Mold growing on the VHS tape inside the cassette

VHS tapes are time capsules of priceless family memories, but if you've recently pulled out an old tape and noticed white, fuzzy, or powdery spots, you could be dealing with VHS mold—a serious threat to your recordings.

If your tapes have been stored in humid conditions, basements, or attics, mold can grow on the reels, making them unplayable and putting your entire VHS collection at risk. Even worse, mold spreads quickly—one contaminated tape can infect others in the same box.

Most digitizing companies refuse to handle moldy VHS tapes, and those that do often charge high fees just to reject them after inspection. But at Heirloom, we’ve developed a proprietary mold removal process that safely restores and digitizes VHS tapes—preserving your memories before they’re lost forever.

How to Spot Mold on VHS Tapes

Before you attempt to play an old VHS tape, inspect it for mold. Mold typically appears as:

✅ White, powdery, or fuzzy spots on the tape reels.
✅ Dark or speckled patches that weren’t there before.
✅ A musty or mildew-like smell coming from the tape.

If you see any of these signs, DO NOT put the tape in a VCR. Playing a moldy VHS tape can damage your VCR and spread mold to any other tapes you play afterward.

Is It Mold or Sticky Shed Syndrome?

Some tapes develop sticky shed syndrome, which is often mistaken for mold. Sticky shed happens when the magnetic coating on a VHS tape deteriorates, causing it to stick and squeal when played. Unlike mold, sticky shed isn’t caused by external contamination—it’s a chemical breakdown within the tape itself.

Many digitizing services refuse to work with sticky shed tapes, because the tape can disintegrate in most VCRs. However, Heirloom has a high success rate in rescuing memories from VHS tapes with mold and sticky shed. If your tape sticks, squeals, or plays poorly, let our experts evaluate and restore it before it’s too late.

Can You File an Insurance Claim for Moldy Tapes?

If your VHS tapes developed mold due to flooding, burst pipes, or storm damage, you may be able to file an insurance claim for repair and digitization costs. Many homeowners’ policies cover water damage-related restoration, including media recovery.

Here’s how to check:

1️⃣ Review your policy – Look for coverage related to water damage.
2️⃣ Document the damage – Take photos and videos of the moldy tapes as evidence.
3️⃣ Get a professional assessment – Get an estimate on cleaning your tapes.
4️⃣ Submit a claim – Provide your insurer with a receipt for professional restoration services.

If your VHS collection was damaged in a flood, don’t assume it’s a total loss—your insurance may help cover the cost of saving your memories.

Digitizing Moldy VHS Tapes: Why You Can’t Wait

Mold doesn’t just damage VHS tapes—it gets worse over time. If left untreated, mold eats away at the magnetic layer, permanently erasing the video. Even tapes stored in climate-controlled homes can still be at risk if humidity levels fluctuate.

Most digitizing companies won’t accept moldy tapes—even if you’re willing to pay extra. They either:
🚫 Refuse the tape outright.
💰 Charge a cleaning fee only to reject the tape later.
🔄 Return the tape unprocessed, leaving you with no solution.

Heirloom Does What Others Won’t

At Heirloom, we’ve developed a proprietary process that safely removes mold and rescues video from VHS and VHS-C tapes—so you can preserve your memories before it’s too late.

✅ No extra fees for moldy tapes—We clean and digitize them at no additional cost.
✅ Proven method—We specialize in safe mold removal without damaging the footage.
✅ High success rate for sticky shed tapes—Even tapes suffering from chemical breakdown can often be saved.

How to Get Started: Save Your Moldy VHS Tapes Today

📦 Order a shipping box or label—It's all you need
📮 Drop it off at any UPS Store—We handle the rest.
🎥 Receive your digitized memories—On a flash drive or cloud storage, ready to relive forever.