Dry cleaning pads, which are cloth bags filled with eraser dust, are a safe option for cleaning paper. These can often be found at art supply stores. The eraser dust is sprinkled onto the book surface and rubbed gently with fingers or the cloth. For areas with heavier dirt, use a white vinyl eraser to carefully rub the spot, always moving towards the edge of the page to avoid causing wrinkles and rips.
Products called Absorene or Groom-stick can often be found at art supply stores and work well to clean cloth binding. Groom-stick removes almost anything, including ink and decorative gilt on book jackets. It should be used with caution. These products are rolled across the surface like Play-doh, or, in heavy grime areas, can be used like an eraser to rub dirt off. Wipe glossy dust jackets with a Windex-sprayed cloth; do not spray directly with any liquid.
Removing adhesives from books should be done with caution, and left to professionals when dealing with rare or valuable books. Some adhesives like price tags can be removed by carefully applying Goo Gone or lighter fluid to the adhesive with a Q-tip, then gently scraping with a butter knife or similar knife. Very sharp knives should not be used because they can easily cut the layers below the adhesive. Bookplates cannot be removed using this method, as they have a water based paste rather than glue.
This is a difficult task that does not always work, and should not be attempted on valuable books at all. Blotting paper or a paper towel is cut to slightly smaller than the bookplate and placed over, without touching either page. A sheet of wax paper is placed over the whole page and the book closed for at least half an hour. Sometimes, but not always, following these steps, the bookplate can be lifted slowly from the corners and removed.
Musty smells develop in books when they are in moist conditions. The best way to combat this is to move them to a drier location. This will eventually reduce the musty smell, which is caused by mold. Drying out damp books can be done by placing them in a closed container with, but not touching, unscented kitty litter, baking soda, cedar chips or calcium chloride from a hardware store, and leaving them for a few days. This can help with cigarette odor as well. Absorene should be rolled over surfaces to remove mold particles.