You Can Save Your VHS from MOLD! Videovore Dustin Kramer Creates HOW TO CLEAN A MOLDY VHS Video to Help Illustrate the Process of Cleaning Mold from Video Tapes!
It’s the single most annoying enemy of the almighty VHS tape and Videovores alike: MOLD. For many collectors, that cringe-worthy spread of powdery white across the tape reels seems to spell certain death. But it doesn’t have to, Tapeheads. The more frequent visitors to Lunchmeat Land are most likely familiar with the two-part VHS mold removal tutorial published here on the blog way back in late 2012 and early 2013, but if not, you can check out both of those instructional articles HERE and HERE. Fast forward to the present, and a fellow Videovore by the name of Dustin Kramer has created a simple, informative and radically effective video interpretation of the LM mold removal tactics, with a few VHSteps of his own to make for a more robust rewind-inclined cleaning session. So, grab those moldy slabs that you just couldn’t let go, Tapeheads, and check out the video below. You CAN save those tapes from a moldy end…
Amazing ain’t it, Videovores? The maker of this video and mold removal master Dustin Kramer also runs a groovy site with his wife Jessica called… wait for it… PopcornPoops.com! Self-professed as "the best married couple movie podcast/commentary track hybrid audio program on the internet", Dustin and Jessica are currently running a “1987” theme on the podcast, most recently airing a dedication to an absolute Lunchmeat favorite (and utter late 80s horror essential) THE GATE! Be sure to groove on over, give ‘em a listen and subscribe if you feel so inclined! Dustin, we here at Lunchmeat VHSalute you!
The Popcorn Poops themselves! Dustin and his lovely wife Jessica! Find out more about their work here!
I feel as though this piece wouldn’t be totally complete without at least briefly addressing some of the opinions held by contemporary VHS collectors on the dangers and effects of VHS mold. There are indeed some who are adamant about the immediate disposal of moldy VHS tapes, mainly stemming from the concern of spreading contamination. In this mindset, if there is mold on one tape, and it sits among your collection, then it can spread to the other tapes, perhaps inciting a full-on, mold-induced magnetic magic massacre. I don’t personally subscribe to that VHSchool of thought, and frankly, I’m not sure that’s even possible. Speaking from my personal experience of VHS collecting (which is pushing 15 years now), I’ve had some moldy tapes on the shelf and I’ve NEVER had it spread to another tape. Not once. Ever.
Yes, it can be beat, Tapeheads! DOWN WITH MOLD! UP WITH NACHOS!
What is possible, however, is this: if you play a moldy tape in your VCR, there’s a good chance residual mold will be left on the heads. If you then play another tape in that same playback machine, that residual mold can latch onto the magnetic tape, and then you’ve probably caused contamination in another tape. From there, the mold can spread, but only within that tape; it will also spread more rapidly if the tape is stored in conditions supportive of mold growth AKA a dark, wet and humid atmosphere. That’s another thing of paramount importance: to avoid mold, storage is key. It’s always best to keep your tapes in a cool, dry place. It’s Videovore Know-How 101, but heavily essential: No moisture = no mold, man.
If you have any other tape cleaning tips or tricks, please VHShare them in the comments below, Tapeheads! Together, we CAN beat the menace of mold!
Groove and Groove and Collect Spores, Molds and Fungus.
Josh Schafer