I recently went to a library book sale and got a great deal on some used kids books. My question is, how can I clean these? Some just feel gross from the many hands that have handled them, and some is just my germophobia and knowing how many illnesses are out there, and that my son first puts everything in his mouth. Any suggestions would be great. I do prefer non chemical, natural products, but right now, I just really want them clean.
Guess I should add that these are not board books. My son loves books and while I don't encourage/allow the ripping/eating of books, I wanted theses so that I don't care about the mistakes, and allow him to learn without my worrying about him ruining good books.
I assume you're talking board books. just wipe them down with a rag that's been sprayed w/vinegar and water - that'll kill most of the germs and should get rid of the grime. my mom says that her dad (this would've been in the 30's and 40's) put used books in something air tight (she doesn't remember what and it couldn't have been plastic bags) for two weeks because he was paranoid about their school books! so that'd be an alternative that would kill most things as well.
Keep the books away from your son when you are not in the room. My kids destroyed plenty of books that age, but I taught them they were for looking, not tearing or eating by just simpley making it a priviledge to have book time with mommy.
Germs on books cannot live past 72 hours I believe. I am not sure how non chemically however if you get a clorox wipe and wipe down the outside then follow up by a damp paper towel to wipe off chemical residue. The pages you need to just give it time, let them air out in a plastic tub or something for a good 72 hours after you have wiped the outside out.
I have bought a ton of books used, garage sales and all I ever did was wipe the outside out and let them sit a few days before letting my kids get a ahold of them. Just keep them out of his mouth, don't leave him alone with the books until he is a lot older. He is only 1.
He won't learn if you allow him to tear them up, at 1 he has not clue as he is just interested in cause and effect so just get books out when you are around unless they are cloth or kid proof books.
He will learn soon enough, when he is older have him sit with you and show him how to turn pages correctly and all of that. In Kindergarten when my daughter started going to the library they actually gave the kids a course on how to treat books so that was fun for that lightbulb to kick on with her.
Good luck, I wouldn't worry so much though.
Not a big help here - my mother in law was a librarian, and would only take the new books (never checked out) home to her kids. That tells me there is no easy way to clean off paper pages. As a germ-o-phobe, I'm not checking books out either, which is unfortunate.
I hope you get a lot of suggestions on this. When my children were little I just used the same cleaner I used on my kitchen counters (an all-purpose antibacterial spray cleaner). I didn't spray it right on the books; I sprayed it on a soft cloth, cleaned the books gently, and let them dry. It didn't hurt my kids (the ones who were still in the mouthy stage). We had a wonderful library of used books. They were affordable, and the children learned how to use them and not abuse them. Sometimes you can find better books at yard sales, library sales, and thrift stores than in the regular stores. Do that sort of treasure hunt as often as you can - you won't be sorry!
I've heard you can sanitize non-washable toys by putting them in the freezer for 12 hours - supposedly it kills the majority of the bacteria. That should work for books too, I would think.