Has a moldy VHS ruined my VHS/TV combo?
 

Hello,

I recently bought some VHS tapes and played one for about 5-10 minutes before taking it out and realising it had mold on it.

I'm not very informed on Vhs's, mostly bought for the nostalgia, so I didn't even know mold was a thing that happened to them before googling it.

Everywhere tells me to take it apart and clean it but because it is inside the TV I can't do that.

Will it be okay? I didn't play it for long and I really really love this TV and can't afford a new one.

Will trying to play my other tapes that don't have mold for sure ruin them or could I be lucky because I didn't play it for long.

Thank you :) just incase you need to know, I'm on the UK.
And the TV is a Ferugson FTC1410T

Mold ruins VCRs. Without cleaning, you'll infect more tapes, and those will then be harmed, and equally harm any othe VCR that tape comes into contact with.

The TV can be taken apart, just not as easily as a VCR.

I'm actually surprised to see anybody still using TV/VCR combos, I've not seen one of many years. Nor even heard of one, you're the first in a very long time!

Thank you!

Do you have any advice on how to clean it? I searched high and low to find a manual for it but no dice.

I've also heard of people using another tape to sort clean it, like play that one and it might clean it out, is that at all worth a go?

No, using another tape won't clean anything. Nor will "cleaning tapes". It'll just move the mold around, not actually clean anything.

There are more detailed guides on this forum but essentially use non-cotton swabs (NO Q-TIPS!), and high-% isopropyl "rubbing" alcohol (IRA) of at least 90%. Search for the guides here.

The user manual will be worthless anyway. At most, a service manual would tell you how to open and dismantle it.

Hey, sorry for all the questions, hope im not too much of a bother.

I have found some swabs and alcohol

Swabs: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PRINTER-S...frcectupt=true

Alcohol: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/50ml-Isop...frcectupt=true

I think these are fine. I have been trying to find a quide on how to clean the mold out of a vcr and I can't seem to find one, perhaps it is just slipping past me.

I imagine I can just unscrew the back of my tv and be able to get inside, but I'm not sure if i'll be able to get into the vcr to clean it, I'm also afriad that I'll mess something up and break it, or that the mold will still be in there, how will I even know that all the mold is gone if I can't see it.

I'm pretty sure there is no service that I will be able to find that does stuff like this, or that I could afford for that matter.

I also have some vhs tapes that only have a little mold on them, can they be cleaned also using the swabs and alcohol?

Would a tape cleaner, like this( https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kinyo-TV-...13fe%7Ciid%3A1 ) clean the mold off of tapes or would it just move it around and mess up my vcr again?

Again, sorry for all the questions, I just wanna get this right. :o

Thank you :)

If opening a CRT TV/monitor case be aware that a CRT's coatings and glass wall typically serve as a filter capacitor for the high voltage needed by the tube. It may have as much as 25,000 volts stored on it, and that voltage may be present for quite a while after the set is turned off (perhaps days), and can give a very unpleasant shock should one contact it. Portions of this circuit may be exposed when the case is open.

The connection to the tube is typically though a thick (often red) wire that connects to a snap-like point on the tube and is typically under a rubber disc at the end of the wire. It runs from the high voltage section of the TV, normally driven by the deflection circuits. It should be discharged before working on or round the picture tube or high voltage section of the set.

The attached photo shows the wire, cap, and a technician using a grounded, insulated screwdriver sliding the til under the cape to discharge the voltage. Of course the set should be unplugged from the power source as well.

Thank you for the help :))

Honestly, It's looking like it might just be screwed then. I probably shouldn't faf around with it and end up electrocuting myself or breaking it.

I figure it's already damaged now maybe I'll just keep using it and make sure that the tapes are clean and see how long it lasts me.

What a shame :( one little mistake messed the whole thing up.

Getting into the set is not dangerous if you know what you are doing and observe safety practices. Technicians have done it every day for years. Finding a service manual for the set can help you do that. But having some basic technician skills is essential.

You will need to do a thorough cleaning of the set, especially the VCR portion; tape path, cassette mechanism, guides, heads, etc.

I've not tried one, but a I suspect that mold fogger (bomb) can be used to fumigate the system. With proper treatment in a sealed environment for sufficient time it should reach all nooks and crannies to kill mold spores to prevent spread. The link below is a product sold in the USA. I suspect there are similar products sold outside the US.
https://shop.biocidelabs.com/Mold-Bomb-Fogger-Mold-Bomb-can.htm;jsessionid=532159144FDBE501B2AD6FB4F321B3E B.p3plqscsfapp005?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIu5OSsY744AIV1l mGCh1flQQHEAQYASABEgJ1_PD_BwE

Good luck.

I know this was a long time ago but I recently got a big box of VHS tapes out of my utility room, and every one of them has mold in them. It ranges from more to less, but any is bad to put in my VCR I assume. So, HAS ANYONE EVER TRIED TO MOLD BOMB THESE TAPES? It says on my mold bomber no residue, so I was thinking about throwing it in that box of tapes and letting it get rid of the mold. The mold is on the inside of the tape glass, on the black tape sides, but if this mold fogger will get rid of it, that would be awesome. Has anyone tried it though? Will it ruin the tapes?

Mold bombs are likely fumigants; they kill the mold, but still leave the dead material behind which can still clog the heads and foul the mechanism. It is a step that can prevent or inhibit spread of the "infection," but will not clean up the residue. Treated tapes that had mold will still likely need cleaning.

I agree and the proper removal of mould material on tape is not trivial as it probably needs to be a wet clean including a final rinse stage which leaves no residue, and then a drying stage. Tapes left wet or damp in the cassette after cleaning risk attracting mould all over again. Inhaling mould can also be dangerous to human health.