Orasis, mejorando la calidad de tus fotografías en iOS

La fotografía digital está a la orden del día, y es que casi nadie se salva de tener una cámara digital, reflex, semireflex o cualquiera de sus variantes. Y en caso de que no la tengamos, nos hemos convertido en adictos a la fotografía digital gracias a los smartphones.

Precisamente dada la cantidad de fotografías que realizamos con nuestros dispositivos, hay una gran probabilidad de que alguna de ellas salga mal, oscurecida, poco definida, etc. Pero todo tiene arreglo y Orasis pretende ayudarnos a mejorar la calidad de éstas mediante su app de iOS.

Nos funcionará con iPad, iPod Touch y iPhone, y podremos corregir automáticamente el contraste y la iluminación de cada fotografía que elijamos. Hay que puntualizar que no es una aplicación de edición de imagen, si no cuyo objetivo es corregir aquellas fotografías que han salido mal capturadas, con fondos oscuros, con exceso de flash, con alto contraste o con una iluminación casi nula.

Una vez corregida la fotografía, podremos compartirla en redes sociales desde la misma app. Podéis probar Orasis descargándolo en este link hacia iTunes.

---

Texto escrito en wwwhatsnew.com



Patrocinan WWWhatsnew: Vuelos Baratos

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YouTube para Android se actualiza con Mis Suscripciones y útiles mejores

YouTube acaba de actualizar su aplicación oficial para Android incorporando varios novedades realmente útiles como la posibilidad de ver los videos que se han subido a los canales más rápidamente con “Mis Suscripciones”, soporte para One Channel y más!

YouTube para Android ha recibido una importante actualización a su versión 4.4 la cual incluye como principal novedad la posibilidad de ver los nuevos vídeos que han subido los canales a los que estamos suscriptos más rápidamente. Ahora se ha añadido una lista llamada “Mis Suscripciones” que nos muestra los videos más recientes de nuestros- canales por lo que podemos acceder a ellos en un solo clic. Anteriormente teníamos que que ir al “Feed de Canales” y buscar los nuevos vídeos junto a los recomendados de YouTube o ir directamente canal por canal para ver si había un nuevo vídeo.

Por otra parte, también se ha agregado soporte para YouTube One Channel, una nueva intefaz para los creadores de canales que ahora se muestra en la imagen de la portada. Además, se ha corregido un error que provocaba que periódicamente se cerrase la sesión en algunas cuentas así como otros bugs y se ha mejorado la estabilidad de la aplicación.

Esta nueva versión de YouTube para Android se puede descargar de forma gratuita desde Google Play.

Descargar YouTube (Google Play)

Recuerda que puedes leer todos mis artículos desde AQUÍ o seguirme en Twitter desde @GerRodrigo87 para estar al tanto de todo lo que sucede en el mundo Android.

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How to Fill Out a US 1040A Tax Return

When tax time comes around there are many decisions to make. One of them is which return form to file. In an effort to simplify filling out the form, a guide on filling out the return will come in handy. This will take you step by step, line by line, through all the most common forms. Business schedules, real estate, fishing, farming, contractor, or statutory incomes are sometimes complicated, and not that common these forms will not be covered here.

Edit Steps

IRS Form 1040A

IRS Form 1040A

Filling Out Your Own 1040A Tax Return

1. Put your address label into the address section at the top, or simply fill it in by hand.


2. Check the $3 dollar box for you, and your spouse if you're filing married. Federal law provides that anyone qualified by the Constitution has the right to run for president, however, the election registration process has attempted to control this by demanding excessive registration fees. The $3 pays these fees for the candidate who can't afford them.


3. Fill in your filing status. Unlike the EZ return, you can choose any of the 5 statuses. Single, Married Filing Jointly, Married Filing Separately, Head of Household, or Qualifying Widow(er). Single or Married Filing Jointly are the most common.


4. Check box 6a and b, unless someone else can claim you on their taxes. This can happen if you or your spouse has an income, but do not pay 50% of your own support. This can happen if you are still living at home for convenience, are married, and a full-time student. If you can be claimed on someone else's tax return, do not check 6a or b, and do not check dependent exemptions, you can not claim yourself. If your spouse can be claimed on someone else's return, you can not file as Married Filing Jointly. It does not matter that someone else does claim you, only that they can.


5. Enter the name, SSN, and relationship of each dependent.


6. Enter the total number of exemptions on line 6d.


7. Enter your gross wages, salaries, and tips from block 1 of your W-2 into line 7. Attach your W-2 Wage and Tax Statement to the return.
   
   
   
   • If you are filing after February 15, and you still don't have your W-2 Wage and Tax Statement, call the IRS and give them your name, full address, SSN, dates of employment, and your employer's name, full address, and phone. If you don't receive the W-2 within a reasonable period of time, file a substitute W-2. You can print one off a blank W-2. Make sure you have figured the tax withheld, day for day, until Dec 31.
   
   
   
   


8. Fill in your taxable interest, if any, in line 8a and your tax exempt interest in line 8b. Don't get the 2 confused.


9. Enter your ordinary dividends on line 9a, and your qualified dividends on 9b. Refer to page 22 in your instructions if you have any questions.


10. Fill in your Capital gain distributions from your worksheet on page 22.


11. Enter your IRA distributions on line 11a, and the taxable amount on 11b.


12. Add Pension and annuities on line 12a, and the taxable amount on 12b.


13. Fill in your unemployment compensation, if any, in line 13.


14. Enter your Social Security Benefits on line 14a, and their taxable amount on line 14b. Take this total from the worksheet found on page 83 of IRS Pub. 17


15. Add lines 7 - 14b (far right column). This is your Total Income.


16. Fill in your Educator expenses (If available, for teachers) on line 16. See page 25 of the instructions.


17. Enter your IRA deduction on line 17. See page 27 of the instructions.


18. Configure student loan interest from page 28 of the instructions. Add this on line 18.


19. Figure your Tuition and Fees deduction from form 8917 using your secondary tuition and fees paid during that year. Enter this on line 19.


20. Add lines 16 through 19. These are your total adjustments. Enter this on line 20.


21. Subtract line 20 from 15. Enter this on line 21. This is your Adjusted Gross Income.


22. At the top of the second page write your full name(s) and SSN(s). If you are filing Married Filing Jointly for the year during which your spouse died, or are filing Qualified Widow(er), write DECEASED after your spouse's name.


23. Enter the amount from line 21 on line 22.


24. If you or your spouse is 65 or older, or blind check the boxes on line 23a and fill the total into the box at the end of that line.


25. If you are Married Filing Separately, check 23b, unless you itemize.


26. Enter your standard deduction from the chart on line 24.


27. Subtract line 24 from line 22. Insert the amount on line 25.


28. Enter your personal deduction on page 26.


29. Subtract line 26 from line 25. Insert the total on line 27.


30. Insert Dependent Child Care Expenses (Publ 2441) on line 29. Attach schedule 2.


31. Insert elderly or disabled credit on line 30. Attach schedule 3.


32. Insert education credits on line 31. Attach form 8863.


33. Fill in Child Tax Credit (Publ 972) from page 32. Attach form 8901.


34. Enter Retirement Savings contributions credit on line 33. Attach form 8880.


35. Add lines 29 through 33. These are the total credits. Enter this on line 34.


36. Subtract line 34 from line 28. Enter zero on line 35 if 34 is larger than 28.


37. Enter the advanced earned income credit payment, on line 36, from box 9 on your W-2 Wage and Tax Statement.


38. Add lines 35 and 36. This is your total tax on line 37.


39. Enter your Federal Income Tax Withheld from Line 38 on your W-2 Wage and Tax Statement.


40. Previous year estimated tax payment and amount applied from the next earlier year. Add this on line 39.


41. Fill in line 40a with the Earned income credit, Pub 596, and 40b with the nontaxable combat pay election.


42. Enter your additional child tax credit. Attach form 8812.


43. Add lines 38, 39, 40a, and 41. These are your total payments. Enter the total on line 42.


44. Subtract line 42 from 37. If line 42 is larger than line 37, line 43 is your overpayment.


45. On 44a enter the amount you want refunded. If you are filing Married Filing Jointly, and you want the refund split, attach a form 8888. and check the box at 44a. Fill in the routing number and account number for a single deposit in 44b, and c.


46. On line 45 you can designate an amount of your refund to next year's taxes.


47. If line 37 is larger than 42, enter the amount of tax you owe in line 46.


48. Check page 53 to see if there is a tax penalty. Enter this in line 47.


49. Sign the signature lines. Include the date and your occupation. Also, include a phone number. If your spouse died during the year, the executor or administrator of the will should sign for that spouse.

Edit Tips

• Read and fill out all of the credit and deduction forms. Leave the 1040A form for last. Read the 1040A. Fill out the forms as you go along, and put the end results on the return. When they are all done, do the math. When that's finished, the return will almost fill itself out.


• The IRS rules are very forgiving when you look to pay the minimum tax and gaining the maximum refund, not so should you make unlawful claims.


• All forms are searchable on the IRS Topical Index. ^[1]


• Forms and Instructions are listed on the IRS Form Picklist. ^[2]


• Publications are listed on the IRS Publication Picklist. ^[3]


• Make sure all lines are filled in.


• IRS Publication 17 is called the Preparer's Bible. If you have any questions about exemptions, deductions, or credits you will find all your answers here.


• Many of the credits require separate forms to be included to support those claimed on side 2 of Form 1040A. Make sure they are filled in correctly and completely.


• Because of the Special Rules, MFS would generally assess a higher tax. IRS Pub. 17 p. 23


• For more forms that are commonly used in personal filing see the IRS Picklist. ^[4]


• Don't get Common-Law and Community Property confused.


• Common Law marriages must be dissolved or separated in the same means as marriages in all other states.


• The Third Party Designee line and the last 2 lines are only for professional tax preparers. Since this is about doing your own taxes, you don't need these.

Edit Warnings

• This is not tax advice. Tax laws change from year to year. This article attempts to stay within the most common adjustments. It is intended to give you the information to do your taxes yourself. You should be able to do every kind of the most common individual taxes with the instructions and the Pub 17. However, if you run into questions that are just too confounding, don't hesitate to call the IRS help line. They don't bite. Really.


• The IRS will pursue you if anything on your return seems fraudulent. If they bring an error to you attention, just correct it and follow it through. File a 1040X Amended form as soon as possible to correct the error. It's a correction process that's there to help you amend an error. The only thing you can really do wrong is to ignore it or run from it.

Edit Related wikiHows

• How to Fill out IRS Form 1040


• How to Fill Out a US 1040EZ Tax Return


• How to Fill Out a US 1040X Tax Return


• How to File as Head of Household


• How to Make Filing US Taxes Easier


• How to Determine Your Tax Filing Status


• How to Fill in US Tax Deductions and Credits


• How to Avoid Tax Problems


• How to Be a Tax Preparer

Edit Sources and Citations

• IRS Pub 17


• 1040EZ Instructions

Article Tools

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• Email this Article


• Edit


• Discuss

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How to Clean Clogged Pores

Pores on your face can get clogged with oil, dry skin cells, and everyday dirt and debris you encounter when you're out in the world. Clogged pores left untreated can lead to blackheads and acne, so it's important to clean them often. Try one of four techniques for unclogging your pores: steaming, exfoliating, using a facial mask, and using a pore-unclogging treatment.

Edit Steps

Method One: Unclog Your Pores with Steam

1. Wash your face. Start the unclogging process by washing your face. Use this gentle face-washing method to get your face completely clean without irritating your skin, which can cause your pores to appear bigger:
   
   
   
   • Use makeup remover solution or pads to wipe away your makeup in gentle strokes. Remove all traces of eye makeup, concealer, and any other products you use.
   
   
   • Splash your face with lukewarm water. Using hot water can inflame your face and dry it out, so stick with lukewarm or cool water for now. Splash your face with water several times to remove residue from your makeup remover.
   
   
   • Use a gentle cleanser if you wish. If your skin is on the dry side, you don't need to use a cleanser. If you want to use one, make sure it's non-abrasive and doesn't contain chemicals that will dry out your face.
   
   
   • Pat your face dry with a soft towel. Don't rub it or scrub it. The skin on your face is thinner and more fragile than the skin on the rest of your body, so its important to treat it gently.
   
   
   
   


2. Fill a pot with water and place it on the stove. Turn the heat to medium high, cover the pot, and allow it to heat. When the water is hot enough to start producing steam, remove the pot from heat.
   
   
   
   • You can pour the water into a large bowl or leave it in the pot for your steam treatment.
   
   
   • You can add green tea, peppermint tea, chamomile tea, or another herb or extract to the water to help nourish your face. Add tea tree oil to the water to help treat acne.
   
   
   
   


3. Place a towel over your head and lean over the steaming water. Tent the towel over your shoulders and the pot so that the steam is directed to your face. Let the steam soak into your face and pores for ten minutes.


4. Rinse your face with cool water. Wash away the particles that emerged from your pores with cool water, which will help your face tighten back up. Apply moisturizer to protect your face from drying out.

Method Two: Exfoliate Your Face

1. Use a dry facial brush. Dry brushing is an ancient exfoliation technique that has gained popularity in recent years. Buy a facial brush with soft bristles made from natural fibers. Make sure the brush you use is made specifically to be used on the face, since body brushes are too harsh on fragile facial skin. Use the following technique to exfoliate your face:
   
   
   
   • Start with a clean face. Use makeup remover, rinse your face, and pat it dry with a towel. Make sure your face and the brush are both completely dry before you brush. This method won't work if your face is wet with water or soap.
   
   
   • Gently brush your face by moving the brush in small circles. Concentrate on the areas where your skin is the driest.
   
   
   • Be careful with the skin above and below your eyes, since the skin in these areas is thin and fragile.
   
   
   • When you're finished, rinse your face with cool water and apply moisturizer.
   
   
   
   


2. Use a facial scrub. Gels, creams, cleansers and scrubs containing tiny particles that exfoliate your face are sold at drugstores and beauty stores. You can also make your own with sugar, honey and green tea using the following recipe:
   
   
   
   • Brew a mug of green tea and place a few teaspoons in a bowl.
   
   
   • When the tea has cooled, mix in a tablespoon of sugar and a tablespoon of honey.
   
   
   • Apply the scrub to a clean face. Rub it in gently to exfoliate, concentrating on the driest areas.
   
   
   • Rinse your skin with cool water and apply moisturizer.
   
   
   
   

Method Three: Use a Facial Mask

1. Try a clay mask. Clay masks work by pulling out the substances that clog pores as they dry. They are available at health and beauty stores, but you can also make your own.
   
   
   
   • Mix 1 tablespoon of bentonite clay (available at health food stores), 1 tablespoon of water, and 1 tablespoon of oatmeal.
   
   
   • Apply the mixture to a clean face, making sure to cover all the areas where your pores are clogged.
   
   
   • Let the mask sit on your face for 10 minutes. You'll feel it start to tighten as it dries, and that means the clay is working to draw out the debris from your pores.
   
   
   • Wash your face with water, pat it dry with a soft towel, and apply moisturizer.
   
   
   
   


2. Use an alpha hydroxy or beta hydroxy acid mask. These are known as chemical exfoliants. They are available for purchase from beauty stores, and they exfoliate your skin without you having to scrub it.
   
   
   
   • Starting with a clean face, apply the product and allow it to sit for fifteen minutes, or the time specified on the package. Don't leave it on for too long or it could irritate your skin.
   
   
   • Rinse your face with water, pat it dry with a soft towel, and apply moisturizer.
   
   
   
   

Method Four: Use a Pore-Unclogging Treatment

1. Consider blackhead removal. Blackheads form when clogged pores mix with dirt or dead skin cells and from hard, black knobs that become more visible over time. Making a habit of removing blackheads can cause skin irritation and even scarring, so be very careful with this method, and don't use it more than absolutely necessary.
   
   
   
   • Use a sterile wipe to sanitize the part of your face with the blackhead.
   
   
   • Use your fingers to pinch the area around the blackhead into a small mound.
   
   
   • Wrap a tissue around your other hand and use it to gently squeeze the blackhead until it leaves the skin. Wipe it away and wash the area.
   
   
   • Alternatively, use a blackhead removal tool (available at beauty stores) to remove the blackhead.
   
   
   • Always sanitize your face, hands and any tools you use so that you don't infect your face with bacteria, which could lead to acne or skin irritation.
   
   
   
   


2. Try micro dermabrasion. This treatment is offered at salons, and entails applying a chemical to the skin that removes the top layer to deeply exfoliate and get rid of substances deep in your pores. This treatment should be used sparingly, since it can damage your skin if it's done too often.

Edit Video

Edit Tips

• Wash your face immediately after exercising or spending time in a dusty outdoor area.

Edit Warnings

• Don't exfoliate or use skin treatments too often, as they can irritate your face.

Edit Related wikiHows

• How to Wash Your Face


• How to Open Clogged Pores

EditSources and Citations

• http://blog.freepeople.com/2012/09/purifying-face-mask-natural-bentonite-clay/


• http://www.prevention.com/beauty/beauty/clogged-pores-how-unclog-them-winter

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How to Remove the Mildew Smell from Books

Old books are wonderful treasures to find, and some can even be worth a lot of money, but they often come with a musty smell as well. Although it can be tough, you can remove, or at least reduce, that mouldy scent at home.

Edit Steps

Why books can smell mildewed or musty

1. Check for dampness. Dampness, wetness and total soaking of a book is the primary cause of mildew or mustiness in a book, providing an ideal growth medium for mold, bacteria or fungus (which can all smell bad). A spilled drink such as coffee or soda that wasn't mopped off carefully can stick pages together and nurture mildew growth. Dropping the book in the bath can cause total havoc, while leaving a book next to a damp wall without knowing can cause gradual mildewing. Storage of books can often result in bad odors from mildew. If you don't know whether or not the book has been wet in the past, some telltale signs include:
   
   
   
   
   
   

   
   

   

   
   

   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Pages stuck together, especially around the edges but can be whole way through. Often chunks of pages can be stuck together, leaving others freely turning.
   
   
   • Discoloration, such as brown or black speckling, yellowing, and the like.
   
   
   • Actual mildew or mold growing on the spine or cover of the book, especially if the book is old and the cover is made from something totally organic, like leather or paper (no plastic).
   
   
   • It smells like mildew or it's musty (smells like a damp cellar/basement).
   
   
   
   


2. Check for cigarette smoke damage. Another cause of a musty odor can be exposure to cigarette smoking. Books will look yellowed, may be speckled (brown spots running up and down page edges and often across inner pages of book; also known as "foxing") and there may be a stinky smoky odor as well as a musty one, depending on how long it has been since the book was in the smoky location (being absorbent, book paper can stink of cigarette smoke for years).
   
   
   
   
   
   

   
   

   

   
   

   
   
   
   

Fixing immediate sources of dampness

1. If upon picking up the book, you can feel it is damp and see wet or damp pages clumping together, deal with it immediately. The longer a book is left, the harder it will be to fix and the more likely mildew will grow.
   
   
   
   
   
   

   
   

   

   
   

   
   
   
   


2. Stand the book upright on a table. Fan out the the pages fanned gently. If your fingers can't disentangle pages without ripping, use a letter opener and tweezers to assist finer page separation.
   
   
   
   
   
   

   
   

   

   
   

   
   
   
   


3. Let stand to dry in a warm spot free of moisture. Leave long enough to ensure that every page is nice and dry.
   
   
   
   
   
   

   
   

   

   
   

   
   
   
   
   
   
   • You could try direct sunlight if the book isn't valuable, just useful. However, be aware that direct sunlight may fade the book and for older, valuable books, could lead to disintegration, discoloration or curling up of the pages permanently. In most cases, warmth but not direct sunlight is the best approach.
   
   
   
   

Using an absorbent to remove moldy or musty odors

It's assumed that by this stage, you've dried the book or simply have a dry book and you now want it to be odor-free to enable it to be read again.

1. Try kitty litter. You'll need a large container, like a Rubbermaid tub and a smaller container, as well as an absorbent, like baking soda, cat litter, or charcoal.
   
   
   
   
   
   

   
   

   

   
   

   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Fill the larger container halfway with kitty litter.
   
   
   • Place your smelly book or books in the bottom of the smaller container. Place the container above the kitty litter inside the larger container.
   
   
   • Seal the larger container tightly, and leave the book to sit in the absorbent for a few days.
   
   
   • Check every few days. If the odor has gone, remove the book or books and dust down (a new paintbrush is ideal for dusting with). If not, repeat until the book smells a lot better.
   
   
   • Store in a clean, dry place to avoid reintroducing the mildew or musty odor.
     
     
     
     • Activated charcoal or charcoal briquettes can be substituted for kitty litter in the method outlined above. Just be careful not to bring the book into direct contact with the charcoal or it may sustain blackening marks.
     
     
     
     
   
   
   
   


2. Try baking soda. Place a cup of baking soda into a plastic box or bin. Place the book or books (this method is great for more than one book) inside and seal the lid well. Leave for 48-72 hours, then check. Repeat until the odor has gone.
   
   
   
   
   
   

   
   

   

   
   

   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Another approach if you live where it's dry heat and sunny: Sprinkle baking soda between the pages, perhaps every 10 pages or so. Leave the book open in the sunshine for a few days in a row (bring in at night). Sniff to see if it has improved and continue until it smells better. This won't work on all mildewy or musty odors, but it can be beneficial for some. (Be sure not to leave the book exposed to wind or rain.)
   
   
   
   


3. Try newspaper between the pages. Place a sheet of newspaper between every few pages of the book. Do not use on valuable or old books, only cheaper ones (newspaper is acidic and it may transfer ink to the book).
   
   
   
   
   
   

   
   

   

   
   

   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Scrunch up balls of newspaper and toss inside a resealable plastic container or bag.
   
   
   • Place the book in and seal or add the lid.
   
   
   • Leave for 3-5 days.
   
   
   • Remove all the newspaper. The book will hopefully smell better. Do not leave books wrapped in newspaper, as this can harm the book long-term.
   
   
   
   

Hiding the odor

Sometimes, no matter what else you've tried, the odor lingers. Here is where you can try to mask the smell and hope that the result makes reading the book bearable. Note that none of the following should be done with a valuable old book as the perfumes and chemicals in the items used to cover up the odor can introduce elements deleterious to the book's paper, and in some cases, the musty or mildewy odor might be better than ending up with a crumbling book! (Librarians and antiquarians look away now.)

1. Use fabric softener sheets. Just as these sheets absorb odors from fabric, they can do so for books too. Try the following:
   
   
   
   
   
   

   
   

   

   
   

   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Cut a bunch of sheets into thirds, and put one between every 20 pages or so in your smelly book.
   
   
   • Keep it in a zipper bag for a few days, and the musty smell should be gone.
   
   
   • This method is good for preventing the musty smell across numerous books as well––just put a piece of a fabric softener sheet in about every fifth book on your bookshelf.
   
   
   
   


2. Cut a small square of fresh fragrant drawer liner. Place inside the book. You might like to use 2-3 pieces, depending on the size of the book.
   
   
   
   
   
   

   
   

   

   
   

   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Place inside a resealable plastic bag. Let sit in a dry spot for a week or two.
   
   
   • Check now and then to see if the fresher odor has been transferred to the book. Continue until the books smells a lot better.
   
   
   
   


3. Use a strong essential oil. Add drops of an essential oil like lavender, eucalyptus or tea-tree oil to some cotton balls. Place in a resealable plastic bag. Add the book and seal. Remove after a few days; you should find the book smells more like the essential oil than what it once smelled like. Due to the risk of oil spots, only do this with books that don't have great value other than needing to be read, such as a moldy-but-useful textbook.
   
   
   
   
   
   

   
   

   

   
   

   
   
   
   

Future storage

1. Check all storage areas before re-storing books anywhere. Ideally, the area should be dry and neither too cold nor too hot, as coldness can encourage dampness and heat can dry out paper and cause it to crumble. Humidity is bad all round, so find storage with low humidity or do something to reduce the humidity. And do not sit plastic containers in direct sunlight or near heat sources where they may develop condensation which has nowhere else to drip but onto the stored books!
   
   
   
   
   
   

   
   

   

   
   

   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Check that bookcases are not up against moldy, cold and damp walls.
   
   
   • Check the attic or basement for leaks, mildew and dampness.
   
   
   • Check any storage facility for bad odors and signs of mildew or dampness before signing up to storage.
   
   
   
   


2. Use appropriate storage containers.
   
   
   
   
   
   

   
   

   

   
   

   
   
   
   
   
   
   • Choose plastic boxes if the storage area is prone to leaks or dampness. However, add silica gel sachets in case of condensation.
   
   
   • Don't fill bookshelves too full; allow some air circulation between books.
   
   
   • Add dust jackets. These can help keep moisture away from the book. It's easier to replace dust jackets than the book cover itself or its binding.
   
   
   
   

Edit Tips

• Some ways to kill mold, bacteria or fungi on books include:
  
  
  
  • Microwave paperbacks. A quick zap might kill spores. Don't overcook though, you don't want a burning book.
  
  
  • Thymol can be used to destroy some book molds but it requires special application; seek instructions from a bookseller used to dealing with it.
  
  
  
  


• You can't change the color of a book from yellow back to white. The yellowing is due to the many decades of using paper with acid as one of the constituents (mid 19th century to end of 20th century) and eventually, this causes deterioration. Love the book while you have it and consider getting it digitalized if it looks like it's falling to pieces. In general, yellowing isn't a cause of musty or moldy odors but books all have their own unique scents and perhaps one of the above methods can improve a bad smell not initiating from mold/bacteria/fungus or smoke.

Edit Warnings

• Dust from kitty litter might infiltrate the book and spoil it. Look for kitty litter without a lot of dust or only use the top portion from the package (hopefully the dust will settle more at the base of the package). Litter can also be caught in the spine or binding, depending on the type of litter used.


• Overly dry pages in older books may cause them to tear more easily. Be careful about keeping books in too dry an environment for too long.


• Cigarette and tobacco odor are very hard to remove. Months of sitting on a windowsill in warm sun and frequent page turning may go some way to helping but really, only time can help and even then, it may not be sufficient.


• Valuable book and don't know what to do? Don't do anything; instead, take it to an antique book retailer for professional advice. Better safe than sorry.


• Bleach of any sort will damage and perhaps even destroy books.


• Not all musty odors are due to mold or mildew. If a book shows no signs of water damage or staining but still smells a bit like a dank, sour basement, the acids in the paper may simply have been excessively oxidizing. Such acid odor often results from books being kept near heat sources, on shelves that receive direct sunlight, or otherwise frequently exposed to heat, which accelerates the gradual damage that the paper's own acids do to it over time. If the book is a valuable collectible (e.g. a rare comic book or an antiquarian piece that is otherwise in great condition), you may wish to take it to an archival preservation or book restoration specialist. Regardless, you should not attempt to apply any form of cleaner to it.

Edit Sources and Citations

• http://mb.nawcc.org/showthread.php?73591-Removing-Musty-Odors-From-Books – research source


• http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf585248.tip.html – research source

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