Humidor recovery

[Loonzter]

Has anyone had any experience removing mold from a spanish cedar humidor? Two years ago I over humidified my box to the point where mold began to grow on the wood. I removed it from service but just recently decided to fire it up again. Thing is it seems that mold just doesn't go away. Would anyone use diluted bleach to kill pesky buggers or would the bleach remain in the cedar ruining any sticks stored in it?

 

[cany]

I would wipe it down to get rid of the mold them leave it open too dry out mold shouldnt grow if its dry

 

[TonySmjc]

If it’s not a pricy box I’d toss it
Molds tough
And bleach will destroy a box

 

[Loonzter]

If it’s not a pricy box I’d toss it
Molds tough
And bleach will destroy a box

Soooo in your opinion diluted bleach will ruin my humidor, thats a bummer because it's a decent box that I was hoping to put back in service.

 

[Loonzter]

I would wipe it down to get rid of the mold them leave it open too dry out mold shouldnt grow if its dry

Worth a shot, just not convinced wiping it will remove all and not just the visible mold. The box is not totally covered but I thought you had to neutralize it before you reseasoned it.

 

[cany]

Soooo in your opinion diluted bleach will ruin my humidor, thats a bummer because it's a decent box that I was hoping to put back in service.

Remove mold from humidor

 

[TonySmjc]

I’d be hard pressed to add any strong odors to a humidor
Especially one a planed on putting good sticks in

I’d sooner dry it out and sand away the mold then reseason

 

[TonySmjc]

1. Remove all of the cigars from your humidor and place them in a large, zip-type plastic bag to keep them fresh.
2. Using a small hobby vacuum or the flat extension on your home model, completely vacuum out the inside of the humidor. You can also give the box a light sanding with #150 extra fine grit sandpaper, first. This will help remove any mold spores that may be forming. It will also give your humidor a fresh Spanish cedar scent like when it was new.
3. Take a paper towel, clean dust-free cloth, or a new, clean sponge dampened with Isopropyl alcohol, and very lightly wipe down the entire interior of the humidor. Don’t overdo it; you just want to make sure that any residual mold spores have been treated.
4. Wipe down the humidor again, this time with distilled water. Make sure it’s 100% steam distilled water, not the distilled water used for drinking. This will dilute the alcohol that has seeped into the wood. Again, don’t overdo it, as most of the alcohol will evaporate naturally.

 

[TonySmjc]

From a cigar site
Never tried it but it’s worth a shot

 

[cany]

From a cigar site
Never tried it but it’s worth a shot

Same thing I posted in the link above??

 

[TonySmjc]

I didn’t see the link
Cany
Still don’t

 

[TonySmjc]

Now I see it

didn’t realize that was a link

 

[capspackle]

Found this on a cigar forum I frequent
posted by Doug:
Mold: Do not clean the humidor! Every cigar ever manufactured has mold spores on and in it, a natural and inevitable consequence of the growing/fermenting/curing/etc. processes involved in their manufacture. Mold spores are ubiquitous in the environment as well - you inhale some with every breath you take. Cleaning a humidor in which you've found cigars with mold on them accomplishes exactly nothing in terms of eliminating the problem. Control RH and, to a lesser extent, temperature, and the mold spores that are on each and every one of your cigars already will not develop into mold. Simple as that.

Posted by Brain:
Your humidor is just a thin veneer of cedar over fiberboard. Getting it wet will probably cause damage to it. If you have a patch of mold show up on your veneer, wipe it clean with water and a towel, immediately dry it off, and then wipe it off with rubbing alcohol, and immediately dry. The alcohol may not even be necessary, but it will work as an antimicrobial that can kill off the active mold.

Doug is right. your humidor is already swarming with microbes. When you open canned goods, the microbes in the air will make them rot in no time. the thing is, you have to have proper conditions for them to grow. In the case of mold or other fungi, you need moisture and something for it to feed on. Damp veneer is perfect. Probably the best thing you could do for a mold infected humidor would be to load it with ozone, for example, stick it in a cooler with an ozone generator and run it for a day or so. That would sterilize any live organisms without harming the box.

I've received a lot of advice from the men on this forum and it always seamed
to work.

 

[TonySmjc]

Yes every cigar has mold

white mold will even bloom on a cigar
And Isn’t an issue

green or black mold is an issue

 

[JackPrintMD]

Never had this issue bit it sounds concerning

 

[capspackle]

Loonzter, let us know how you make out.

 

[Loonzter]

Awesome response, I feel way more confident with how to approach my issue. My sticks are clean it's only my box with spots of light green mold. I'm going to lightly sand while using vacuum to remove visible mold (being aware cedar may only be veneer), then lightly wipe with isopropyl alcohol a couple times. I'll let the box air dry for several days before I season it again. I'll let you know how I make out. Thanks very much, I appreciate all the great information.

 

[capspackle]

Good luck I hope it works out for ya.