Getting rid of mold/yellow stains

If my books are stored in a big plastic container which are covered, and i am living in a tropical climate, how do i get rid of the yellow spots and the brown ones on the books? Do i just open the cover and air them?

And what's the difference of using a de-humidifier and a humidifier?

Thanks :)

To answer one of your questions, a humidifier adds moisture i.e., increases the humidity. A dehumidifier removes moisture.

In a tropical climate, the dehumidifier is the one you want.

If the spots have already occurred, I don't think you can remove them short of bleach, which will damage the pages/cover. You can kill the mold, but the spots will remain, so it's best to prevent them.

FYI, closing up books in an unventilated container is a great way to get mold; it loves still air, especially if it's damp.

So if i want to choose a bookshelf for my books, do i choose the one that has no doors or the ones that have?

Thanks :)

I'd go for open shelves, myself.

A silly question perhaps, but why don't you keep them in an air-conditioned room?

perhaps because in many areas, air conditioning can be extremely expensive?

And perhaps not, since Singapore is one of those places where many houses do have air conditioning.

>8 shikari:

But it is expensive to leave the airco on 24/7, no?

#9: I don't know: I always used to in Abu Dhabi and Kuwait. Of course, I really don't know how the humidity varies over the day in Singapore and whether you'd need to leave it on constantly and over the seasons and whether you'd need to use it all year round. The first rule is probably location, but changing that would be a very expensive decision to make. Still, getting away from sea level would probably reduce the humidity and might be a good long-term decision. In the absence of that, a/c would provide a more stable environment than hoping for the best.

Thanks people :D

>6 shikari:

But shouldn't we save the earth (and our pockets) ? Since climate change is happening.

Yes, if you can keep your books from falling apart! Mould is, after all, the natural consequence of keeping dead trees in a tropical climate. Good luck!