It’s always best to proceed with caution when it comes to thrift store purchases—but this trick for thrifted books is definitely unique.
In a viral clip, which has amassed 2.1 million views, creator Mychala (@mychala.reads) shared a video of herself taking books out of the freezer, with the caption reading: “BookTok, here’s your reminder to freeze your thrifted books!”
In the comments, netizens had a range of opinions.
“I found out that bookworm is not just a metaphor for an avid reader,” one quipped.
“Uhh we got book lice once and never again,” another shared. “We freeze everything.”
Several others asked Mychala to explain exactly why you should freeze books, with one writing, “normalize adding context.” Elsewhere, commenters also made references to Joey from Friends, who famously put a book in the freezer because he found it scary.
@mychala.reads i learned why you should freeze your thrifted books and have never been the same since ? #thriftedbooks #bookthrifting #secondhandbooks #booktok #bookishtips ♬ Queen of Disaster – ella
Mychala makes a follow-up
In a follow-up video, Mychala addressed these comments and revealed her reasons for freezing books. “I didn’t expect it to be as controversial as it’s been,” she admitted.
She continued, “I actually saw this tip on a different TikTok. Someone was saying that to prevent book lice, which is a real thing, they’re actual little, tiny insects that can get into your books and spread throughout your book collection. To prevent that, if you bring home secondhand books, you should freeze them, because it can help kill those before you put them with the rest of your collection.”
The BookToker then went on to add that they got the books from an outdoor library in Hawaii, where “insects are everywhere.”
“Not a scientist, so it could be bull[expletive],” she concluded. “Sorry if you took my word for it.”
Should you freeze your thrifted books?
But does it actually work? The answer is yes. An article in Better Homes & Gardens went into more detail about how freezing books “is a non-toxic, chemical-free way to kill pests at all life stages (eggs, larvae, and adults).”
Specifically, freezing books kills these pests by making ice crystals form inside insect cells. These crystals will then rupture inside the cells, killing them for good.
So, while it seems like a remarkably violent death, it certainly does the job.
Mychala didn’t immediately respond to The Mary Sue’s request for comment via TikTok comment and Instagram direct message.
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