Mold
 

All,
Am curious as to least distructive way to eliminate mold that pops up from time to time. I have tried a light vinegar spritz, sealing in plastic with camphorated moth balls and a few other devil's brew concoctions.

Is there a relatively non-damaging way to kill the buggers once and for all?

Tom A
Who hates a fungus among us

Tom, I would suspect athletes foot powder might do the job. If I were in an area that had high humidity I would sew up some bags of crushed charcoal, baking soda or use a commercial dessicant. Mold cannot grow without moisture so keeping them dry is the key.

I bought a wooden tortilla press in Mexico some time back and there were little wood boring worms infesting it. I put it in the oven at about 200 degrees for several hours...No more worms. I would guess one could do the same with a holster if you knew the temperature that would kill the mold but not harm the leather. Jerry Burney

Hello Old Paratrooper Bud,

I am leary about applying heat to leather. Do you think that a lower temp, like 125 or so, would be effective?
Also, humidity is a fact of life here in the DC 'burbs...so once I kill the ##@@%% spores, how do I make certain they STAY gone?
Tom A.

Tom,
Store them in a gun safe and install a de-humidifier in the vault with them.

At one time, taxidermists used arsenic to preserve their mounts.

If you know someone in the food spice business, a hospital sterilizing area, or some large metropolitan libraries, an ethylene oxide sterilizer is supposed to do a wonderful job. They are not home operations however (reproductive toxicant, carcinogen, and marvelously explosive. There may be some contract applications that could be accessed.

Personally I like mothballs.

heinz