Boxes and mildew

Collector Freaks Forum

Help Support Collector Freaks Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Ropen

Super Freak
Joined
Feb 16, 2012
Messages
4,004
Reaction score
231
Location
The Silent Mary
After my divorce and lack of space to display them, my majority of the collection is sitting in boxes the sizes like 22x22x22 in a garage built in the late 70’s. I have close to 42 boxes, I noticed that the boxes that sit at the bottom are always ice cold and musty.

As of last year I started buying silica gels and throwing them in boxes because I my 1/18 diecast models started having zync rot and paint bubbling up so I started panicking, but one thing I noticed was that the boxes started to have that old
School mildew smell, is there a way to get rid of it and prevent it once and for all?
 
I would put the boxes on top of boards, 2x4s, so they don't rest directly on the concrete. Don't pack them in tightly, allow air to flow between the boxes. It doesn't have to be a lot of space. Check for black mold. Insulate and heat your garage. If you put a space heater in there, it may remove the mildew smell, but as soon as you shut it off, it will come back. If you live in high humidity that will also screw up the boxes.
 
I would avoid storing your collectibles in a garage, basement or attic. A garage suffers naturally from cold and damp. Anything made of paper, card or fabric will suffer from mildew and mould after a while. However it sounds like you might have limited options for storage at the moment?

if you’re able to, I would see if you can get in touch with a book/document restoration company in your country. For a fee, they may be willing to treat your boxes and remove mold/mildew. There’s one company in England I have used (I live in the UK) that uses methods such as freezing, freeze drying and gamma radiation to sanitise items. As for the contents, it’s best to remove them from the boxes so they can be inspected for any issues. Mild mould on plastic and metal can be cleaned off using simple household products.
 
Id buy a big roll of plastic from the paint department in walmart and seal them up.
Plastic wrap is great if you’re transporting something and need protection from moisture/damp. In the long term, it’s better to keep things in an open space. Air flow and a comfortable room temperature will be better for prolonging the life of collectibles (or just about anything). Plastic wrap or vacuum packing can potentially trap moisture and stop it from escaping.
 
Back
Top