Musty smell in room because of over 4,000 lp's...what to do?

Was wondering if anyone uses an air purifier to help with the smell of LP's in a small room. With over 4,000 here in my small computer room the smell, while not terrible, is not great. Plus, I am wondering if the smell is contributing to a 24/7 headache I have had now for almost 5 years....thanks!

 

That old record smell is like magic. Unless you are talking about moldy records and then you have a problem.

 

Are you sure the smell is coming from the albums? You might need a de-humidifier rather as it would suggest damp. You might have dry rot or some other structural problem

 

Yeah, coming from the lp's....have them in wooden crates and Ikea cabs so they are pretty stacked and packed...

 

24/7 headache....for years?

Get to a doctor, that's what to do. And get the room checked for mold, if you think it's related.

 

Couldn't you just replace them all with CDs?

 

This would be my expert advice as well

 

CDs are guaranteed odour free.

 

Dehumidifier!

 

Having them packed and stacked is probably not helping the situation. I would certainly check for mold.

 

Except Madonna's 'Like A Prayer'!

 

Sadly not. My Ocean Rain target still has a musty smell, although thankfully it has gone from a copy of Sade Promise.

 

Get a dehumidifier. I did when storing mine in a basement. Even if it wasn't necessary, i still bought one. I kept it at 45% or so. perhaps obsessive, but hey, i paid good money for these things! From what I have heard it can get rid of the smell too, just need o have it running continuously for a couple weeks.

It would suck, but I would check those LP's for mold if it worries you.

 

I've never noticed it on CDs. I'll have to sniff my older discs.

 

It's very rare. Storing in a damp environment would do it, i.e., British houses in the 80s before central heating and double glazing became the norm.

 

Get 1-2 large bags of Charcoal, sit them in the room corners, hidden or not.

Consider Verilux UV Light Wand to kill bacteria/mold on each album as you take them out to play.
Can also use it to pass over albums in bulk, will take some time to kill off everything.

 

That's not a sentence you hear often

 

I sometimes acquire records from OpShops which I later notice have a musty smell. The first thing I will do is to remove them from being located with my other records. If they have a plastic sleeve I will remove it and wash it inside and out. If the record sleeve is laminated I will give it a good wipe down. I will remove the record from the sleeve and the inner sleeve, then spray the sleeve (inside and out) with Glen 20 disinfectant spray, and leave to dry, with the sleeve in an open position (something put inside to keep it open). A hairdryer will make sure it's dry on the inside. If the inner sleeve is plastic it will be washed, if it is paper it will be sprayed and dried. The record will be washed. It results in a big improvement.

The internet suggests airing out rooms, and using baking soda and crushed volcanic rock to absorb musty smells.

 

cd's... perfect smell forever.

 

Open a window and throw some dryer sheets on the records.

 

smells like.......victory

 

It's probably not mold, most likely it is a decompostion of the cardboard covers, they tend to rot over time and absorb odors, some mold might be present since you live in the NW US. If you are serious about the headaches, please see a doctor soon, be safe! I live in the desert with a couple thousand more than you and only notice a slight smell of what I like to call 'ahhhh'!!!

 

Are you absolutely certain it's your records?

 

it might be one or two records that are the culprit, ive lived with lots more old albums in rooms and never had a problem but one musty album can really permeate a room

 

Definitely get some equipment in there to measure the humidity. That's the first step