Bible Post-Op Instructions

~How to Care For Your Bible~
by Eric J. HaleyIf you'd like to visit our church in Carroll County, Indiana, click here.

At Leonard’s we care about your Bible. We’re a pastor and his family, and we recognize the value of the Bible. It’s not just any old book!

Here are some hints to keep your Bible in good condition, especially after you’ve had it nicely repaired or rebound:

*Don’t use your Bible as a filing cabinet. Refrain from using it to store old church bulletins and loose notes. These will break the spine and cause your pages to fall out.

*Don’t store your Bible on the dashboard of a car or in direct sunlight. This will cause the leather to dry out and the color to fade, or even get sticky. A hardcover Bible will become warped.

*Don’t fold your Bible backwards. This stretches the sewing and can permanently warp the spine.

*If you use a Bible case, don’t put your Bible’s cover into the inside flaps. That will cause great strain on your Bible’s spine. Those flaps are for the bulletins and notes you took out of your Bible earlier.

*Don’t repair your Bible using scotch tape, masking tape, electrical tape, box tape, or duct tape. See our Quick Tips for Bible Repair.

Bennie -- Winner of Leonard's 2010 Golden Doggie Award*Keep your Bible out of reach of overzealous pets.

*Read your Bible as often as possible, at least once a day. If the cover is genuine leather, this keeps it naturally oiled and supple. And, as our friend Duane used to say, “It couldn’t hurt you none, either!”

*I’m using Lexoll conditioner, available at AutoZone, but it should be used sparingly, no more than once or twice a year.  For additional conditioners and cleaners, check our Links page.

*A Bible displayed is a Bible that’s going to survive. Moderate climate is best, not too hot, too cold, too wet, too dry, etc. No direct light of any kind. But I must stress, the worst thing for any leather book is to be hidden in a dark corner of a closet or attic, or (God forbid) basement. These things can become a full-course meal for nocturnal creatures.

Visit our Bible Lovers Links, with Bible studies, sermons, e-books, devotionals, tools, courses, news, quizzes, and lots more, to help you keep you and your Bible in shape!