Here are some (hopefully) helpful hints for making your books look and feel their best.

As Always with Helpful Hints, First Practice Techniques Like These on Books or Materials That You Don't Mind Damaging - Wait Until You Feel Comfortable With The Tips Before Using Them on Your Favorite/Valuable Items!

(By the way, do not do these or other 'tips and tricks' on highly valuable, collectible books - it can actually reduce their value to be 'cleaned'.  If unsure, have a professional book archivist help you preserve/clean a book to insure it retains its value.)

Sticker/Label Removal on 'Slick' Covers:

Always test a tiny inconspicuous spot first if unsure or on a 'practice book' of similar material.  Take dustjackets off the books before cleaning them to help prevent damaging book covers.  (What works on a slick dustjacket does not do nice things to the paper or cloth covering the boards of many books...) 

When working with slick cover paperback books (where taking off the cover off would be a BAD thing), it also helps to put a white paper towel between the cover and the first page to help prevent anything from soaking into the paper if you use a little too much.  Make sure the cover is 'color-fast' as all the Goo Gone's™ can remove some types of ink in some cases.  (Think vintage colorful comic books, vintage paperback covers that aren't laminated, etc., as items to probably not try this on.)  Also, 'slick' older vintage paperbacks and children's books from around the 40's and earlier have a different kind of laminate than is used nowadays - be very careful cleaning those as any product that can take off sticky stuff can also make that laminate lift off permanently in places.

To remove the sticker/label, try the new Spray Gel Goo Gone™.  It doesn't run like crazy or evaporate as fast as the Original Goo Gone™, so you can use less and it stays pretty much on the sticker until it's done its work without dripping all over the dustjacket/cover of the book.  Either gently spray a little on the sticker, allowing it to slowly soak across it, or put a little on a white paper towel and gently dab it onto the label/sticker.

When you think the label is sufficiently loose, gently pry up an edge/corner and, with constant light pressure, pull in a slow upwards motion to remove what you can.  Don't scrape across the sticker if possible when trying to get it off - it can cause indents/scratches to the cover/dustjacket surface that will lower the grade and look of it.  Try just a little Goo Gone™ at first.  Then, use a little more after some of the sticker is off rather than trying to soak the whole thing through at one go.  That way you can check to make sure you're not also lifting 'laminate' with the label - old stickers can become bonded to the shiny stuff (and even the paper below it sometimes) and lift it right along with the sticker, permanently damaging that area. 

If it seems that the sticker has been on the item a really long time, or has become brittle (a sign the glue may have bonded to the book instead of the label), extra time soaking or another treatment with the Goo Gone™ to loosen it may be necessary before trying to remove it.  (Sometimes a blow dryer on warm can also help re-soften the glue, but this can take a long time and can also soften the binding glue on things like paperback spines if done wrong...)

As Goo Gone™ can leave a faint oily residue, a really great way to clean it off smooth/non-porous items once the sticker is gone is to use Office Depot™ Multipurpose Anti-Static Cleaner.  It's made to clean computer equipment so it evaporates quickly and is oil-free/wax-free, so there's much less chance of the cover/dustjacket rippling or staining from getting and staying damp.  (Plus you can use it for its original purpose - keeping your computer stuff clean and static free!)  Spray some on a white paper towel and gently go over the slick cover or dustjacket with it to clean up any remaining dirt/residue, making sure it's completely dry before putting the book away.  As with Goo Gone™, do not use this cleaner on porous paper items/covers as it can make colors run.

Sticker/Label Removal on 'Paper' Covers/Items:

Lighter fluid, such as Ronsinol™, can sometimes be used safely on colorful paper items to remove labels and stickers (or even sometimes ink marks).  Make sure not to soak through the paper, but use just enough to loosen the glue on the label so it can be safely lifted without taking any original color/material with it.  Again, test either on a practice item or a very inconspicuous spot.  Don't rub the items or the remaining glue residue as that can increase the chance the color/inks will run into other areas.  Use a clean white soft cloth to immediately blot up any excess remover or ink that starts to run. 

If you have a price sticker or label on a non-color paper item, such as a book's solid white or creme free end paper or pastedown, you can also use the Spray Gel Goo Gone™ to remove things like address labels/bookplates as long you make sure it doesn't get on any of the color/black areas of the paper and you don't let it soak in too long.  (Pastedown glue may loosen if the Goo Gone™ is left on too long or too much is used, causing the pastedown to lift along with the label.)  DO NOT VIGOROUSLY RUB the 'damp' paper to remove any remaining glue residue - it can damage the paper.  If you can't get it off by gently going over it with a soft clean white cloth, wait for it to dry, then treat again to cut through the remaining stickiness.  You also must have a way to leave the book open after you get the label off so the Goo Gone™ has time to completely evaporate from the paper.  It can take a few hours for it to completely dissipate from some types of paper. 

Cleaning Book Pages

A handy little item to have is Absorene Book Cleaner.  It's available from places like Brodart online.  It can be used to lift dust and dirt off some types of pages and can even sometimes remove some smells like smoke from a page.  It can also be used on quite a few paper dustjackets to help remove surface soiling safely when used as directed. 

Another good item to have some of the newer white 'plastic' erasers like they have at Office Depot™ and other office supply stores.  They're inexpensive, are gentler to paper than most and won't leave behind marks like the pink ones or other colors can.  They're good for getting rid of pencil marks and are flexible enough to get down into light indents without damaging most papers to do it.  Be careful using them on 'slick' paper pages (the type photos are usually printed on) - they tend to cause a 'shiny' area on them.  Also, they still can take off color on highly decorated color pages, just like other erasers, so check a tiny area first or practice on something else first.

For getting rid of ballpoint ink marks that haven't been heavily pressed into the paper, a standard white 'ink' (sandy) eraser does well, also available from your local office supply store.  (They're usually white for 'ink' on one side and pink for 'pencil' on the other.)  Make sure you lightly and gently erase a little at a time with the white end just on the ink lines to avoid taking too much paper with the ink.  This can take a while, so be patient, but quite a few ink marks will disappear this way, leaving behind just a slightly rougher surface than the surrounding paper if done correctly.

Removing Small Marks/Smudges From the Page Block Edges

Many books have small signs of handling, such as faint smudges on the edge of the page block or a light pencil mark, etc.  If the page block is not "edge-stained", in other words a color other than white or slightly off-white, you can use a a white 'ink eraser' (they have a small amount of sand in them) or a fine emery board or a little bit of a flexible fine grade sanding block to gently and very carefully 'erase' off the mark. The black grit sanders/emery boards seem to work the best and don't leave any 'color' behind on the paper like the other types can as long as you don't let them get down to the backing when using them.   Practice, however, first, on items you don't care about to get the hang of it.

Cut a piece a little narrower than the width of the book so you don't accidentally 'sand' the cover edges or boards.   Make sure to hold the page block tight and square as possible without making any dents, dings or bumps to the rest of the book.  Also make sure you use a gentle pressure to avoid causing 'pits' in the papers and always lightly 'erase' or 'sand' 'with the grain' (the long way) to prevent 'scratches' across the edge of the block or from accidentally tearing or crinkling page edges.  Watch that you constantly keep the eraser or sander clean to prevent making marks of your own.  The idea is to just take the existing mark off if possible, and nothing more. 

If the book has 'age-tanned' any place on the block edges or a there were a lot of smudges, the area you 'erase' will be lighter than the rest - you will have to 'erase' or 'sand' all the sides to clean up/even out the look which is A LOT of work, so only consider this for your favorite recent books that you want to keep 'clean' looking or to help out a newly adopted, slightly less than perfect copy to live up to its potential.  This technique will not remove stains that have soaked into the paper, like coffee spills or black Sharpie™ lines -- unless you sanded deep grooves in the paper! -- but it does nicely for removing the odd faint fingerprint smudge that would otherwise keep a really nice book from looking almost perfect. 

Cleaning Leather/Cloth Book Covers/Boards

Try using Clean Cover Gel™ also available from Brodart.  It can actually help make older leather covers more supple and bring back some of their original rich color.  It can also help bring back the look of slightly faded cloth covered boards.  It won't bring back color that has 'washed' off or is highly faded/turned a different color from sun or light, but if your book is starting to look a little less bright, this is a good way to improve it and also to help protect it from getting any worse or from the cloth getting as brittle as fast.

BOOKS FOR ALL REASONS