A humidor is a wooden box used to store cigars. Humidors should be carefully cleaned and maintained to prevent mold from growing in them. It might be possible to clean a humidor in which mold has started growing but the cigars might have to be thrown away. The best thing to do is to prevent mold from growing in your humidor in the first place.
If you use a humidor to store your cigars, always inspect it very carefully before smoking. Mold should be fairly easy to notice. Mold can look black, white, green or even blue. If there is only a small spot that can easily be removed, make sure it did not touch the cigars. If the humidor contains a lot of mold, it is best not to smoke the cigars.
Inspect the cigars carefully to determine if they were affected by mold. Keep in mind that it is possible to find a white coating on the outside of the cigar due to oils being present in the wrapper. This white coating is referred to as plume and can be brushed off the cigar without leaving any marks. On the other hand, mold will leave a mark on the wrapper. If you notice traces of mold on a cigar, throw it away immediately.
If there is mold in your humidor, cleaning it should be a priority. You should remove the mold with a vacuum cleaner or wipe it with a cloth. Clean the vacuum or the cloth you used to prevent mold from spreading to other areas of your home. You should then disinfect the humidor to get rid of the spores mold uses to spread.
The best way to disinfect your humidor is to use some isopropyl alcohol. Use a Q tip or a cloth to gently rub the inside of the humidor with some isopropyl alcohol. You can dilute the alcohol with some water if you are afraid of damaging your humidor.
Avoid applying too much alcohol on the wood of the humidor. Cedar wood is sensitive and can easily become damaged if soaked in alcohol. You should apply a small quantity of alcohol to the cloth or Q tip and gently tap or rub the wood. The alcohol should dry right away. If wetness remains after a few seconds, you are applying too much alcohol.
You should then eliminate traces of alcohol by rubbing the humidor with some distilled water. It is best to use lukewarm water. Again, gently tap or rub the wood instead of drenching it in water. Don't hesitate to rinse with water more than once if you can still smell the alcohol you used to disinfect your humidor.
Let your humidor open so it can dry. Do not touch it for a couple of days and inspect it carefully to make sure the mold did not come back. You should also take another look at the cigars you stored in it. Mold spores can take a few days before they start growing and it is possible that mold will appear on your cigars even though they looked fine when you removed them from the humidor.
If there are no traces of mold on the cigars, put them back in the humidor. Check your humidor on a daily basis to make sure the mold has not returned. If you notice new traces of mold, remove the cigars and clean your humidor with some alcohol again. Think about replacing your humidor if you cannot get rid of a mold infestation.
You can prevent mold from appearing in your humidor by opening it once a day to let some fresh air in. However, you should not leave your humidor open for more than a few minutes or the cigars might dry out. If you notice a musty smell when you open your humidor, you need to clean it even though traces of mold are not visible yet.
If you use a humidor to store your cigars, always inspect it very carefully before smoking. Mold should be fairly easy to notice. Mold can look black, white, green or even blue. If there is only a small spot that can easily be removed, make sure it did not touch the cigars. If the humidor contains a lot of mold, it is best not to smoke the cigars.
Inspect the cigars carefully to determine if they were affected by mold. Keep in mind that it is possible to find a white coating on the outside of the cigar due to oils being present in the wrapper. This white coating is referred to as plume and can be brushed off the cigar without leaving any marks. On the other hand, mold will leave a mark on the wrapper. If you notice traces of mold on a cigar, throw it away immediately.
If there is mold in your humidor, cleaning it should be a priority. You should remove the mold with a vacuum cleaner or wipe it with a cloth. Clean the vacuum or the cloth you used to prevent mold from spreading to other areas of your home. You should then disinfect the humidor to get rid of the spores mold uses to spread.
The best way to disinfect your humidor is to use some isopropyl alcohol. Use a Q tip or a cloth to gently rub the inside of the humidor with some isopropyl alcohol. You can dilute the alcohol with some water if you are afraid of damaging your humidor.
Avoid applying too much alcohol on the wood of the humidor. Cedar wood is sensitive and can easily become damaged if soaked in alcohol. You should apply a small quantity of alcohol to the cloth or Q tip and gently tap or rub the wood. The alcohol should dry right away. If wetness remains after a few seconds, you are applying too much alcohol.
You should then eliminate traces of alcohol by rubbing the humidor with some distilled water. It is best to use lukewarm water. Again, gently tap or rub the wood instead of drenching it in water. Don't hesitate to rinse with water more than once if you can still smell the alcohol you used to disinfect your humidor.
Let your humidor open so it can dry. Do not touch it for a couple of days and inspect it carefully to make sure the mold did not come back. You should also take another look at the cigars you stored in it. Mold spores can take a few days before they start growing and it is possible that mold will appear on your cigars even though they looked fine when you removed them from the humidor.
If there are no traces of mold on the cigars, put them back in the humidor. Check your humidor on a daily basis to make sure the mold has not returned. If you notice new traces of mold, remove the cigars and clean your humidor with some alcohol again. Think about replacing your humidor if you cannot get rid of a mold infestation.
You can prevent mold from appearing in your humidor by opening it once a day to let some fresh air in. However, you should not leave your humidor open for more than a few minutes or the cigars might dry out. If you notice a musty smell when you open your humidor, you need to clean it even though traces of mold are not visible yet.
The organic ingredients of the cigars, heat and humidity cause mold to grow. Keeping your cigars in a cold and dry environment will prevent mold from growing but the cigars will become stale. Try keeping your humidor in a spot where the temperature will not exceed 72 F and the humidity levels will not go over 70%. Warmer temperatures or more humid environments will not help preserve the cigars and will increase the risks of mold developing.
If mold keeps growing in your humidor in spite of storing it in a spot with ideal temperature and humidity levels, sand the inside of the box. Use a very fine sandpaper and make sure you clean up all the dust when you are done. This is a good way to eliminate mold spores that have been absorbed by the cedar wood.
These tips will help you prevent mold from growing in your humidor and eliminate it if it does. Remember to open your humidor on a daily basis to check it and let some fresh air in.
If mold keeps growing in your humidor in spite of storing it in a spot with ideal temperature and humidity levels, sand the inside of the box. Use a very fine sandpaper and make sure you clean up all the dust when you are done. This is a good way to eliminate mold spores that have been absorbed by the cedar wood.
These tips will help you prevent mold from growing in your humidor and eliminate it if it does. Remember to open your humidor on a daily basis to check it and let some fresh air in.