Mine was not mold, it was the smell that had soaked in from the felt drip pad in the bottom of the featherweights that collect the oil, that is where most of the smell comes from. I don't think the wood could be any dryer, it is over 50 years old. The glue had already started to come loose the best way to fix the glued area is dampen the paper lining and add elmers glue while it is damp, it will make the paper lining draw really taught when it dries and you cannot even tell it has been reglued. I have done this for several years. the case looks like a brand new case, I keep it polished and aired. Unless you actually see mold in the case and on the machine the smell is pretty normal, especially if it has been stored and the felt pad had not been changed in the machine. My grandmothers smelled just like that, stored in a dry place it was just from the oil pad.We have 3 2 had the smell, now almost completely gone and all three beautiful, perfect machine, never have been repaired.
Originally Posted by shequilts
I won't dispute the premise that heat will kill the mold, but the heat will also dry out the glue that holds the liner in place. Not only that, but it will further dry the wood that the case is made of and make it even more brittle than it already is. Liners frequently roll up and peel away anyway. The box wood is very thin and could easily crack, especially on the top.
With our collection, we do leave them open to air, then crumple newspaper to leave inside for a few days. A dryer sheet left inside will freshen it up, but those that REALLY smell just won't get better. I would never buy one that has that awful odor. I bought one to try and NOTHING worked. As we all know, the only way to get rid of mold is to completely remove it. If it remains, it will come back. Unfortunately, you can't remove it without destroying the originality of the box. You can't replace the original liner.