Moldy Magazines - What to do? Help!

[C&NW Man]

Greetings all,

I recently acquired a large collection of Model Railroader magazines on flea-bay, (I mean e-bay); 1950 to 1967 vintage, (complete years). They arrived today with a heavy mold odor. Visually, they are in excellent condition- no stains, no warped pages, perfect color- excellent- just that terrible odor that gives me a stuffed head and a sore throat with cough- I'm allergic to mold.

I've been dreaming of the day when I could start building my MR library and now I feel like ramming my head in the wall instead.

Has anyone else here had to deal with this and if so, were you able to get rid of the smell? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

All the best,

Sean C.

 

[Cjcrescent]

I have some mags that did that. Set them out in the sun and let that kill the actual mold. Then lightly spray them with Lysol disinfectant spray. That worked for me.

Those mags are a treasure trove of knowledge, from scratchbuilding structures, cars, and other things, to plans and ideas on Model Railroading in general.

I have built up a collection of MR and RMC, going back to 1938, and while techniques, and materials may change, the basic information about the hobby that's in these mags doesn't.

 

[larski2]

I had some old encyclopedia's and some where i found a remedy. Use sheets of bounce fabric softener in between some books. It worked for me and I bet this will work for you too. anyway try it, it might work for you.

 

[cct70]

I second the fabric softener sheets as a quick, inexpensive solution. The only problem would be it is a short term fix; it doesn't kill the source of the odor, only the odor itself. I find that if I put the book or magaine in a zip lock (large) bag for a while with the fabric softener sheets, it works well.

 

[C&NW Man]

Okay, thanks all- I'll try the fabric softener sheet trick- I've read that elsewhere too, so there must be something to it.

Thanks,

Sean C.

 

[galaxy]

You can try dozens of things and still never get rid of it.
If you are allergic to mold and it gives you the symptoms you described...GET RID OF THEM.THROW THEM OUT {or recycle if your area recycles}.
SOrry you wasted money on them, and the seller is probably "immune" to the smell and mold{been surrounded by it in his home or shed or basement or where ever}, but there is a reason why household mold remediation is a major business!
I am asthmatic and allergic too. I use a dehumidifier to keep all of my house "moisture free" in all areas to avoid mold growths, no matter how insignificant, or what type, can be deadly on health to those who are.
So I would advise getting rid of them.

Just my opinion others may vary.

 

[sd50f]

Scan the magazines and burn them to DVD or CD. Throw out the magazines after.

At least you'll have something you can use that won't affect your health.

timothy