Viable ways to clean old mouldy tapes - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

Rick62008 · 23rd May 2012, 2:40 pm

I was given a few tapes, either audio and a few vhs tapes that are quite moldy and i am thinking of ways to clean then viably without any special equipment.

I was thinking about grabbing a cheap audio ou video player, preferably dead or faulty, and use the mechanism to play the tape slowly against some kind of fabric soaped with any special fluid and right after that against a clean dried fabric in order to dry the tape before going into the takeup reel. What do you think of this method and what would your advice be!

Thanks in advance!

paulsherwin · 23rd May 2012, 2:45 pm

My advice would be to dispose of these tapes unless they are of great importance to you. If you play them and haven't completely eliminated the mould, you will spread it around the tape path in the player, and will then contaminate all your non-mouldy tapes.

brenellic2000 · 23rd May 2012, 2:54 pm

It depends on what you call mouldy!

If the audio spools are tightly wound, they most certainly will only be dust related 'mould' on the two outer faces. Your best bet here is warm soapy water on a well wrung cloth to wipe it away and get you back to the tape. Mould or water won't permeate between the layers of open reel audio tape.

Then 'play' the audio tape at its highest play speed (to save you getting bored!) but with the tape held away from the heads, to protect them, and run the tape through your fingers between a warm, well wrung soapy cloth. Use meths or Iso only as a last resort.

Don't know how you can sensibly do it on a VHS cassette though, except opening the cassette and winding it manually

Good luck
Barry

Rick62008 · 23rd May 2012, 3:36 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by brenellic2000

Mould or water won't permeate between the layers of open reel audio tape.

Then 'play' the audio tape at its highest play speed (to save you getting bored!) but with the tape held away from the heads, to protect them, and run the tape through your fingers between a warm, well wrung soapy cloth. Use meths or Iso only as a last resort.
Barry

This is the best example i could get online of what it looks like http://forum.videohelp.com/attachmen...265191&thumb=1

So plain water on a small cloth would be enough?

As for the tapes themselfes they are not very important to me but this is the first time that i'm facing this problem and i would like to try to sort it out.

And yeah, VHS tapes should be much more sensible to this procedure.

Maybe cleaning the outter edges of the tape would be enough because as mentioned it would be hard for mould to get in between the layers!

brenellic2000 · 23rd May 2012, 8:03 pm

They've probably been stored in a damp or humid environment.

No, not plain water - use a soapy cloth, ie: household toilet soap, which is a very effective, if mild, disinfectant and desurfecant. It should get the worst of it off. No need for bleach or powerful chemical zappers like Cillit Bang. 'Flash' etc!

But like all these instances, its a case of suck it and see (metaphorically, of course)!

Barry

23rd May 2012, 2:40 pm	#1
Rick62008 Retired Dormant Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Braga, Portugal. Posts: 231	Viable ways to clean old mouldy tapes I was given a few tapes, either audio and a few vhs tapes that are quite moldy and i am thinking of ways to clean then viably without any special equipment. I was thinking about grabbing a cheap audio ou video player, preferably dead or faulty, and use the mechanism to play the tape slowly against some kind of fabric soaped with any special fluid and right after that against a clean dried fabric in order to dry the tape before going into the takeup reel. What do you think of this method and what would your advice be! Thanks in advance!

23rd May 2012, 2:45 pm	#2
paulsherwin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 27,970	Re: Viable ways to clean old moldy tapes My advice would be to dispose of these tapes unless they are of great importance to you. If you play them and haven't completely eliminated the mould, you will spread it around the tape path in the player, and will then contaminate all your non-mouldy tapes.

23rd May 2012, 2:54 pm	#3
brenellic2000 Octode Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Rye, East Sussex, UK. Posts: 1,647	Re: Viable ways to clean old moldy tapes It depends on what you call mouldy! If the audio spools are tightly wound, they most certainly will only be dust related 'mould' on the two outer faces. Your best bet here is warm soapy water on a well wrung cloth to wipe it away and get you back to the tape. Mould or water won't permeate between the layers of open reel audio tape. Then 'play' the audio tape at its highest play speed (to save you getting bored!) but with the tape held away from the heads, to protect them, and run the tape through your fingers between a warm, well wrung soapy cloth. Use meths or Iso only as a last resort. Don't know how you can sensibly do it on a VHS cassette though, except opening the cassette and winding it manually Good luck Barry

23rd May 2012, 8:03 pm	#5
brenellic2000 Octode Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Rye, East Sussex, UK. Posts: 1,647	Re: Viable ways to clean old mouldy tapes They've probably been stored in a damp or humid environment. No, not plain water - use a soapy cloth, ie: household toilet soap, which is a very effective, if mild, disinfectant and desurfecant. It should get the worst of it off. No need for bleach or powerful chemical zappers like Cillit Bang. 'Flash' etc! But like all these instances, its a case of suck it and see (metaphorically, of course)! Barry