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Treatment for foxing is difficult at best and often simply impractical. Unscrupulous book dealers have had good results with spraying a diluted solution of bleach onto the affected area, but this method seriously degrades the cellulose in the paper, may lead to wrinkling of pages or bleeding of text or illustrations, and introduces an acidic residue that will contribute to additional damage in time. The residue can be neutralized by a diluted solution of vinegar, but this requires a second moistening with its attendant risks; and in any case the initial cellulose damage is irreversible. Beware.
Archivists have used various products to attack foxing, including Chloramine-T, calcium hypochlorite, and Chloramine gas. Unfortunately, the former two require disbinding the book and fully immersing individual leaves in a solution. Worse, a residue is deposited which may lead to long-term degradation. The gas treatment involves a technology available only to the aerospace industry.
The short answer is: if a book is foxed, leave it as is. There is a growing school of thinking among book dealers and collectors that celebrates evidences of aging in much the same way the antique industry does. In other words, even if a book could be adequately cleaned, it may not be as valuable as an untreated copy. Equate foxing with patina; therefore, do what can be done to prevent further damage, and move on.
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