How to remove the "smell" from old LPs?

[Ki Choi]

There's heavy mildew smell from some of the old LPs I had purchased recently. Having them air out in the garage but now it's stinking up the whole space...

Would Fabreze work without damaging the LP jackets? Guess I could try on one of the disposable LPs...but thought to ask the experts first.

[jadis]

I'd like to know if there is a remedy too, as a bunch of Weavers LPs I got as a lot came in a few years ago with that smell and up to now it still smells that way. There is another record which smells like a chain smoker's exhaust chamber.

[treitz3]

Good morning, Ki Choi.

Hmmm, that's a good one. I can't speak for the Febreeze, as I do not know the chemical composition of it and I would be leery of introducing anything unknown to an LP or it's cover. One thing you may want to try is to lay out activated charcoal [the kind commonly used in fish tanks] on a large but flat pan. Then place the LP cover on top. Preferably with something placed in the pan, or cookie sheet, to prevent any direct contact. Lay on one side of the cover for about 12 hours, then flip it. The same for LP's, insuring whatever supports the LP will not damage any grooves or the label. The activated charcoal should remove most of the smell. Perhaps a light steam cleaning of the LP would work as well. Just be sure to keep the steam away from the label.

Tom

[Odyno]

Just an idea that came, give it a try with an air blower that have an ioniser built in….
I know they use air ioniser to solve this problem with hydroponic culture.

[mdabb]

Mold & mildew are organic compounds. Wipe the record jackets down with a dampened cloth using a very mild chlorine bleach/water solution. Wash the records & store them separately for now. Place the empty record jackets in a closet or trunk for a period of time, at least two weeks time with cedar chips, a couple opened boxes of carpet freshener powder, or a few glycol based automotive air fresheners (the gel kind). If you can spare a closet, you can buy activated carbon furnace filters/fabric & attach it to the back of a box fan & set on low. It works best when the record jackets are spread out like drying beef jerky. Humidity has to be kept low. Depending on how bad the smell is will depend on how long it will take. It works though, I've tried lots of things including stuff to get rid of pet smells. Another thing that helps is exposing the jackets to UV light. You could let the jackets sit outside in the sun for a bit or make an appointment at the tanning salon .

Negative ion generators are expensive & harmful to health. Which is why they are no longer used in hospitals, nursing homes & pet stores.

[Bruce B]

That's right..... Ki has hundreds of UV grow lights in one of his rooms....

[MylesBAstor]

That's right..... Ki has hundreds of UV grow lights in one of his rooms....

Wondered how he paid for all those decks

[Bruce B]

Wondered how he paid for all those decks

and now he's having mold/mildew problems??? Not looking good Ki...

[mdabb]

Well..... the thing with UV light is that it is commonly used in AC/furnace filtration & water filtration to kill mold/bacteria. The best way to rid the smell is to treat it. Since we are talking about record jackets the use of solvents would kill such bacteria, but at the same time ruin the record jackets & labels. An hour or two in the sun, even on a cloudy day, would be worth it.

[Mike Lavigne]

generally this smell will go away to a large degree if you (1) clean the Lps and replace the inner liner, and (2) place each Lp cover inside a clear plastic sleeve.

Ki, you have been in my room quite a few times. i probably have 1000+ older Lps in my listening room (and another 6000-7000 upstairs), but almost all of them have had the above process. you don't smell that 'old Lp' smell in my room. my room has HVAC so it never has any humidity or extreme temperature ranges either.

i think that smell is mostly from Lps which have been in garages or other unheated rooms where they get hot and cold and so get a bit musty.

i would agree it's a mistake to use any sort of liquid on an Lp jacket. maybe a slightly damp cloth to wipe off dirt. you can always get the plastic sleeves that seal too if you are really concerned. any soap or spray will have it's own smell eventually.