How to clean moldy VHS videotape

Archiving videotape becomes more difficult when you retrieve it out of your basement for the first time in decades and notice mold grew on it all that time. This video will demonstrate the basics of cleaning mold off of videotape, using a technique that has helped me rescue many tapes.

DISCLAIMERS: Use caution around mold; wear a face mask in a well-ventilated area to prevent inhalation. I make no guarantees this method will work for you. If you ruin your own tape following this method, I cannot be held responsible. Watch the entire video and judge for yourself if this is something you want to try.

Music credits:

Q&A:
Q: Will this damage the tape?
A: All cleaning methods have the possibility of damaging the tape. If you use microfiber lint-free cloth and don't press overly hard, this shouldn't damage the tape.

Q: Other tutorials use alcohol on the pads; should I?
A: I can't speak for other tutorials. I was told a long time ago by a broadcast engineer that alcohol can weaken the binding of videotape over time and cause the oxide to flake off, so I personally don't use it. You should do your own research to decide if you should use alcohol or not.

Q: Why not just use a cheap tape rewinder?
A: Because a rewinder doesn't pull the tape out of the cassette.

Q: How can mold damage the heads?
A: It can get stuck under the wires on the head, which aren't really serviceable.

Q: Where do I get a "donor" VCR?
A: Goodwill or ebay; no need to spend more than 20 bucks.

Q: Should I use stronger pressure putting the cloth to the tape? Use binder clips maybe?
A: NO, because if you press too hard you'll crinkle the tape, rub the oxide off, or both. Use light pressure, and a few passes with clean areas of the cloth, until you don't see any more mold on the cloth from a pass.

[zubiac]

Great video. The problem with removing mold with a dry towel is that you just get rid of the visible mold. Mold spreads through microscopic spores though. You need isopropanol to kill off the spores. otherwise it will spread again. My mum used to work at a photo studio and she restored hundrets of moldy photos and tapes. They used some sort of open-reel machine to get access to the tape itself and then carefully clean the tape with something that looked like cotton-wrapped BBQ-tongs which were soaked in 99.9% isopropanol. They also rubbed every mm of the cassette cases with isoprop.

[MaisonDeBritts]

I'm going through my tapes now. Tapes I bought in 1981 are perfect! Others that I bought in the 90's, with supposed mold resistance, are totally covered in mold! Every single one... unbelievable.

[SEBSEB]

I’d practice taking apart a tape you don’t care about first. When I tried this, I completely butchered the tape because a load of small loose pieces fell out and I couldn’t put them in right again (luckily I had thought to use a practice tape). Granted the reason this happened was because I hadn’t turned the tape up the right way before taking it apart, but still there are a load of loose parts that could still fall out if you’re not careful. And it’s just a good idea to use a practice tape first.

[andrewwoodhouse]

Thank you so very much I was just about to bin the old family vhs tapes you have saved them with you fantastic explanation of how to clean them thank you again 🙂🧡

[dannycoy]

Never thought i would have found this channel through a vhs cleaning tutorial. I guess people who would want to clean a vhs also like fixing up old

[alousypeach]

Thanks a ton man, as my collection grows I grow more and more paranoid about this.

No more

[illbebad]

had this very problem in the late 80's/early 90s living in very humid north Florida. Just used to shut off window a/c unit during the hot summer days, to save on the electric bill(and tapes were inside a dresser drawer even, not just on a shelf or the floor) and after several years, this happened. So, tossed dozens of them. Sure wish I had known that a few decades later, VCR's would be available for 10 bucks used! or that I could try to clean them. Oh well...Oh, a mask might be a good idea to wear when dealing with mold!

[JTBivens]

I take two cotton pads and put a dab of 91% alcohol between them. (91% and above is safe. They use it to clean 8mm film and photo negatives. But any lower has too much water and will cause damage.) Then I glue the top two pieces of the cotton together and just slide the film between the cotton where the alcohol is. Then fast forward and rewind a few times.

I clean the tape casing out one side at a time having ff or rw the tape. I use cotton swabs with alcohol to get everything. Because if you do not the mold is just going to grow back. It is still there. You are just wiping off what is visible.

I transfer tapes for people. It is great to save their memories.

[ver]

Good Job, I will recommend to use gloves to avoid leaving finger grease on the tape.

[BetamaxFlippy]

I used a normal tissue with isopropyl alcohol, I didn't remove the mold completely from the inside but all that matters is that I now fully transfered it.

[NicksKid]

I had a problem with a VHS copy of Hoosiers I bought from Goodwill. This really helps!

[TELLViSiON]

I just bought an old sealed video sold as "new" and there was mold inside it. I paid it a good price thinking it would be brand as new. Be careful with sealed VHS too !

[stemmentor]

Not sure if other comments mentioned this, but I find it a good habit when putting the screws back in to “counter clock screw until you feel a click and the self tapping screw will work it’s way into the existing threads. otherwise, you may end up re-threading and possibly striking them.

may not be an issue for a one time thing, but def found it a good practice as i work on a lot of electronic hobby stuff and seen my share or worn out screw holes

Good info- I just stumbled upon a box of VHS tapes in the garage for 10 years now and most aren’t petty. thankfully, only a few have mold that I want to preserve

thanks for the insight 👍👍

[thaddeusmcgrath]

I taken the lid off my VHS rewinder and took a donor VHS case and notched out the center. I removed the reels from the mold tape to clean the insides and place the reels in the donor case. When I notched the donor case out I also removed all the routing pieces inside as well so the tape reels have no slack between and place a link free towel. Need to figure out how to wire the rewinder to fast forward as well but not sure with the gearing inside but remember rewinders that fast forward in the old days but hard to find. So much fun!

[BrucesPhonograph]

Mold has been a bane for audio recording since 1890 when Edison's brown wax cylinders were found to support mold very well. It has been a bane since then and is one of the reasons that no (known) good recordings of Mark Twain exist. Cylinder recordings made prior to 1890 used a different composition which did not support mold but also made a inferior recording.

[danas]

I found a duel-directional tape rewinder with a microfiber (low pile) cloth folded loosely onto the tape, clamped into the closed gate works. Passing the tape through cut slits in the towel will give a bit closer tension. Then a light misting of the cloth with isopropanol (another run through). Then 2 run throughs with a new dry cloth. 5-6 runs total.

[DailyBrusher]

About 20 years ago, there was a great artisanal bakery in Winnetka... name escapes me, but they made the most delicious gourmet breads! It was near the movie theater!

[catherinepoloynis]

A million thanks!! Now that I found you, there are my kids ( mi - late 80's) TI-99 and Atari computers safely packed in the garage that may need some attention. Eventually.

[thatstoast]

I wish i had found this video 4 years ago.
If I had then i couldve saved some really important footage

[SenileOtaku]

Now I'm thinking, since you'd be opening up the cassette housing anyway, that maybe there's a way to build a simple cleaning platform. Something with a couple of spindles, either a switchable linkage (so you can run the tape back & forth) or two small motors to do the same. You could then run the tape through a pair of cleaning pads.

Maybe as an alternative find an old 8MM film splicer/rewinder (except you'd have to lay the winder face down or face up).