A search for “moldy VHS tape” or "mold on videotape" yields lots of well-intentioned ideas about how to deal with the problem. After scouring the internet myself to see what information is available it is my professional opinion that the advice and tutorials about cleaning up a tape that has been affected by mold are actually very poor and will at best do nothing for a tape and at worst could destroy footage instead of salvaging it.
I won’t provide links to the poor advice, but my critique can be easily summarized: liquid substances of any kind and videotapes do not mix; liquid substances and mold-affected tapes are a recipe for disaster. I’ve also observed that some consumer tape cleaning devices can crease or wrinkle the surface of a tape during operation, an irreversible issue that permanently destroys footage. This applies to VHS, VHS-C, 8mm, Hi8, Digital8 and miniDV formats.
I know this may sound self‑promotional, but if your footage matters, professional remediation is the safest option. Unfortunately under extreme conditions not all mold damaged tapes can be salvaged; but if your tape can be restored we will be able to recover the footage with a minimum amount of loss. Our experience, custom-built equipment and time-tested methods allow us to work with mold in a way that the people who have offered their advice online don’t even begin to realize is necessary and productive.
If you found some tapes in a basement or attic that have white, tan or brown mold growing on the reels, or if any other company or establishment told you that your tapes can’t be transferred, contact us or check out our page on mold damaged tape repairs, we’re confident that you’ll be glad that you did!