How to Keep Card Games and Workbooks in Good Condition

Quick answer

Store card games in a cool, dry place with cards stacked flat inside their box, and keep workbooks upright on a shelf away from direct sun and moisture. Handle with clean, dry hands, and check your shelf every few months for dust, warping, or missing pieces.

Why condition matters for tools you write in and play with

Card games and guided journals are not display objects — they are meant to be handled, shuffled, written in, and returned to. That use is exactly what wears them out. Cards pick up oils from fingers, edges fray, and boxes lose their shape. Workbooks left in humid rooms develop wavy pages, and a cracked spine makes writing uncomfortable. The good news is that most damage is preventable with a few habits, not special equipment. The routine below takes minutes and works for any card game or workbook, whether it is a linen-bound notebook or a deck of dilemma cards.

Start with clean, dry hands — every time

The single most common cause of grimy cards and smudged workbook pages is residue on your hands. Lotions, food oils, and sweat transfer quickly to paper and card stock. Wash and dry your hands before you sit down to write or play, and keep drinks with condensation away from the table. If you are using a workbook like Writing as Therapy Notebook - Ideas, a pencil or a fine pen that dries quickly will smudge less than a heavy gel pen. This is not about being precious with your things; it is about keeping them usable for the long term.

Store cards flat inside the box, not loose

Cards warp when they are stored standing up, rubber-banded, or left in a pile that slopes. The fix is simple: after play, square the deck and place it back in its original box, then lay the box flat on the shelf. If your game did not come with an insert, a small fabric pouch or a snug cardboard tuck box keeps the deck together. Avoid rubber bands, which crease edges over time, and avoid plastic bags that trap moisture. For a game like The Dilemmas Game, keeping the cards in the box also means you are less likely to lose one of the dilemma cards that make the game work.

Shelve workbooks upright and out of direct sun

Workbooks and guided journals last longest when they are stored upright like library books, supported on both sides, in a room with stable temperature and moderate humidity. Laying them flat under heavy objects can flatten the spine but also crush the pages. Direct sunlight fades covers and makes paper brittle. A closed cabinet or a shelf away from a window is ideal. If you live in a damp climate, a simple silica gel packet in the shelf area helps, but do not place it directly against the book.

Handle spills and marks immediately

If a drink spills on a card or a workbook page, blot — do not rub. Rubbing pushes liquid into the paper and spreads the stain. Use a clean, dry cloth or paper towel and press gently, then let the item air-dry flat. For cards, do not use a hair dryer or iron; heat can warp the coating. For workbooks, place a sheet of blotting paper between the wet page and the next one so they do not stick together. Once dry, a light pencil eraser can lift a faint mark from a coated cover, but test on a corner first.

Do a seasonal shelf check

Every three to four months, take five minutes to look through your card games and workbooks. Check for dust along the top edges, cards that have started to bow, or a workbook spine that is cracking. Dust with a soft dry cloth or a vacuum brush attachment on low. If a deck feels sticky, wipe each card with a barely damp cloth and let it dry completely before restacking. This check also catches missing pieces before they become a problem — a lost card from a game like The Dilemmas Game is easier to replace when you notice early.

Your 7-step care routine

1. Wash and dry hands: Before any writing or card play, wash with soap and dry thoroughly. Oils and lotion are the main cause of smudged pages and sticky cards. Checkpoint: if your hands feel damp or greasy, wash again.
2. Clear the surface: Use a clean, dry table. Crumbs and grit scratch card faces and dent workbook covers when you close them. Mistake to avoid: playing on a tablecloth with crumbs or a rough wooden surface.
3. Square and box cards after play: Tap the deck on a flat surface to align edges, then place it back in the original box. Store the box flat, not on its side. Checkpoint: cards should slide out easily, not be forced.
4. Shelve workbooks upright: Stand workbooks and journals vertically between other books or bookends, away from direct sunlight and radiators. Mistake to avoid: stacking heavy objects on top of a workbook, which can crush the spine.
5. Control moisture: Keep the storage area dry. In humid rooms, use a silica gel packet nearby but not touching the paper. Never store cards or books in a damp basement or garage. Checkpoint: if pages feel cool and limp, move the collection to a drier spot.
6. Treat spills immediately: Blot, do not rub. Air-dry flat. For workbooks, insert blotting paper between wet pages. For cards, do not use heat. Mistake to avoid: using a hair dryer or iron on cards, which warps them.
7. Inspect every few months: Dust with a dry cloth, check for warped cards or cracked spines, and confirm all pieces are present. Note any missing card from a game so you can replace it. Next step: set a calendar reminder for the next seasonal check.

Products that benefit from this care routine

• Writing as Therapy Notebook - Ideas: A linen-bound notebook designed to accommodate ideas, aspirations and worries in the therapeutic activity of your thoughts. The linen cover and bound pages need upright storage and clean hands to stay flat and free of smudges, so the writing experience stays comfortable.
• Who Am I?: Psychological exercises to develop self-understanding, with prompts and suggestions to help tease out and organise your picture of yourself. Because you return to this workbook over time, keeping pages dry and the spine intact protects the exercises you have already completed.
• The Dilemmas Game: Learn how to solve life's trickiest conundrums through dilemmas: complex moral problems for which there are no obvious answers. The game depends on a complete set of dilemma cards, so storing them flat in the box and checking for missing cards keeps it playable.