Over seasoned

[manover84]

I've been seasoning my new 300 count humidor with the glass of water inside the humidor for a few weeks. I opened it today to pull the rectangular humidifiers out and the whole bottom around the edges has developed green mold. What should I do now?

 

[Lurch]

Regular household bleach will kill mold. Not sure if you can clean it and then use it for storage.

 

[Bondo 440]

was that tap water?

 

[manover84]

Distilled water in a dish

 

[KGD]

Well, it wasn't distilled...

 

[Rupe]

My suggestion is to wipe it down with rubbing alcohol. That should kill the mold and evaporate without leaving any residue.

Wiping it down with bleach would be a huge mistake IMO.

 

[Mossome]

Even if there was a way to guarantee the complete eradication of the mold, which I don't know you can given the porous structure of wood, I'd personally never be able to trust it ever again. It might only be in my mind, but it would keep me up at night worrying if there was another outbreak brewing, and I would swear I could taste the mold in every cigar I smoked out of that humidor forever.I'd have to burn that box, and go buy me a $12 dollar tupperdor.

 

[manover84]

Could it be as simple as just sanding the inside and rubbing it down with some alcohol?

 

[ChefBoyRG54]

You should just get some tupperware imo. No worry, no work, no risk

 

[Prine]

I had the same issue before with my humidor, and since it was a wedding present from my wife I spent the time to sand it down. I only had one spot that was affected on mine, so I used a 10% bleach solution on the spot, then let it dry open. Bleach evaporates so I had no issues. I wouldn't say I would want to rub down the whole inside of my humidor with it though.

 

[sofc]

Could it be as simple as just sanding the inside and rubbing it down with some alcohol?

yes

 

[Rupe]

Could it be as simple as just sanding the inside and rubbing it down with some alcohol?

yes

I second that emotion...

 

[herfdog]

Seeing as its all in the wood jonction, I'd question the construction and bonding agent used.

What kind of humidor is it?

 

[manover84]

It's a cheap 300 count a friend bought from eBay.
Specs are:

• Holds up to 300 Cigars
• 2 Accessory Drawers
• 2 Brass Finish Hinges
• Oblong Humidifier and Hygrometer with Brass Finish Frame
• Tray with Divider
• Bottom Dividers
• Lined with Kiln Dried Cedar Divider
• Lock and Key with Tassel
• Scratch Resistant Felt Lined Bottom
• 18 L x 11.25 W x 10.25 H

 

[manover84]

It kind of baffles me, the mold is only in the corners where the wood comes together and i saw a little bit on the rectangular humidifiers

 

[Rupe]

It kind of baffles me, the mold is only in the corners where the wood comes together and i saw a little bit on the rectangular humidifiers

Is it possible that it's just a reaction of the glue that they used to assemble it rather than mold? It looks green but is it actually fuzzy?

 

[manover84]

Is it possible that it's just a reaction of the glue that they used to assemble it rather than mold? It looks green but is it actually fuzzy?

It's definitely fuzzy but just in the junctions and it has that musty smell. I just opened my other humidor and theres no mold per-say but it has some black spotting throughout. Could that just be the wood?

 

[manover84]

I think I figured out what happened. It's a main section with two drawers. I had put bowls in both drawers and my nephew moved the humidor and spilled the top drawer. I wiped it out to what I thought was well, there isn't any mold in it but the main compartment had some mold on the bottom and in the corners so the moisture must have moved up somehow. There's also some yellow coloration maybe fuzz, I can't figure out what that could be.

 

[Hoosierace]

Careful sanding that thing. Most of those inexpensive humidors use a paper thin veneer of spanish cedar. It is easy to sand through.

 

[SailorAg]

I purchased a humidor on eBay that ended up having some mold issues. I successfully took care of the issues and have yet to see any new mold on the wood or my cigars nearly a year later.

You'll just have to decide if the humidor is worth saving. As said above, some of the less expensive humidors use very thin veneers of cedar and/or the incorrect glue for a high humidity environment.

Here's what you'll need:

• Everclear
• Spray bottle
• 120 and 220 grit sand paper
• Small vacuum cleaner (optional)
• Paper towels
• Boveda packets

Simple steps to success. This can take a few days. Be patient.

1. Get some everclear from the liquor store. Put it in a spray bottle.
2. Conservatively spray the affected areas with the everclear multiple times over several days. Keep the lid open and place the humidor in sunlight. Together, the alcohol and sunlight should kill the mold spores.
3. Next, time for the 120 grit sand paper. Lightly sand the affected areas. Using the vacuum to suck up the dust is ideal because it'll prevent the spread of any living spores to other parts of the humidor and to your eye/lungs. Blowing on the dust is not recommended. If you don't have a small vacuum, a lightly damped paper towel will do.
4. Sand until the discoloration becomes noticeably lighter. Spray areas with alcohol again, leave it be for a few hours or overnight.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until all discoloration is gone (or nearly gone. You don't want to sand through the wood. Use your own judgement.) The more you repeat, the more confident you can be that all the mold spores have been killed.
6. With the 220 sand paper, sand the entire interior of the humidor until it is uniformly smooth (or until your particular level of OCD is satiated).
7. Spray with alcohol again. Let it dry and sit in the sun.
8. Finally, do the smart thing and stick to Boveda packets for desktop humidors. The cedar holders are amazing. Just take a flat head screw driver to carefully remove the pieces of cedar on the lid.

Hope this helps!