This article assumes two things: firstly, that you are lucky enough to have your own library (or at least a room dedicated to books) and, secondly, that you do not have a housemaid at your beck and call whose responsibility is to clean everything, including the library. Or else, you are the housemaid or some other professional cleaner.
Actually, a library can be cleaned pretty much like any other room. The only thing you really have to be careful of is not to use too much water – books do not like damp. Here’s how to clean a library:
1. Start at the top. If the library has been visited by bookworms who are only interested in what’s on the shelves, the chances are that the odd dark corner has a resident spider. Or, what’s worse, an ex-resident spider that has left behind a tattered web that’s full of dust and dead flies. Your method for removing the spiderweb is the same in both cases: wrap a clean, dry duster, soft cloth or tea towel around the head of a broom and swipe at the cobweb. Remove the duster, soft cloth, etc. from the broom before continuing. If you need to remove the spider, killing it is not necessary. The spider possibly does a good job of reducing flies. Scoop the spider onto a sheet of paper or a dustpan and carry it out to continue its good work elsewhere.
2. Start dusting. This is the biggest job of cleaning a library. You will need a small army of dusters and a small bucket of warm water (with or without soap – the water is all you need. You can add some essential oil to the water if you like). Be absolutely sure to squeeze out as much excess water from the duster as possible; you only need enough water to catch the dust. Begin by dusting the top of the shelf, if this exists. This is likely to be the grubbiest, as less thorough people will have given it the “out of sight; out of mind” treatment. You will need to rinse out your duster several times, and change both the duster and the water before you finish here. The main shelves come next. For everyday cleaning (i.e. domestic cleaning), it’s enough to give the front of the shelf a quick once-over, followed by pulling the spines of the books forward to the edge of the shelf. For a more thorough spring clean, take the books right off the shelves, give the shelf a good wipe, then replace the books, pulling them up neatly as before.
3. Tables in libraries often get covered with accidental (or deliberate) bits of pencil and pen. To remove pencil from a desk, use an ordinary rubber to start you off, then follow this with by rubbing it with good old warm, soapy water. To remove biro from a desk, spray the marks with dilute vinegar or dilute vodka then rub well. If some unmentionable boor has scribbled on a desk with permanent marker, you can remove it by sponging at it with undiluted vodka, rubbing alcohol or methylated spirits.
4. Check the rubbish bins and empty them as appropriate. You will often find recyclables such as paper, so make sure these get into the proper place for disposal.
5. Lastly, do the vacuuming.
6. Cats sometimes sneak into deserted libraries and pee. If you come across cat pee, sponge up as much as possible with an old towel. Then dip a medium-hard scrubbing brush in warm water and rub a little soap onto the bristles. Scrub the spot, making a lather. Rinse the scrubbing brush and re-scrub. Then sponge off the foam. Sprinkle the spot with baking soda to absorb smells. Once the baking soda has dried, vacuum it up.