Playing board games with family and friends are thrilled and exhilarating. But if your board games are covered with mold that is a potential health risk that needs to be dealt with.
Even with the right storing system, it is quite difficult to prevent board games from growing mold. Around the corner of the box, boards or cards, you can easily identify mold when there is humidity or accidentally leaked water in the area.
How do you remove mold from board game? There are various solutions to remove mold from board game. Depending on the condition of the board game and amount of mold, you may use dish soap, vinegar mix or denatured alcohol solution.
When applying these water based solutions onto the board game, start with minimal amount at a time. Additionally, avoid from scrubbing too harsh to protect the board games from excess damage.
When you have a closet full, consider thinking about how to store board games properly to avoid mold growth and keep it clean all the time. As the board games get older, they start to create a musty smell or attract dust, and without proper care you end up throwing the old games in the garbage.
Apart from dirt, mold is one of the main problems that can ruin board games. Furthermore, mold-affected materials need to be dealt as quickly as possible since it can contaminate other board games in the area.
When you discover the mold issue, isolate the material and treat them by relocating it to a dry place. If dealt with in a safe manner, the mold will not spread any further and the board games can be saved.
Other than these emergency treatment, learn more about how to remove mold from old board games. In this article, we will answer frequently asked questions about mold on board games, discover why mold is happening on board game and tips to removing the spores without further spreading.
Why do board games mold?
Generally, mold grows easily in damp environment conditions. Moisture can affect your board game and will destroy the board, card and pieces badly enough that they may need to be replaced.
Whether you spilled drinks over the board game or brought to camping, the boards, boxes and cards can wrap and become destroyed when exposed to a damp environment. Hot climate with high humidity is the optimal condition for mold to grow and spread very quickly.
Whether you are playing board games indoor or outdoor, always place the board game in a dry place where there is no mold and low humidity after the gameplay has finished.
If you keep the game in a damp environment or storage area, then you will have to wrap it in a plastic bag. Also, keep the game elevated from the floor on a shelf since moisture tends to pool around the floorboards.
The best practice is after gameplay, clean the board and pieces so they are fully dried before putting them back. Wiping down occasionally to have them dust-free will also protect your board game for longterm.
Maintaining your game with clean hands and add sheets of fabric softener or perfumed fabric cloth inside the box to help to absorb moisture and keep them smelling fresh.
Is mold on board games dangerous?
Yes, mold is dangerous it can destroy board games and spread pretty quickly. Apart from this, mold is serious and is harmful to the health since prolonged exposure can affect your sinuses and cause allergic reactions.
Moisture is the biggest cause for mold to thrive. Keep the mold away from your house and your favorite board games by lowering the level of humidity in your home.
Exposure to mold can cause health effect such as allergic and respiratory symptoms due to mold spores traveling through the air we breathe. Symptoms include headache, sore throat, runny nose, coughing, sneezing, watery eyes and fatigue.
However, not all molds are dangerous. The type and color of the mold determine the danger to health, so identify the mold on the board games to make sure that there is not a concern for high alert.
Common types of mold include:
- Stachybotrys (known as black mold)
- Chaetomium
- Aspergillus
- Penicillium
- Fusarium
- Alternaria.
Is it safe to wash mold off board games?
Yes, you can wash off the mold pretty easily. Use a mold cleaning solution to completely remove the mold spores consisting of one to two cups of vinegar with a detergent solution to mix.
Just cleaning the board game with running water does not completely wash off the mold. Without proper cleaning methods, the mold is guaranteed to return and it can actually make you sick.
Exasperated health issues can lead to permanent asthma attacks and serious infections may occur due to mold.
While you are washing it off or cleaning it, then take precaution and used protection. Always, wear a mask and gloves when removing mold so that the spores don’t become airborne and become an inhalation risk.
How to remove mold from board game?
Start with removing mold from the board game by using soap and vinegar solution. It is a minimal chemical liquid to clean and wipe off mold on the board game.
Be very careful and do not use too much water when making the solution. With the soap and vinegar solution, you need minimal amount of warm water and a soft sponge, too much liquid can damage the board game and pieces
Gently, begin from the box or the outer part of the board game and slowly clean the small pieces afterwards. Gently rub the sponge on the mold affected area, and use caution so the finish does not come off.
After that, you can start to remove mould from the inner side of the board game.
For any mold that are bigger in size or been there for long time, use denatured alcohol. Tiny amount of alcohol should be enough to clean the mold.
Always test in small areas to make sure the graphics or illustrations on the board game is not removed.
Lastly, use a dry cloth to remove any residual moisture or cleaning solution so that it doesn’t cause further harm to the game.
Tips to prevent mold on the board games:
It’s pretty challenging to protect the board games from mold when faced with changes in climate, uncontrollable temperature fluctuations and humidity that triggers mold to grow. Always keep the boxes closed and off the floor to avoid direct contact.
Here more tips to prevent mold on the board games:
- When cleaning any board game, make sure that everything is fully dried before putting it in a closed box in its storage place.
- Store the board game where there is no dust or mold. Place it in an elevated area that is lifted from the floor. Moisture tends to seep onto the floor and can be transferred to board games when coming in contact.
- Wipe out the dust from the board game regularly for a long-lasting shelf life.
- Always close the original board game boxes with string or cheap elastic band on all four sides to keep the moisture and dust away with a secured lid.
- Add a perfumed cloth inside the board game box to remove bad smells from must or mold.
Make a habit of maintaining board games often whether you are frequent or special occasion player.
Clean the games with clean hands and avoid dirt or grease entering into the box. Dust or foul smells can settle on the game pieces for long periods and will be very difficult to remove.
Removing Mold From Board Games: Conclusion
Board games bring family and friends together, and can make gatherings and parties even more enjoyable.
Storing for the next game night or special occasion must be treated very carefully. Without proper care, board games can become moldy and musty, so bad that the smell is hard to recover from.
Identify the mold type in order to remove the mold in the proper manner. Some mold are extremely dangerous to your health, and must be treated while wearing protective gear like respiratory mask and gloves.
Molds do not easily wash off of warm or cold running water. Depend on the condition and mold type, use soap and vinegar mixture or denatured alcohol solution.
Add small amount of water and soft sponge to gently rub in circle motion to remove mold from the board game. Always test on a corner or outer box to make sure it does not harm the material.
After cleaning the mold, air dry in a shaded area and ensure your games are completely dry before putting them back in boxes on the shelf. Without taking care of board games, molds can grow and spread very easily.
So, if you board games on many shelves, use these tips to protect your gaming collection. After every gameplay, wipe down the pieces and clean up to avoid unwanted mold that can lead to health risk and replacing valuable classic board games.