Getting mold or mildew off old record jackets

Since I suggested using bleach(clorine)for cleaning record jackets, I thought I should try it myself. So I took two old record jackets that were well worn and sprayed them both with the same water and bleach solution that I use to clean the bathroom. I don't recommend spraying them like I did but I wanted to really see what would happen. I sprayed a glossy jacket first and wiped it off with toilet paper then I did the same with a porous jacket. As a matter of fact, the white parts of the porous jacket that had yellowed over the years looks much whiter now and it did not affect the red and black ink. Remember ink is not the same as the dye in clothes.
Don't forget, most of us drink and bathe in this stuff everyday.

Rwear, see if the same thing happens if you spray with water and wipe. Or alcohol in solution. Or ammonia in solution. (This is what's known as a controlled experiment.) It's the elbow grease that's important, along with the universal solvent, H2O. If the bleach had been concentrated enough, and left on long enough, to cause the whitening you saw, then the colors would have been faded to a similar degree. You simply dissolved, suspended, and absorbed some of the accumulated scum. This will almost always clean the jacket effectively enough for government work. Again I reiterate that is not necessary to also try and "kill" mildew if present, which obviates the "need" to play with bleach. I find it a little surprising, though maybe that is naive on my part, that you would have posted twice on this subject disagreeing with me (your perfect right, BTW) and promoting your bleach regimen instead, when you apparently had no prior experience doing this procedure. I admire your eventual forthrightness about this, but question your impulsiveness OTOH. Everybody is entitled to their opinion, no matter what their experience level, but it's wise and honest to make clear exactly what is opinion and what is known. And in that spirit, let me make it crystal clear that every opinion I have expressed above about the use of effectively significant concentrations and quantities of chlorine bleach in the aid of cleaning record jackets is based on everyday common sense and life experience with its use on items *other* than record jackets, because I am not crazy enough to use my collection to carry the experiment you detail above to its meaningful and logical conclusion (nor have I had the need to)! Cheers, Z.

I have tried this before and it works. I have just never tried it in such a high concentration. And just to make sure I poured bleach right out of the bottle on the same jacket that I cleaned yesterday and it only made it look better. I don't recommend doing this but it did not harm the jacket or ink. If you use water only it will not get rid of the moldy smell and if you rub a porous record jacket(elbow grease)that is wet it will damage it. This may not be as true of glossy jackets to the same extint. And I repeat the ink did not fade at all. Even the label on the bleach bottle has not faded after much bleach has run down the sides. Don't rub the jacket, blot it.

If you only use H2o to wash your clothes, take a shower and wash your hair, I'm glad I don't have to be around you.

I am not in the business of selling bleach. I'm in the audio business and I am given lots of record collections. Not all of them are pristeen. If you don't beleive me, I don't care.

#1: I was just going by your above statements which implied you hadn't previously tried what you were recommending.

#2: What sort of jacket (how old, how glossy, etc.) did you use for your experiments?

#3: Removing the mildew (and storing in dry conditions) removes the smell of mildew, in my experience.

#4: I never recommended making a porous jacket wet, and stated above that rubbing was only appropriate for glossies.

#5: Bleach is used to make paper (and recycled paper with ink in it) white in the first place.

#6: Well, I don't wash myself in bleach, either, and only white laundry. I hope you do the same. (And I'm really not that bad to be around.)

#7: I didn't say I didn't believe you, I said I doubted your experiment was really informative or that your prescription was wise.

#8: I will try your method on some jackets I can afford to destroy, in the name of science and fairness, and post a follow-up (Lucky you!)

I used porous and glossy jackets. Both came out fine.