COMIC BOOK STAIN REMOVAL AND WHITENING

Since we are talking about no disassembly of staples, a lot of things can go wrong.  Stain removal might sound simple, but it’s actually one of the riskiest things you can do to a comic book. Paper is fragile, and every stain is different depending on age, ink type, and how deep it has soaked into the fibers. If you use too much liquid, the paper can ripple, wrinkle, or even tear. If you use the wrong strength of solution, the pages may turn brittle, colors can fade, or the glossy coating on the cover can bubble and peel away. Once this type of damage happens, it’s permanent and often makes the comic worth less than before.

For beginners, the biggest danger is moving too fast or using too much pressure. Stains rarely disappear after one treatment—they usually require multiple careful attempts over days or weeks. Without patience and experience, it’s easy to overdo it and cause more harm than good. That’s why professionals recommend starting with safer dry-cleaning methods first and only moving on to liquid stain removal after years of practice and a full understanding of how paper and inks react.

1. Using Too Much Liquid or Heat The most common mistake is soaking the paper instead of lightly dampening it. Too much liquid makes pages wrinkle, ripple, or even tear apart as the fibers weaken. Using too much heat with the tack iron can pull ink from the opposite side of the cover or bleach the paper.

2. Applying the Wrong Solution Hydrogen peroxide can lighten stains, but it’s harsh. Beginners often use it at full strength, which strips away gloss, bleaches the paper an unnatural white, makes pages brittle, or causes the cover to bubble. Distilled water is safer, but even that can damage paper if misused.

3. Rubbing Instead of Blotting When treating stains, new inexperienced pressers tend to rub hard with a Q-tip or cloth. This grinds the stain deeper into the fibers and removes ink or color. The correct method is to dab gently and let the stain transfer naturally.

4. Rushing the Process Stains don’t come out in a single session. It often takes several rounds spread over days or weeks. Beginners who try to speed things up by applying extra liquid, more pressure, or direct heat usually cause irreversible damage.

5. Ignoring the Risk of Grade Loss Even if you succeed in removing or lightening a stain, the process itself can weaken the paper. A comic might lose more points from brittleness, tears, or gloss loss than it would have from leaving the stain alone. Sometimes the safest choice is not to treat the stain at all.

For beginners, the bottom line is simple: Stain removal is high risk and unforgiving. Until you’ve mastered dry cleaning and pressing, it’s better to leave stains alone or practice only on low-value books.

1. Dry Cleaning with Erasers or Pads Instead of liquids, beginners should start with dry cleaning tools like drafting erasers, eraser pads, or Absorene putty. These can lift light dirt, pencil marks, and surface grime without the risks of moisture.

2. Light Surface Brushing A soft, clean brush (like a makeup brush or artist’s brush) can gently sweep away loose dirt and dust. This is especially useful on older books where fibers are delicate and prone to rubbing damage.

3. Pressing for Cosmetic Improvement Many stains look less noticeable after a proper press. Flattening wrinkles and creases can reduce the “shadow” effect around a stain, making it less distracting without having to risk liquids.

4. Strategic Storage Keeping comics in a stable environment (70–75°F, 40–50% humidity) prevents stains from worsening. Proper bags, boards, and storage boxes can also stop new tide lines or foxing from forming.

5. Acceptance for the Grade Sometimes the best option is to leave a stain alone. If it’s within the expected grade range for the comic, removing it might do more harm than good. A small stain won’t always kill the value, but a botched cleaning attempt definitely will.

These methods are safe for beginners, improve appearance, and protect long-term value—without the dangers of chemical or liquid stain removal treatments.

 Localized stain removal is a difficult process to master. Practice on several cheap junk books first.

 Many collectors have successfully used peroxide cleaning and still received a universal blue label from third party grading companies. However, there is always a chance your book will instead be given a “conserved” label, which may affect value. Using advanced stain removal techniques can also cause a “restoration” label if a comic book is pushed beyond its limits. 

For beginners, the best advice is to avoid liquid cleaning until you have years of experience and the patience to handle long, risky treatments. For now, focus on mastering dry cleaning techniques—they’re safer, more predictable, and much more beginner-friendly. After you have 2-3 years of cleaning and pressing experience, pick up a copy of Comic Book SRW: Stain Removal and Whitening to take your pressing to the next level by using more advanced stain removal procedures.

 Another huge risk with stain removal is the cover tearing away from the staples. When liquid softens the paper around the spine, the staple holes can widen or split, especially on older or brittle comics. This can cause the cover to loosen or even detach completely, which drops the grade far more than a stain ever would. For beginners, it’s best to avoid liquid treatments near the spine altogether.

The biggest risk is blotchiness. When liquid is reapplied to a tide line, it doesn’t always stay neatly in the stained area—it can spread out unevenly, leaving behind darker or lighter patches that are even more distracting than the original mark. Instead of removing the stain, you may end up creating a larger, messier one.

Another danger is stain spreading. Rewetting a tide line can actually dissolve the old stain and push it further into the paper fibers. This makes the mark larger, more noticeable, and harder to control.

The concept is straightforward but precise: a standard humidity tank is repurposed into a controlled, ventilated light exposure chamber. The comic book is placed inside this enclosure and exposed to blue LED light for a carefully predetermined duration, with exposure time and conditions adjusted according to the specific method being used—BLED, BLED-M, or BLED-O. Proper ventilation and timing are critical, as the goal is to introduce consistent, even light interaction with the paper fibers while preventing heat buildup, moisture imbalance, or unintended damage. 

 BLED (Blue Light LED Method) involves placing a comic book inside the light box with no bleaching agents, mists, or overlay materials applied. The process relies solely on controlled blue LED exposure to interact with the paper and surface discoloration.

BLED-M (Blue Light LED Misting Method) involves placing a comic book into the light box after a bleaching agent has been lightly misted onto the cover or interior pages. The mist introduces a controlled chemical component that works in conjunction with blue LED exposure.

BLED-O (Blue Light LED Overlay Method) involves placing a comic book into the light box after a damp overlay sheet has been applied across the exterior cover. The overlay regulates moisture and contact while blue LED light exposure is used to influence discoloration in a controlled manner.

 Photobleaching, or light bleaching, involves exposing paper to light (either natural or artificial) to reduce discoloration and staining. Paper conservators as far back as the early 2000s have studied the photobleaching effects on various types of papers and inks through the use of blue light-emitting devices, blue light filters, or natural light. We re-discovered this technique for comics in 2021. Initially it was discovered that the color blue whitens stain removal through Optical Brightening Agents (OBAs) in laundry detergents developed by the Chinese in the 1970s. The blue color in laundry detergent, often referred to as "bluing," is primarily intended to make whites appear brighter by counteracting yellowing and using optical brighteners, not just a simple dye. Many popular laundry detergent brands, like Tide, contain optical brighteners to make clothes look whiter.    

Total initial investment to start: Approximately $225 for a custom-made Blue LED Light Box for whitening comic books, toys, posters, video game systems, and video game cartridges. 

ALL REUSABLE PARTS

Once the light box is assembled, there are no reoccurring costs that impact profitability. The only cost is the electricity used while a book or object is inside the light box. If you wish to perform BLED exposure on more books at a faster rate, create more than one light box. 

SAME COST AS A PRESS MACHINE

Assembling a light box is comparable to the cost of a brand-new clamshell press machine on Amazon or Ebay. 

For full assembly instructions and usage, please read Comic Book SRW™: Third Edition.