Mold and Old Currency

[Mike1961]

I had some old currency in a metal gun cabinet stored in my Mom’s garage and recently her roof started leaking. Well, some of the stuff in the cabinet did get damaged from moisture. The old currency is not bad but it does have a strong moldy smell and I suspect that mold has started growing on it, even though none is visible. I’m afraid that mold could damage the bills and was wondering if anyone knows anything I could do about it. I actually considered ironing the bills in hope that it would kill the mold. Any thoughts or suggestions?

[007tallguy]

maybe spend some of your money so it doesn't get so moldy!

ok, seriously... i'm not sure about the "after the fact" mold, but maybe a couple of those silica gel packets that are packed in with electronics to keep moisture from being a problem.
i wouldn't recommend using any kind of cleaners on those bills, other then just wiping them down with a dry cloth to wipe away any mold. you may not actually see any mold on them, but if you can smell it, it's likely microscopic and present on the bills. clean them individually and then pack them up with the gel packs.

Pete

edit: you can probably pick up several of those silca packets for free from any camera or electronics shop.

[Mike1961]

1935 Silver certificate, some old $2 dollars bills, so don't want to spend these. The smell is not my biggest concern, I'm worried that the mold is still growing. The silica packs are a good idea for anything else I put in storage and they might help with any remaining moisture. Thanks

[007tallguy]

Originally Posted by Mike1961

1935 Silver certificate, some old $2 dollars bills, so don't want to spend these. The smell is not my biggest concern, I'm worried that the mold is still growing. The silica packs are a good idea for anything else I put in storage and they might help with any remaining moisture. Thanks

i was just kiddin' about spending it.
have you tried googling "mold"? the heat from the iron may very well kill it and the gel packets should keep it at bay afterwards.

[Jax]

Not sure if it will help with Mold, but will suck the moisture out

Seal them in a bag or box with uncooked white rice. When I got my cell phone and watch wet, this worked perfect.

[Mike1961]

Originally Posted by 007tallguy

i was just kiddin' about spending it.
have you tried googling "mold"? the heat from the iron may very well kill it and the gel packets should keep it at bay afterwards.

I know that 007.

I was thinking that the iron might kill the mold but I was also concerned it could damage the currency. The gel packs, or uncooked rice as Jax suggested, would keep the moisture down which should reduce the risk of mold. Still, I am concerned about introducing heat to the bills.

[WTR25]

Before putting them somewhere with silica packs, try microwaving each bill individually for about 10-20 seconds to get any moisture out. Its worked for me in the past with dropping my wallet in water.