on removing moisture that's on the outside of the book. -
Step 2: Lay down a few paper towel sheets.
Next lay down a few sheets of plain white (not dyed) absorbent paper towel in a clear, flat dry area.
Pick a spot where the book is unlikely to be disturbed as it dries.
If you live in a dry climate, this spot can be outside.
However, regardless of where you live, you won't want to leave your book out overnight, as dew that forms in the morning can easily undo any progress you've made.
If you don't have any plain white paper towels handy, dry rags can work well.
Don't use dyed paper towels, as these can bleed color when wet. , Take your wet book and place it on top of your paper towels so that it stands straight upright.
For hardcover books, this should be easy.
Simply open the covers slightly (without separating the pages) until your book can stand balanced without any assistance.
For paperbacks, this can be trickier.
You don't want your book to sag at all as it dries, so, if need be, use bookends or weights to keep your book standing straight upright. , Next, take two paper towel sheets (or, if none are handy, thin, dry rags) and tuck one inside each cover.
The towels should sit between each cover and the text block (the internal pages of the book.) Don't disturb the pages when you do this.
The text block should basically remain in one large "mass".
Fanning the pages at this point can lead to crumpled or deformed pages when the book dries. , When you've arranged all of your paper towels, simply allow the book to sit in its standing position.
The absorbent material of the paper towels should quickly begin to pull moisture out of the book.
If you want to, you can put one or more dried sponges underneath the paper towels the book is resting on to aid in the absorption process. , Check on your book's progress every hour or so.
As the paper towels pull moisture out of the book, they'll eventually become saturated, unable to hold any more liquid.
When you notice that any of your paper towels have become saturated, carefully remove them and replace them with fresh, dry towels.
If you're using a sponge, ring it out and return it to its place under the paper towels.
Don't forget to keep an eye on your book.
Mold can begin to grow on wet paper within 24 to 48 hours if the moisture is allowed to stagnate.Continue in this fashion until the book no longer drips or leaves puddles when you pick it up.
Next, you'll want to proceed to "Drying Somewhat Wet Books" below. -
Step 3: Stand the book upright.
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Step 4: Place paper towel sheets inside the covers.
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Step 5: Allow the book to sit.
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Step 6: Replace paper towels as needed.
Detailed Guide
When it comes to drying a wet book, the exact steps you take will differ based on how wet the book is.
If your book is completely soaked — so wet that it drips — you'll first want to carefully remove as much excess water from the outside of the book as you can.
Hold the book shut and shake it gently to remove any external liquid.
Follow this by gently wiping the outside of the cover with a rag or paper towel.
Don't open the book yet.
If it's dripping wet, its pages will likely be so delicate that they'll easily tear.
At this point, just concentrate on removing moisture that's on the outside of the book.
Next lay down a few sheets of plain white (not dyed) absorbent paper towel in a clear, flat dry area.
Pick a spot where the book is unlikely to be disturbed as it dries.
If you live in a dry climate, this spot can be outside.
However, regardless of where you live, you won't want to leave your book out overnight, as dew that forms in the morning can easily undo any progress you've made.
If you don't have any plain white paper towels handy, dry rags can work well.
Don't use dyed paper towels, as these can bleed color when wet. , Take your wet book and place it on top of your paper towels so that it stands straight upright.
For hardcover books, this should be easy.
Simply open the covers slightly (without separating the pages) until your book can stand balanced without any assistance.
For paperbacks, this can be trickier.
You don't want your book to sag at all as it dries, so, if need be, use bookends or weights to keep your book standing straight upright. , Next, take two paper towel sheets (or, if none are handy, thin, dry rags) and tuck one inside each cover.
The towels should sit between each cover and the text block (the internal pages of the book.) Don't disturb the pages when you do this.
The text block should basically remain in one large "mass".
Fanning the pages at this point can lead to crumpled or deformed pages when the book dries. , When you've arranged all of your paper towels, simply allow the book to sit in its standing position.
The absorbent material of the paper towels should quickly begin to pull moisture out of the book.
If you want to, you can put one or more dried sponges underneath the paper towels the book is resting on to aid in the absorption process. , Check on your book's progress every hour or so.
As the paper towels pull moisture out of the book, they'll eventually become saturated, unable to hold any more liquid.
When you notice that any of your paper towels have become saturated, carefully remove them and replace them with fresh, dry towels.
If you're using a sponge, ring it out and return it to its place under the paper towels.
Don't forget to keep an eye on your book.
Mold can begin to grow on wet paper within 24 to 48 hours if the moisture is allowed to stagnate.Continue in this fashion until the book no longer drips or leaves puddles when you pick it up.
Next, you'll want to proceed to "Drying Somewhat Wet Books" below.
About the Author
Heather Stokes
Specializes in breaking down complex lifestyle topics into simple steps.
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