mold and mildew in a case

I got an SKB case and the inside is saturated with mold and mildew. It was literally wet inside, and the lining is coming off from the Styrofoam.


The case as been wet and closed for three years. It's bad... really bad...

I'm considering tossing the case, or at least all the insides and buying some dense foam to line it with.

Do you think there is any way to clean it up and salvage it?

More bad and good news.. not only was it wet and closed with mildew in it for three years, but it also had a guitar inside for that three years.

The good news, there was minimal damage to the guitar. It cleaned up great and plays and sound fantastic. It literally came back from the dead. It was so bad the plain strings literally rusted to the lining of the case and broke. There were pieces of string stuck to the lining.

There was rust and corrosion dripping from the metal parts of the guitar with a thick mold goo streaming from the neck.

OK, what was the guitar in there?

I think I'd give up on the case lining. It needs to be removed and given a good soak in some water mixed with mildew killer stuff. Vinegar?
Anyway, after a good soak to kill off the mold and mildew, a normal run throught the washing machine may save it. Once completely dry, re-install it in the case.

I wouldn't bother with all that though, I'd just get a new case.

Vinegar isn't near caustic enough. Bleach. It would take gallons of chlorine to kill those evil pathogens, and then what's left of the materials? Burn it, dude.

What kind of guitar?


I'd tend to junk the case.
The fur and foam almost defintely gotta go. Soaking it all in bleach would make things pretty fuggly.
If it's a wood shell case the mold could stay in the grain, or worked under the tolex.
By the time you go though the steps needed to really get it clean, and truly dry through and through, you could pop the $30 to $70 for a new gigbag or case and be enjoying the cleaned-up guitar, and life.

Toss it.
But destroy it first. Or else we'll see thread titled- "Found A Case at the Dump: how to I get the stech out?"

The outer shell is in good shape, so maybe as a project, as if I needed another project, I'll gut the case. The mold is into the little cracks of the Styrofoam under the liner too. I doubt I'll be able to get that out.

The guitar was a Schecter Omen-6. It has some water damage to the body. The lower area near the control cavity and jack, the seams came up between the pieces of wood. Can't be glued down, but they don't show from the front at all. The headstock has heavy discoloration. Like a grey color from water damage. it streaks through the entire back of the headstock, down into the neck area.

The low E string corroded the bridge saddle so it's quite a bit deeper than the other saddles. I might replace the bridge, or the saddle, but it really does not seem to effect the playability.

I need to make a control cavity cover....

I was going to resell it, but not sure. The value with the damage is going to be pretty low. The kid was willing to take almost anything for it, so I gave him $30.00... I think I could easily get $75.00 for it now, but then it might make a good knock around guitar.

My kid can take it to school next year, rather than taking his Les Paul. His new school has guitar class. His best friend was in the class this year and says the teacher is a jerk. "Borrows" his guitar and plays it for the entire class.

I told my son, on the first day he takes the Les Paul. I need to impress in this teachers mind what is going on with these kids, and where they are going, and what I expect the results to be with these two boys.

Really, the case is probably salvagable, maybe not aesthetically, but it can be made usable. Start with a 10-1 water/bleach solution and scrub it out good. Soak it if need be. The solution is strong enough to kill anything in there. Then, set it outside in the sun for several days. The sun will do more toward killing that shit and eliminating the odor than anything else. Finally, spray down with Fabreze.

If it's any consolation, 14 years ago, this guitar survived sitting in 17" inches of Long Island Sound until a Noreaster ended and the tide went out.
http://www.lilypix.com/photos/showpi...=531&pid=39113

The finish was so thick, the wood wasn't affected.
Replaced the pots and switches, cleaned up the hardware and played it until I refinished it about 4 years ago.
The pickups sound great. A bit of rust on a couple pole pices on the bridge pup is the only trace left behind.
My first good guitar, and still my favorite.

Mark, honestly, with your health problems I would say you really need to get rid of that case before trying to work with it. You're just asking for trouble.

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Originally Posted by pc

Mark, honestly, with your health problems I would say you really need to get rid of that case before trying to work with it. You're just asking for trouble.

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Or tell your wife to do it. :wife:

:couch

I just wanted to find an excuse to use that smiley. :ola

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Originally Posted by telecast

Really, the case is probably salvagable, maybe not aesthetically, but it can be made usable. Start with a 10-1 water/bleach solution and scrub it out good. Soak it if need be. The solution is strong enough to kill anything in there. Then, set it outside in the sun for several days. The sun will do more toward killing that shit and eliminating the odor than anything else. Finally, spray down with Fabreze.

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This should really work well - I agree with TC on this......The Fabreze part being optional, but surely helping with the odor. Glue in new lining.......I an picturing molded hardshell case......

Questions:

How did the moisture get in?

What did you clean the guiatr with?

How are the pots and jack/other items under the skirt...?

keep an eye on the guitar now hta tit is in a dry environment.....keep in a stand or somethign to ensure equelizaiton of moisture content for a week or so (Suggestion)

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Originally Posted by pc

Mark, honestly, with your health problems I would say you really need to get rid of that case before trying to work with it. You're just asking for trouble.

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I just re-read the post.....That might make make more sense.

But I do agree that it could be salvaged......

Well first off. PC might have a point. This could cause me some health problems...

The guitar, The jack was off of it. That's what the guy said was the only thing wrong with it.. Ha! It has a new switchcraft jack, which reminds me, I'm out of stock on those. Need to get a Jim in Texas order up again...

The pickups were intact, and not loss of wax on them.. The wax may have help preserve them. The pots seemed to be ok. I cleaned them with tuner cleaner and they work fine. The switch contacts I had to file a bit. It did not work at all on the neck pickup. Working fine now.

The guitar has a slight mildew smell if you really sniff close to the body. Not bad at all. But I have noticed more cracks developing since yesterday as it dries out. It now has one near the neck plate. That was not there for sure last night, and another developed on the body at the neck pocket. I'm sure more will be showing up in the days to come.

Like I told my son, the whole guitar may just implode in a few days...

I used Brasso metal polish on the frets and metal parts to get the rust and corrosion off. I lemon oiled the fretboard. I used GHS guitar gloss to get the grime off, and to give it a bit of a shine (it is a satin body), then sealed it with Dunlop 65.

If the guitar stinks take any covers off to let air get at its inards and put it out in the sun like telecast recommended for the case.
I wouldn't hurt to wipe out the cavities with a bleachy concoction either. Mold won't die of natural causes.

Sounds like this thing really took swim.

If the wood's damp inside somewhere, over time you may see funny thing happen to the finish or any binding.
If it was laying down in the water... :wah: It'll be interesting to see how the neck behaves.

I was able use mine after just cleaning the pots and switches.
But eventually things started crapping out.
The pups are wax potted. I guess that's what saved them.
Luckily, it was on a stand, so only the body got wet.

For $30, heck, it's an adventure. I was freakin' heartsick:( , cuz that Schecter's my baby. It worked out okay though. (thuimb's-up smilie here)

Mark -

Let it air out, in a dry space. Venitlate if you note odors....

FWIW - I do some indoor air/health type work here on the east coast......
I don't make enough money to be an expert, but know enough to give some basic advice.

As far as restoration expert....not me......

Let the moisture dry form in to out, and that will take a little while......

BTW - Free advice is sometimes worth every dime you pay for it, but let me know if you have other questions I might be able to help with.

Anyone know about using that Fabreze and how it reacts with nitro finishes?

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Originally Posted by sinner

Anyone know about using that Fabreze and how it reacts with nitro finishes?

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You need to use vintage fabreze, otherwise the tone will suffer.

-Mark

Man, toss the case. We used to have a flood restoration business a while back. Gave it up due to health problems. But, if you want to give it a try, the stuff you buy at the supermarket really isn't that good for mold and mildew. It will just come back. Microban is what you might want to try great stuff. It's used commercially. Google it and you will see who supplies it. Bleach is pretty distructive it can cause fabric to rot, destroy glues. The sun is the best thing. Dry it out pull the lining Wear A Dust Mask and use Microban. Keep the shell and re-line the case. I'd still toss it.Cases are pretty cheap. May the Force be with you.

The issue I've run into with the SKB's is that when they get wet the glue they used on the cloth runs into the fabric. It must be water soluable. When they dry out the glue is now on the fabric where it touches the guitar, and if the humidity goes up you'r guitar will get glued into the case. I'd remove the inserts, pull off the fabric and discard, wash the styrofaom in a bleach sanitizing solution, and then add new fabric.

The Styrofoam is starting to disintegrate.. I'm going to yank all the insides and just keep the shell.

I'll put foam in it later for a future project.

Anyone know how to cut foam so the cuts look smooth? Especially the curves.. By hand of course..

An electric knife will cut it just dandy.

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Originally Posted by stratcat55

Man, toss the case.

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Yep. How much are time and money are you going to spend on "restoring it" when you can buy a decent NEW hardshell case at a chain store for $70.

I mean, if it was a thermometer case, or a poodle case, or something, yeah, I could see it.

Gut it and use it for mic stands and/or cables/hardware/speaker stands (if they fit) .......

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Originally Posted by FrankJohnson

Gut it and use it for mic stands and/or cables/hardware/speaker stands (if they fit) .......

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Actually, thats perfect. I think my mic stands will fit in there nicely. If they fit, that would make a really classy mic stand case..