People are freezing their old and secondhand books for this disgusting reason
"Book worms are real??!!"
People who buy thrifted, secondhand and old books are shocked they need to freeze their books after buying.
Finding a treasured book at a thrift or secondhand store is a treat, and the look and feel of holding an old book is something special. Plus, they're often a good deal.
Many people who frequently buy used books are just finding out that they should be freezing their purchases. Sound weird? A little, but book lovers have a few solid, good reason for the quirky hack are spreading awareness about why they always put their secondhand books in the freezer before reading.
The main reason: it will get rid of any creepy-crawlies that may be lingering in the books. In an interview with Country Living, Lindsey Chastain, home expert and founder of The Waddle and Cluck, explained: "Freezing can get rid of booklice, silverfish, and bedbugs."
Surprisingly, bed bugs love to hide in books. According to library resource Mobius Consortium, bed bugs are usually found in the bindings of books near the spine, and often leave marks on pages. The organization notes that bed bugs may be more commonly found in hard cover books, but can also be found in paperbacks.
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Booklice also thrive in books, hence their namesake. They feed on mold and fungi and eat through paper products, thereby destroying books, according to Penn State University. Like booklice, silver fish also feed on book bindings.
Besides getting rid of bugs, freezing used books can also help with preservation. According to the Northeast Document Conservation Center, freezing books can also help prevent mold growth and maintain an old book's shape and condition.
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To properly freeze books, you should not simply place them in the freezer. "Put the books in a sealed plastic bag to keep condensation from warping the pages after you take them out," Chastain told Country Living.
Used books should remain in the freezer for at least 48 hours to eradicate anything that may be lingering inside. According to Dartmouth University, the cold temperatures and oxygen deprivation will slowly but surely kill the pests.
@mychala.reads i learned why you should freeze your thrifted books and have never been the same since 😅 #thriftedbooks #bookthrifting #secondhandbooks #booktok #bookishtips
The pro-tip had book lovers shocked. "How did I not know this was a thing?" one commented on a video shared by book lover Diya on Instagram. Another added, "Oh, this is... sincerely helpful 👏 Thank you!" Another reader wrote, "My family thinks I am crazy that I do this! Glad I am not the only one!"
And some shared their horror stories about finding critters in their books: "I always set my books on my night stand right? one day noticed TINY little crawlies all over it... book lice. MORTIFIED. had to put the night stand out in the snow for a few days. haven't seen em since.. (I am a clean person I promise)," one reader commented on a TikTok video. Another shared, "Uhh we got book lice once and never again. We freeze everything."
Others found humor in the new revelation. "Cracking open a cold one has a whole new meaning 🤯," one commented on reader Iraiter's Instagram video. Another quipped, "Cause reading is cool."