How to Get Adhesive Off Books

Older books have fragile pages, which require a gentle hand during removal.

Adhesive causes several problems for books if left on the pages or cover over a long period of time. The pages start to stick together, and the adhesive takes on a browning color. This discoloration seeps into the fibers of the paper and can potentially cover entire words. Because this adhesive removal project involves paper, typical removal tools like rubbing alcohol are out of the question. High levels of heat and a steady hand provide the best option to avoid causing damage to the book cover and pages during the removal process.

Things You'll Need

• Hair dryer
• Tweezers
• Knife

Instructions

1. Set a hair dryer to the highest setting and turn on. Apply heat directly onto the adhesive.

2. Grab any paper or other material stuck to the adhesive with tweezers. This problem occurs for several reasons. First, two pages may stick together due to the adhesive standing untouched for a long period of time. Another reason involves tape adhesive with small pieces of tape still stuck on the page. Begin by grabbing the corner of the stuck material.

3. Pull the material away from the adhesive slowly, so that you don't tear the pages. Continue to apply heat from the hair dryer while you pull apart.

4. Place the flat edge of a knife against the page and begin scraping off the excess adhesive residue. Continue to apply heat while scraping to remove as much as possible. Use light-to-moderate force to prevent cutting or tearing the pages or book cover.

References

• 3M US: FAQs
• Tesa: The Little ABC of Adhesives