Found a good way to get old glue off book cloth without wrecking it

I was fixing a 1920s poetry book from a local thrift store, and the spine cloth was stuck down with this rock-hard animal glue. I tried warm water, but it made the cloth soggy. Then I remembered reading about using a mix of white vinegar and water, about one part vinegar to three parts water. I dabbed it on with a cotton swab, waited two minutes, and the glue scraped off clean with a bone folder. Has anyone else found a better mix for really stubborn paste?

4 comments

4 Comments

benw871mo ago

Vinegar can wreck old paper fibers.

chen.hugo20d ago

But how much damage are we really talking about. A quick dab probably won't dissolve the whole page. Seen way worse fixes.

the_henry1mo ago

benw87 is right about vinegar and paper, and it's a good example of how we often use harsh stuff without knowing. People grab bleach for everything or scrub antiques with rough pads, not realizing they're causing more harm. It's that quick fix mindset that ends up ruining the original thing you were trying to save. Makes you wonder what else we're accidentally wrecking with common household products.

rowanp1520d ago

Yeah, benw87 has a point about vinegar and paper, but I feel like @the_henry is talking about a different kind of risk. With old cloth, especially on a book spine, the vinegar mix is usually okay for a quick dab because the cloth is tougher. The real danger is using it on the paper pages or leather. I saw someone once try to clean foxing off a page with straight vinegar and it left a permanent dark stain that looked worse than the spots. It's all about knowing what material you're actually touching.