When you bring home secondhand books, you probably have one of two goals: either you’re dying to crack them open, or you’ve scored some gorgeous covers that will look just right on your shelves or coffee table.
What you don’t plan on bringing home? Any unexpected hitchhikers – yep, the creepy-crawly kind.
Books, whether old or new, can be prime real estate for bugs and their larvae. The plant-based paper, cardboard, cloth and leather covers make the perfect cosy little environment for uninvited guests to settle in. And when you buy secondhand, you’re basically offering them a free ride straight into your home.
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Flipping through every page to check for signs of life? Not exactly realistic, especially when you’re thrifting on the fly. Luckily, there’s a surprisingly simple hack making the rounds on TikTok that will stop the problem before it starts.
Why are people putting thrifted books in the freezer?
Lindsey Chastain, home expert and founder of The Waddle and Cluck, knows a thing or two about secondhand treasures – she’s an avid collector of thrifted books from garage sales, used bookstores, and antique shops.
She says freezing can be especially useful if a book hasn’t been stored in the best conditions. “Freezing can get rid of booklice, silverfish and bedbugs,” Chastain explains.
Since most bugs can’t survive freezing temperatures, tucking your finds into the freezer takes care of both the pests and any larvae hiding in the pages. It’s a simple, affordable and chemical-free way to freshen up your books before giving them a spot on your shelf.
How to freeze books to kill bug larvae 
Nassima Rothacker
If you decide to freeze your secondhand books after getting them home, make sure you do it as soon as you walk in the front door. Letting them sit in your home could give any bugs or larvae an opportunity to spread outside of the pages.
Books should be frozen for at least 48 hours to make sure any bugs or larvae are eliminated, but don’t just throw them in the freezer. Put them in a plastic bag first, and not just because you don’t want the old pages mixing with your food.
Chastain says, “Put the books in a sealed plastic bag to keep condensation from warping the pages after you take them out.”
Keep them in the plastic bag as you thaw them out post-freezing.
When you shouldn’t freeze secondhand books
Chastain does have one caveat to the freezer hack: it’s not for every book. If you collect antiques with delicate, fragile pages, you’ll want to skip this method. “For older, rare books, it’s best to consult an expert and not try to DIY a solution,” she explains. “It’s easy to cause damage to the book with freezing.”
Will freezing books also kill mould?
There’s a common misconception floating around that freezing thrifted books will kill mould – but unfortunately, it won’t. Freezing only puts mould spores on pause, keeping them from spreading temporarily. Once the book thaws and warms back up, the mould can come right back.
If you do find mould hiding in the pages, the better fix is hands-on: gently brush it out, vacuum with a HEPA filter, and spot-treat the area with a little denatured alcohol to sanitise. Let the book dry completely, and as long as you store it somewhere dry and not too humid, the mold shouldn’t make a return appearance.
Heather Bien is a Washington, DC-based writer covering home, design, entertaining, and travel for the likes of Martha Stewart, Southern Living, Virginia Living, and more. She is an avid antiquer and novice gardener who spends much of her free time tending to the rose garden and the ever-growing list of projects at her cottage, Rosehill Cottage, which is located on the Rappahannock River near Urbanna, Virginia.