Humidor Help

[Steve2150]

I have 4 humidors, 3 the same and 1 larger purchased from cheaphumidors.com. 3 takes 1 rectangular humidifiers and the larger takes 2. They are of the foam type and I use 50/50 solution. One problem is
all the humidifiers rust and put brown on the foam but my main problem is that on the larger one the humidifiers that sit on the right side of the lid has been replaced by me 3 times in that white mold forms on them, have checked the humidor for mold itself cant see any, cant understand why only this humidor
Keeps letting mold form on the humififier 3 times now on the 4th one. Any ideas, cheaphumidors.com was of no help. I have the one causing problems since only may 2012 and have gone thru 3 humidifiers in that short time.

[badwhale]

I have 4 humidors, 3 the same and 1 larger purchased from cheaphumidors.com. 3 takes 1 rectangular humidifiers and the larger takes 2. They are of the foam type and I use 50/50 solution. One problem is
all the humidifiers rust and put brown on the foam but my main problem is that on the larger one the humidifiers that sit on the right side of the lid has been replaced by me 3 times in that white mold forms on them, have checked the humidor for mold itself cant see any, cant understand why only this humidor
Keeps letting mold form on the humififier 3 times now on the 4th one. Any ideas, cheaphumidors.com was of no help. I have the one causing problems since only may 2012 and have gone thru 3 humidifiers in that short time.

Switch to beads.

Are you sure it's mold?

[craig]

Sounds like way too much solution.

You can't see mold spores. They're obviously all over the inside of your humidors. The brown isn't rust, either - it is most likely leeched from your cigars, again, from too much solution.

Beads. Heartfelt and Cigarmony are two online vendors.

[Steve2150]

Definitely rust as the metal mesh is rusted and disintergating. It is the white mold that looks like cotton, I looked up pictures of it on the internet it is growing out of the humidifier. The cigars ate in their cellophane wrappers.

[badwhale]

Definitely rust as the metal mesh is rusted and disintergating. It is the white mold that looks like cotton, I looked up pictures of it on the internet it is growing out of the humidifier. The cigars ate in their cellophane wrappers.

I had to read that last sentance about 4 times before I realized you meant "are" not "ate"

Still, sounds like you have trouble in that humi...

[Steve2150]

It is less then 3 months old, I complained to cheaphumidors.com after only a few weeks about it, in the meantime been thru 3 humidifiers there suggestion when I asked for an exchange was try beads, my point is something in the humidor causing it, they said send it to them my expense and if they can duplicate it they will exchange otherwise not. There 1 year warranty useless and the exchange period I had the problems but now too late. Very poor customer service. As I said the quality of their humidifiers are bad, the foam tape for the magnets fell off on all my humidors and all the humidifiers rusted but only this humidor had the white cotton like mold growing from the humidifier

[craig]

Metal mesh? Weird. Put a lighter up against the mesh; I'm sure that you will find that the mesh melts.

[kingbeefy]

First I thought it said "the cigars ate their cello wrappers"

Then I thought "Holy shit!"

Then I read it correctly and it made more sense.

Either way, I concur with the beads. You shouldn't need the foam humidifiers at all then so if they are the source of the problem that would take care of it.

[Steve2150]

Definitely metal mesh, case is made of plastic and te mesh is between the foam and the plastic. No
problem with foam in my other 3 concerning the mold only in the one that went yhru 3 humidifiers
because of mold. Wonder what is causing it only in that one humidor.

[ashauler]

Well, it's fairly obvious that mold spores got in either the humidifier element or the humidor itself, and you have not adequately removed it. Ditch the piece of shit humidifier element, clean the fuckin humidor well (linky), get some damn beads, re-season the humidor, charge the beads and re-stock it. Don't keep the RH so high once ya get it fixed or you'll fuck it up again.

[Steve2150]

Rh below 70. Already ditched 3 humidifier elements, cleaned humidor with alcohol but it still got mold
on my last humidifier. Gonna go thru the cost of sending it back my expense but waiting for the white mold to come back on humififier 4 after having this pos less then 3 months. Want to send it back with the mold and pictures of it to them. Have my cigars out of it now just the box and humidifiers. They are a
lousy company to deal with.

[ashauler]

Good luck, you need it.

[craig]

Never seen metal mesh, just plastic mesh, even on humidors with black tassels on the key. Seems awfully dumb to have metal.

Bleach (diluted) works. I don't think alcohol will do it.

And yeah, good luck, you'll need it.

[Steve2150]

If you go to their site cheaphumidors.com they sell replacements for the exact ones that come with
the humidor, even the rectangular beads humidifier they sell comes with the stainless steel mesh. I asked about why the metal in the foam one they said to keep the foam from falling apart. After alcohol I
used diluted bleach on the interior let it dry out reseasoned, white mold came back on the new
humidifier, mold must be below the cedar or somewhere in it.

[badwhale]

Is it me, or does it seem like we're talking in circles on this thread?

What exactly do you want us to tell you?

[ashauler]

Is it me, or does it seem like we're talking in circles on this thread?

What exactly do you want us to tell you?

It's not you.

Either return the fucking thing, or don't. Seems to me that if you just keep repeating the same steps, and end up with the same results, well, you deserve whatever you get.

[craig]

Not really circles; more like a spiral - like a toilet flushing.

[ggiese]

Never seen metal mesh, just plastic mesh, even on humidors with black tassels on the key. Seems awfully dumb to have metal.

Bleach (diluted) works. I don't think alcohol will do it.
And yeah, good luck, you'll need it.

If you have any mold spores in those humidors, you will keep having issues - and it's very hard to prevent mold spores in your humidors from happening (mold spores are literally everywhere). And be careful assuming it came from any place in particular - even though it seems to be related to a "new" circumstance (e.g. purchase of a new humidor).

Bleach solution will definitely kill anything in that box and/or the foam elements. You don't need much bleach to effectively kill whatever's in there (just a half a cup or so per gallon of clean water) - and you will definitely need to air it out afterwards for about 24 hours. The good news about Chlorine is that is is very volatile. It will disburse fairly quickly after it's used and should not affect your cigars if you properly air the humidors out after using the solution.

I would soak the foam elements in the bleach solution and dispose of them afterwards, just to prevent the mold from spreading more spores. And carefully handle anything with the mold on it, as any "fanning" of the items will send mold spores everywhere. Afterwards - go to beads as there much less chance the mold will find a good place to "feed".