Moldy game boxes and manuals....

[coreycorey2000]

Well I just bought a lot of 300 games locally this weekend. I didn't have time to go through them all before buying them. About 75% of the games had boxes and 40% have manuals. But it turns out many of them are moldy. The person I bought them from found them in a basement. So they haven't been picked through at all. Found things such as, 3 Mutant League Hockey complete, Chip n Dale 2 x2, Crusader of Centy, Metal Warriors, Night Trap 3do, Star Control 2 3do, Alien vs Predator Jaguar, and other random goodness.

The good games are all clean. So I didn't get ripped off really. I just hate throwing stuff away. So I was wondering if it would be possible to clean off the mold from the cardboard boxes and manuals. I think it is the SNES and some 3do stuff that is moldy. If anyone has ever done this before I would love to hear about it.

So can mold be cleaned from boxes and manuals? Is it worthwhile on <$10 games?

Thanks for any input you can provide.

[Scott84]

Mold on the boxes? never seen that, can you post a picture of it?

[Xexyz]

Yes, I'd also like to see this mold. I've seen plenty of warped and withered NES boxes from humid basement storage, but never mold.

[MarioMania]

I don't think you can takke it off, Anyone could prove me wrong

[gamescanner.org]

Try soaking your boxes with Goof OFF or Goo Gone. Wait about five minutes and then try to gently rub it off. If no result, ther residue will evaporate by itself. Letme know if it works....

[johno590]

Try soaking your boxes with Goof OFF or Goo Gone. Wait about five minutes and then try to gently rub it off. If no result, ther residue will evaporate by itself. Letme know if it works....

Seems to me like soaking a box in Goo gone would discolor the box? It really depends on how thick the mold is on the boxes.

You'll probably just have to experiment with different things.

[jajaja]

I never heard of mold on boxes either. Since mold is some kinda fungus its probly grown into the paper fibers on the box so it would be very hard to remove all. But ye, just take 1 box that you can sacrifice and try different things on it.

[tom]

I'll buy a AvP for Jaguar from you, even with moldy box, if it's going cheap.

[gamescanner.org]

Try soaking your boxes with Goof OFF or Goo Gone. Wait about five minutes and then try to gently rub it off. If no result, ther residue will evaporate by itself. Letme know if it works....

Seems to me like soaking a box in Goo gone would discolor the box? It really depends on how thick the mold is on the boxes.

You'll probably just have to experiment with different things.

No, it doesn't discolor it at all. But sometimes if you start rubbing too hard paint starts to come off. So be carefull.

... and I meant pouring few drops on the box, not soaking. sorry .

[Niku-Sama]

mold thrives in damp cool places, put the boxes some place hot and dry (aka 0% humidity) and it should come off, it may have some residue.

should kill the spores aswell

[magoo8301]

Try a cleaning product mixed with a very low % of chlorine. Like 99% cleaner to 1% chlorine. In this small of a percent you wont have to worry about it bleaching the box. Chlorine is the best thing to kill mold. Try it.

[crazyjackcsa]

I'd create a very mild bleach solution, and put it into a spray bottle and try it that way. that way you don't soak the boxes. You may end up with some boxes that look sun faded but at least they won't be moldy. Or you could always bake them.

[boatofcar]

Have you thought about using a mix of water and Tilex? I've never tried anything like that, but I know Tilex works great in removing mold.

[Trebuken]

Put them in the freezer and then scrape the mold off carefully. Likely the mold is in the card board though. I think the hot/dry place would be a good follow up once youu've removed as much as you can safely.

I would not go near the Goo-Be-Gone. I've trashed plenty of carttridge labels with that stuff. Takes the ink off the paper I think, if you rub it anyways...

Later,
Trebuken

[Niku-Sama]

see a cleaning solution on a box is a big no no to me, could make things worse

[wrldstrman]

I ran across a manual once that had been stored in a damp area it was hard as a stone and the pages were permeantly stuck together