Getting musty smell out of records.

I received a lot of 33 1/2 LP’s from a family friend a few months ago, that she found while cleaning out a garage. They are all in good working order, except for the fact that they have a musty sleeve smell, that I’m having a hard time getting rid of. Does anyone have ideas about what to do?

Improperly stored and now full of mold. With the help of a record cleaning machine, a lot of mold can be removed from the records, although if too bonded on it can be a tough job. It is probably in the sleeves and more is going to grow on the records if you put them back in their sleeves. Just donate them to a thrift store as-is, and wash your hands of them. Also, wash your hands.

Depending on the level of stink saturation, I've had some luck keeping musty covers (that were otherwise visually and structurally sound) by placing a dryer sheet inside. This works for slight mustyness and smoke smells. Serious mold problems like mjb mentioned are another problem.

In a couple of extreme cases like the water damaged discs I've rescued, first thing is to clean (and thoroughly deep clean) the disc. Mold can actually eat into the vinyl over time!
I placed the covers into a clear plastic sleeves with a fold over flap that gets taped shut. Effectively sealing the offending mold inside and keeping the artwork readable. It'll probably get overcome and crumble to dust at some point but at least I don't have to smell it. The washed discs are put into poly lined sleeves and stored with the sealed cover inside another plastic sleeve. This offers some level of protection from the spores and smell when keeping what's left as serviceable as possible.

Not the right solution for everyone I know but in a few cases it works for me until I can find a replacement copy.

Thank you so much! I will look into this.

CykoMF
Depending on the level of stink saturation, I've had some luck keeping musty covers (that were otherwise visually and structurally sound) by placing a dryer sheet inside. This works for slight mustyness and smoke smells. Serious mold problems like mjb mentioned are another problem.

In a couple of extreme cases like the water damaged discs I've rescued, first thing is to clean (and thoroughly deep clean) the disc. Mold can actually eat into the vinyl over time!
I placed the covers into a clear plastic sleeves with a fold over flap that gets taped shut. Effectively sealing the offending mold inside and keeping the artwork readable. It'll probably get overcome and crumble to dust at some point but at least I don't have to smell it. The washed discs are put into poly lined sleeves and stored with the sealed cover inside another plastic sleeve. This offers some level of protection from the spores and smell when keeping what's left as serviceable as possible.

Not the right solution for everyone I know but in a few cases it works for me until I can find a replacement copy.

I will consider that. Thank you!

mjb
Improperly stored and now full of mold. With the help of a record cleaning machine, a lot of mold can be removed from the records, although if too bonded on it can be a tough job. It is probably in the sleeves and more is going to grow on the records if you put them back in their sleeves. Just donate them to a thrift store as-is, and wash your hands of them. Also, wash your hands.

This also affects books, and here is a link about cleaning which applies to record sleeves, too. The information can help sometimes, but others it's like mjb says, they are too far gone to save.

Thanks Viandy!

viandy
This also affects books, and here is a link about cleaning which applies to record sleeves, too. The information can help sometimes, but others it's like mjb says, they are too far gone to save.

I Have cleaned the covers with seven generation spray and then put them out in the breeze and sun, wait a bit and usually they come back in with that nice fresh outdoor smell no more musty smell.

possibly you need buy this, http://www.gaylord.com/Preservation/Book-%26-Pamphlet-Preservation/Repair-Tools-%26-Supplies/Other-Tools-%26-Supplies/Book-Deodorizer/p/50071

is used on book, but records are the same thing! made of paper.

also to new records I recommend add silica gel on boxes to avoid humidity and odors... avoid store records in shelves too! I don't want my records exposed to dust and mold of the air... I use boxes, I don't care that I can show my records, people use shelves because like see them all the time.

I have found that exposing the inners of the sleeve covers to a strong ceiling fan for about a week completely eliminates the musty smell.

If there's no mold there are two things you can do to get rid of the smell.
1. Wrap them in layers of newspaper and forget about them for a week or 2
2. Get a plastic container and put the records inside with a container of baking soda for a few days

I've had great success with baking soda and a large plastic storage container (12" x 12" x 15" or larger) and a tightly fitting, snap-on lid. I put in the records along with one of those refrigerator baking soda boxes or simply cut the long side off a box of baking soda. After about a week, smells fine. Hope the same works for you.