mildew smell infesting gear

[sparky]

We just moved our crap into a new practice space that isn't infested with toxic mold like our old one. While this is good for our lungs, its bad for the people we share the room with because the stuff stanks. When I look up getting mildew smells out of things, all the stuff is based on rooms and curtains and stuff, not guitars. Like there's no way I can put a tiny package of damprid in every guitar case and leave them unopened for 3 months. Or there's something called ExStink that's supposed to be good for carpets, but I don't want to sprinkle it my various electronics. Seems like there are three categories of stuff that I don't know what to do about:

1) Instruments. The wood smells.

2) Amps/PA Speakers/racks/etc. Nothing absorbs stank like the stuff they cover amps with.

3) Electronics. Rack gear, little boxes, computer stuff. These things are often covered with vent holes and stuff so a little worried about cleaning stuff dripping/falling inside. Fortunately these seem to smell the least bad.

I feel like lots of people on this board must have dealt with this but I can't really find anything in the archives (except for that "piss in a hammond" thread).

[JWL]

Two words: De. Humidifier.

The mildew is there because the wood et al is moist. Get a dehumidifier fired up in the room and let it run for a few days straight. That'll help get rid of the moisture, which will then cause the mildew to die.

After a week or two of dehumidifier action, the smell should be SIGNIFICANTLY reduced.

[sparky]

Sweet. We moved the crap into a room with a dehumidifer last saturday. So that should start helping soon. Man this is a gross concept. Are you saying the mildew is living in the guitars? I figured it was living in the basement surfaces of the old place (one wall and ceiling were dirt with like a layer of vinyl over them) and just the _smell_ got into the crap, not the actual living thing. Man that is gross.

[JWL]

Heh. Yeah, whatever you are smelling is living in whatever you are smelling it in.

I think it was on South Park:

<Cartman>
So, let me get this straight. If I smell poo, that means there's poo in my nose?
</Cartman>

My guess is that things will be much better for you this time next week if you keep the dehumidifier humming. You may need to resort to something like Lysol to kill any stubborn remnants.... but I'd be careful about spraying that into a guitar....

[parlormusic]

Two words: De. Humidifier.

The mildew is there because the wood et al is moist. Get a dehumidifier fired up in the room and let it run for a few days straight. That'll help get rid of the moisture, which will then cause the mildew to die.

After a week or two of dehumidifier action, the smell should be SIGNIFICANTLY reduced.

That will work great for opening up cracks in wooden acoustic instruments.

[kayagum]

Not really. Most dehumidifiers have humidistats, and you can control the levels. Even if you crank your dehumidifier, it's doubtful that it would get to the point where it's dangerous. Your dehumidifier's coils will probably freeze before then. (I speak from experience).

Frankly, the speed of change in humidity is just as bad, if not worse. Keeping the humidity at a reasonably constant level is almost more important than the humidity level itself (except for extreme dryness or swampiness).

Those of us from Minnesota know the full range of humidity, dontcha know?

[orbb]

If the stink continues, look for a contractor who specializes in fire and water restoration. They have ozone machines and chemical foggers that will take care of a strong odors. Have them put the machine in your practive space for 24 hours.

[@?,*???&?]

I recently bought a used Korg DRV 2000 on ebay that came from some mildew infested workspace.

Don't you find that smell charming?

Me either.

Fortunately, I've now got the thing smelling like freshly brewed coffee- as Third Monk Records always does!

[The Real MC]

I had to deal to filthy floodwater last summer and had to deal with mold. Any health department will tell you that if mold develops on wood walls from flooding, replace the wood. If floodwater/mold gets in upholstery or carpet, it can't be cleaned. Throw it out.

You can minimize damage to all else if you get air circulation ASAP and dry out the mold. Obviously you didn't have that chance. We're not talking flood damage, but we are talking mold damage.

Mold spores grow on moisture. To kill mold spores you need two things

1) Dehumifiers. This removes moisture from the air, hopefully from your gear.

2) Fans. You need to force air to your guitars, amps, cabs, rack gear (unbolt EACH rack item and dry separately) to get air circulation. Exhaust to outside air is best because as the mold spores dry up and die, they will break off. You want the spores anywhere but in your dwelling/gear.

You might be able to kill mold on tolex using bleach, but carpet covering will be near impossible to clean. The spores can embed too well in carpet and you can't get it out.

If mold gets into anything spongy (like beds, upholstery, or *foam support in cases*) that will be near impossible to get the spores out and will have to be replaced.

[vvv]

For what it's worth, I had a bad-smelling guitar-case that a Goth gurrlfriend sprayed patchouli in.

I kept it in a dry apartment and closed for about a week and 10 years later it smells like, her.