If you’ve got a collection of old books in the basement or attic which have gone musty over time, you may want to try this trick in removing their musty odor.

Wipe the dust and mildew of the book covers and pages. Using some day to week old newspaper (be careful not to use old and musty ones, defeats the purpose), insert some sheets in between some of the books’ pages. Crumple up some more sheets of newspaper. Put the books and crumpled newspaper inside a box, suitcase, garbage bag or any large container that you can seal. Put in some charcoal together with the crumpled newspaper. The charcoal and the newspaper will “soak” up the musty odor.

Generally, to keep that musty smell off you books is to take care of them by making sure your shelves are always dry and mildew-free. Here’s a previous article on book care.