Can You Store Books In Cardboard Boxes? Top 10 tips

So, can you store books in cardboard boxes? many people believe that books should not be stored in cardboard boxes, but we’re here to tell you that there are specific ways which you have to follow when storing books in cardboard boxes.

Because if you don’t store your books properly, you might end up damaging them , or worse they’ll become completely useless.

Storing books in cardboard boxes is a very cost-effective yet an efficient solution incase you don’t have space in your home or if you’re moving.

But are they safe? will they keep your books protected from unwanted bugs, mold and other types of harmful stuff?

Let me explain.

First let’s go through what Cardboard is actually made from.

In very simple words, cardboard is made from trees, if i explain that then cardboard is made from paper pulp or wood shavings.

Can cardboard hold moisture? No, it will collapse when exposed to intense amounts of moisture or water, but is it good for storing dry stuff? Absolutely!

Is It Better To Store Books In CardBoard Or Plastic?

If you’re storing your books then you have to protect them from two things, one is moisture, and the other is air.

While a cardboard box can be a good solution to store your books, it’s not the best one , why? because it exposes your books to air which in turn oxidizes them.

Okay , is plastic better to store books? depends, if the plastic container is not airtight then a single drop of water or moisture could result in mold getting formed.

But Overall plastic boxes provide a lot more protection to your books than cardboard boxes, if the plastic box is right then it will protect your books from rodents, bugs, insects and ofcourse prevent them from being oxidized.

What Is The Best Way To Store Books In Cardboard Boxes?

The best and easiest way to store books in cardboard boxes is to stack them vertically, just like you do on a bookshelf.

Now the logic behind stacking is that even if the books do get wet or if rodents or some other insect start to destroy them, the main content i.e the pages of the books will remain intact.

Because the book cover will essentially elevate your book pages and thus keep them safe.

One more safe way to store books in cardboard boxes is to line up a thin piece of Styrofoam below your books and above them, encompassing them in a way such that your books are between 2 pieces of Styrofoam.

What Is The Best Way To Store Old Books In Cardboard Boxes?

When it comes to old books we know that they need to be kept with extreme care, because old books are already exposed to oxidation and other forms of harm.

so what’s the best way to store old books in cardboard boxes?

here’s a step by step

Stuff You’ll Need:

1. Duct Tape
2. Styrofoam

Here’s what you need to do:

1. The first thing you should do is line up the outside of your cardboard box with as much duct tape as you can, sealing it as much as you can and getting inside every nook and cranny.
2. Then you need to open your cardboard box, and line the inside of your cardboard box with duct tape, let’s call it double sealing, to ensure that no kind of moisture or liquid leaks into your cardboard box.
3. After thoroughly applying duct tape to your cardboard box and sealing every hole, you then need to put a squared piece of styrofoam on the bottom of your cardboard box. Then do the same on the top of the cardboard box.
4. We’re not done, you need to stack your books and fill up the cardboard box.
5. The final step is to put another layer of duct tape and completely seal your cardboard box from the outside

This is a proper way to pack books for storage and will make sure that no water/ air can get inside your box.

An alternative method is to get large plastic boxes and store your books inside them , but be careful that a tiny bit of moisture can expose your books to mold.

Can You Store Books In Plastic Bags?

Unless you can seal your plastic bags properly, i would highly advise against doing this. Why? because plastic naturally attracts moisture.

I admit this is the cheapest way to store books but it should be avoided mainly because plastic bags can easily be penetrated by insects or water.

You can try to use plastic ziplock bags but it would be much better to just store your books in cardboard boxes.

Is It Better To Store Books Upright Or Flat?

Many people are confused when it comes to this, but according to research i’ve done, it’s much better to store your books upright.

Let me explain.

When you store your books flat, you’re basically exposing 30% of the books’ surface area to the bottom of your box/shelf.

However, when you store books upright, you’re only exposing about 5-10% of the surface area to the bottom of your box or shelf.

Why do i say surface area? because water usually tends to enter boxes from below, and most insects as well, so keeping your books vertically will ensure that there’s minimal damage incase the books get exposed to harmful stuff.

How Do I Keep My Books From Turning Yellow?

First, let’s understand why your books turn yellow, basically, books are prone to oxygen, and overtime the oxygen “oxidizes” your books, so where there is air, your books will eventually turn yellow.

We can’t entirely prevent the process but we can slow it down by using airtight containers to store our books and keeping them away from air as much as we can.

Can Books Be Stored In Plastic Containers?

Yes, books can be stored in plastic containers but make sure that it’s an airtight box with plenty of space otherwise your books may get mold and oxidize.

How Do You Store Books For Long Term Storage?

The easiest way to store books for long term storage is to get cardboard boxes and store your books inside them , and if you have a big budget then use plastic boxes and cardboard boxes to store your books.

How Long Can You Store Cardboard Boxes?

You can store cardboard boxes for as long as you want, but with cardboard boxes you just have to be a bit more careful, just keep your cardboard boxes away from water, moisture and bugs, and it’ll last for years.

Conclusion: Can You Store Books In Cardboard Boxes?

Yes, you can definitely store books in cardboard boxes, provided that you store them properly and keep the cardboard box away from liquids, and store it in a safe place.

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