I love to see very old Bibles, that are looking a little worn, that have special thoughts and writings in them, maybe even tear stains. I have recently seen an old Bible, with the binding breaking. So, what can we do to protect our investment, and to properly care for God's Word?
I got these tips off the Thomas Nelson website. My notes are in parentheses. :)
If you get a new Bible, the first thing you need to do, is:
Carefully open it by placing the spine of the Bible on a flat surface. Open both the front and back covers and, with light pressure, run your fingers up and down as close to the binding as possible. Continue this process by pulling back a few pages at a time as you work your way to the center of the Bible. (Yes, I knew this, and have always done it. But, I am finding out that many people do not know this, hence, the reason for writing this post.)
If pages are stuck together, carefully rub the pages between your thumb and index finger to release them. (Nice little tip, huh?)
To protect the spine of your Bible, do not bend the cover backward around the spine. This can cause the pages to fall out and break the binding. (I have seen preachers do this. Then they claim they have worn out many Bibles.)
To further protect the binding, do not carry bulletins, notes, pens, etc. inside the pages of your Bible as this can weaken the binding over time. (Oops! I am guilty of this! I carry notes and bulletins inside.)
The pages inside the Bible are generally thin. Therefore, it is best not to use highlighters or felt tipped markers to take notes or underline passages. Despite the fact that these writing utensils are often marked as "no bleed through" they will still be visible on the other side of the page. It is best to use either a ball point pen or pencil. (This one I will probably still break, depending on which Bible I am using, as I like my highlighters! But, on some Bibles, with especially fine India paper, I use just a pen. If the highlighter bleeds through too much, I just use a pen. But, some Bibles have thicker paper, and a highlighter is just fine. Notice. A toddler and a permanent marker are not a good mix. They may see you underlining certain passages, and try their own form of marking. It tends to be unreadable. So, keep toddlers away from permanent markers, and your Bible, if you want to keep the pages whole, as in, not ripped out.)
Protect your Bible from excessive heat or direct sunlight. Prolonged exposure will lead to fading and/or curling of the pages. Also, keep your Bible away from moisture to prevent the page edges from peeling, streaking, or spotting. (Don't leave it in the car, it gets excessively hot, and cold out there!)
To clean your Bible, it is recommended that you use a lightly damp cloth. Do not use detergents or packaged Bible cleaning products. (Yep, the Bible book store will try to sell you this. It is not needed. Trust me! I've raised 10 children, and just a damp cloth will clean any cover of any toddler smudges. It will not remove permanent marker marks, as aforementioned.)
The best way to preserve the supple condition of your leather Bible is to handle it. The natural oils from your hand keep the leather from cracking or becoming stiff. If you decide to purchase a
Bible cover, remember to remove it and handle the leather cover occasionally. (In other words, READ YOUR BIBLE!! This not only helps the Bible, it also helps you! I have kept mine in a Bible cover, and didn't know that I need to take it out periodically to handle it, to keep it soft, and prevent cracking, etc.)
So, I hope these tips will help you take the best possible care of your Bible.
Blessings!
